BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) – Bataan Death March survivor, artist and educator Ben Steele has died in Montana. He was 98.
Julie Jorgenson tells The Billings Gazette (http://bit.ly/2cwkUkA ) her father died Sunday in Billings surrounded by his family.
Steele was born in the small Montana town of Roundup and grew up riding horses, roping cattle and occasionally delivering supplies to western artist Will James.
He was a U.S. Army Air Corps private in the Philippines when the Japanese captured his unit in 1942.
Thousands of soldiers died during the 66-mile march under a scorching tropical sun.