EACH year in Australia on May 29, Sandakan Day is commemorated to mark the start of the second death march from Sandakan to Ranau, in Borneo, in 1945.
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Bendigo holds one of five sacred tributes in Australia, and represents the southern states.
There is a memorial in the Lions Park in Strathdale.
The monument lists the names of 378 Victorians, 94 South Australians, 21 Tasmanians and three Z Force prisoners who died as prisoners of war under the Japanese.
The list includes six Bendigo names, including a father and son, who took the march together.
Although Bendigo hosted its official memorial service in March, it will remember the sad story behind Sandakan today.
Bendigo and District Returned Services League president, Cliff Richards, said people from three states come to Bendigo every year in March to pay their silent respects to the men of Sandakan.
'‘It is a very sad history, and the more detail you find, the sadder it gets,'' Mr Richards said.
‘‘Some 1800 Australian troops and 750 British were taken prisoners by the Japanese for the construction of an airfield in Northern Borneo.
‘‘Nine hundred died while working, and the Japanese then ordered the transfer of the prisoners by foot to Renau, about 265 kilometres from Sandakan.
‘‘Some were killed along the way, and the sick and disabled were massacred.
‘‘Those men were made to march for no other reason than to be killed,'' Mr Richards said.
Of the 2500, only six Australian prisoners were rescued by special forces.
‘‘You could ask me if I hated the Japanese, and I would answer no, but when you read into our history you can understand why a lot of World War II veterans answer differently,'' Mr Richards said.
‘‘We are slowly building towards more awareness through school programs.
