The 40 sets of foot prints leading from the base of the statue are the monument's most unique feature. Hestir and descendants of Death March survivors took plaster molds of ex-POWs bare feet, from which rubber casting were made. The castings were then impressed in the wet cement, creating the footprints. Some Bataan vets walked in the cement to recreate their own prints. Period boots were also worn by descendants to create additional prints. A nearby panel maps where individual footprints are located. The foot prints represent the 11,000 Americans and 65,000 Filipinos who were forced to take part in the Death March, enduring senseless torture, starvation, dehydration, and disease. Many prints lead up to the statue, then decline in number, representing the thousands of Filipinos and Americans who died on the march.

(Text by Cristopher Shurtz)