Following the Japanese invasion of the Philippines in December 1941, US forces and their Filipino allies retreated to the Bataan Peninsula.* During the defence of Bataan, one of the commanding officers lined up a company of his men and asked for a volunteer for a mission of the utmost peril. Anyone willing to serve was instructed to step forward two paces from the line.
The officer glanced for a second at a memorandum in his hand and, looking up, was shocked and disappointed to see the ranks unbroken.
"What," he said unbelievingly, "not a single man!"
"You do not understand, sir," said an aide at his elbow, "the whole line has stepped forward two paces."
一九四一年十二月，日軍犯菲律賓，美軍及其菲律賓盟友退守巴丹半島*。守衞巴丹期間，有軍官叫手下一連士兵一字排開，說要一人去執行極危險的任務，自願效力者可向前踏出兩步。
那軍官稍稍看了看手上的便條，再擡起頭來，看見手下仍是排列得整整齊齊，沒有一人越眾而出，不禁又驚愕，又失望。
他難以置信的說：「怎麼，一個都沒有！」
他身旁一位副官說：「長官，你沒有弄清楚。整排人都向前踏出了兩步。」
*巴丹半島由七萬多名美軍扼守四個多月，終於被日軍佔領。