Major General ALVA R. FITCH was stationed in the Philippine Islands on the outbreak of World War II. He commanded a separate Pack Artillery battery in support of General Wainwright’s forces, covering the withdrawal into Bataan. During the delaying actions immediately preceeding the occupation of the final defensive positions in Bataan, he commanded the Provisional Artillery Battaliion in support of the 1st Philippine Army Division at the battle of Mauban. During this battle, the American and Philippine forces were completely cut off by a Japanese encircling movement. After seven days of fruitless efforts to reopen communications with the remainder of the I Corps, with ammunition and food exhausted, it was decided to abandon the Mauban position. Captain Fitch, after destroying his guns, used his artillerymen to clear and defend a trail along the coast over which the bulk of the besieged force escaped. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his part in delaying the Japanese development of the Mauban position. Major Fitch was captured a few days after the surrender of Bataan and spent the rest of the war as a prisoner of the Japanese. While a prisoner he participated in the infamous death march out of Bataan. He was held a prisoner at Camp Cabanatuan in the Philippines until the winter of 1944-45. During this period he ran a mess which fed approximately 1,500 American prisoners. In the winter of 1944-45, while being evacuated to Japan and finally to Korea, he was on two Japanese prison ships that were sunk by US Navy aircraft.

General Fitch joined the Legion of Valor in 1961.