New Mexico Military Museum Announces Annual Bataan Commemoration Exhibition Featuring the life and legacy of Valdemar DeHerrera, New Mexico’s last living Bataan Veteran.
- Laureta Huit
- 4 hours ago
- 2 min read
Last of the 200th: Valdemar DeHerrera honors the life and legacy of Valdemar DeHerrera, opening April 9, 2026, at 10 a.m.
This exhibition is located at The Bataan Building 407 Galisteo St, Santa Fe, New Mexico, in the breezeway outside the Department of Veterans Services. Reception and Lecture to follow Bataan Commemoration Ceremony at the New Mexico Military Museum at 12 p.m.
This exhibition honors the life and legacy of Valdemar DeHerrera, New Mexico’s last living Bataan veteran, who passed away on July 15, 2025, at the remarkable age of 105.
Deeply rooted in his community and devoted to his family, his story represents not only one man’s experience, but the enduring strength and spirit of an entire generation.
Born in Costilla, New Mexico in 1919, Mr. DeHerrera grew up farming and ranching, developing a deep knowledge of the land and its natural remedies. During his time in the Philippines, that knowledge became lifesaving. He recognized familiar herbs growing in an unfamiliar landscape and used them to treat and care for his fellow prisoners of war offering relief, healing, and hope in the harshest of conditions.
Drafted in 1941 while working as a shepherd with the Civilian Conservation Corps in Wyoming, he was assigned to Battery A of the 200th Coast Artillery, and later to the 515th.
Unlike many, he did not surrender at Bataan. Instead, he and others took to the jungle, continuing the fight as guerrillas for months, harassing the Japanese till they were captured in an abandoned bunker. As a prisoner of war, he endured forced marches, transport aboard a Hell Ship, and years of harsh captivity in Manchuria, where he was forced into labor in a textile factory until liberation at the end of the war.
And yet, his story is not defined solely by hardship, but by resilience. He returned home to New Mexico, married Consuela DeVargas, raised seven children, and dedicated his life to his work, his land, his family, and his community. He remained an active and proud member of his veteran community, carrying forward the memory of those who did not return.
As the last known survivor of the 200th and 515th Coast Artillery units, Mr. DeHerrera stood as a living link to the Bataan generation. With his passing, that living link is gone but his story, and the stories of all who served, remain our responsibility to remember, to honor, and to share.
We Are deeply honored to preserve and present his legacy.
We extend our sincere gratitude to the family of Valdemar DeHerrera for graciously loaning the personal items and artifacts that made this exhibition possible. We are deeply appreciative of their trust and support.
For Further information please contact:
Aaron Krebsbach
Collections Manager
E-mail: aaron.krebsbach@dma.nm.gov
Phone: (505) 476-1475 Cell: (505) 670-4964
1050 Old Pecos Trail, Santa Fe, NM 87505
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