[*Arrangements for President Obama's signature for historic legislation to be announced]
WASHINGTON, D.C. Today, the US Congress finally granted national recognition to the 260,000
Filipino and American soldiers who served under the United States Army
Forces of the Far East [USAFFE]. They waited for more than 72 years.
The House of Reresentatives
approved S.1555, the Filipino Veterans of World War II Congressional
Gold Medal Act of 2015, passed by the Senate via unanimous concent in
July. The bill now goes to President Obama for his signature.
"Today is truly a great day, a significant
seminal period in American history- second only to the liberation of
the Philippines and surrender of the Japanese Imperial Forces on August
15, 1945," says Maj. Gen. Antonio Tabuga [Ret], chairman of the Filipino
Veterans Recognition and Education Project [FilVetREP]. "Now we can
tell our veterans with pride in our hearts that this grateful nation has
at last, granted them recognition for the selfless sacrifice they
endured in war, and restored their dignity and honor in service to their nation."
Seventy years ago this past February, the Congress
passed the Rescission Act of 1946, a bill that stripped Filipino
soldiers the benefits promised them by President Roosevelt.
In hailing the bill's passage, Tabuga recalls the many conversation he's had with the veterans who endured "a lifetime of injustice and indignation" inflicted by the Rescission Act. "Yet, they remained steadfast and resolute, hoping our country they
willingly defended would right the wrong brought upon them. Their
courage and strenght were their salvation. They placed their trust and
expectations on their sons and daughters, on members of the Congress, and the American people who believe them."
Long overdue
"I'm very happy because this recognition is long overdue," says 99-year old Filipino World war II veteran Celestino Almeda of Gaithersburg, MD, one of the less thant 7,000 surviving veterans in the U.S. today. "We responded to President Roosevelt's call to serve and risked our lives fighting under the American flag. But after war was over, we were treated unjustly, which was painful and humiliating."
"I'm very happy because this recognition is long overdue," says 99-year old Filipino World war II veteran Celestino Almeda of Gaithersburg, MD, one of the less thant 7,000 surviving veterans in the U.S. today. "We responded to President Roosevelt's call to serve and risked our lives fighting under the American flag. But after war was over, we were treated unjustly, which was painful and humiliating."
Rudy Panaglima, 86, of Arlington,
VA. has also harbored the same disappointment
and frustration over the years, but is
nonetheless “thrilled that the U.S. has now
recognized us. It’s better late than never.”
Panaglima was only 13 when he served with
guerilla forces near his home in Cagayan, as a
courier and scout. In 1995, he availed of the
naturalization benefits granted to Filipino
World War II veterans and immigrated with his
wife Pura to the U.S.
“If Alberto Bacani were here
today, you would see him beaming with joy,”
says Marla Miranda Mooney of Stafford, Va. “On
behalf of my grandfather and all our family,
we are grateful for this timely recognition
bestowed on World War II Filipino veterans and
for all who worked diligently on their behalf
for this day to become a reality. For my
grandfather and all the veterans we honor with
this award, the price to ensure democracy and
restoration of peace worldwide meant risking
personal safety. Though some were not
professional soldiers, all of these
extraordinary individuals answered President
Roosevelt’s call to service. To them, we were
not two separate people — we were One; united
against anyone and anything which threatened
our lives, liberty, and our pursuit of
happiness.” Bacani, who fought in Corregidor
as a Major in the Philippine Commonwealth
Army, died in November 2013.
Paving the way
The Filipino Veterans of WWII
Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2015 garnered
bipartisan support from 312 cosponsors in the
House of Representatives and 71 in the Senate,
paving the way for Congress to bestow the
Congressional Gold Medal, which – along with
the Presidential Medal of Freedom – are the
highest civilian awards in the United States.
The CGM bill was introduced in
June last year in the Senate by U.S. Sen.
Mazie Hirono (D-HI), with U.S. Sen. Dean
Heller (R-NV) as lead co-sponsor, and in the
House by U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI-2),
with U.S. Rep. Joseph Heck (R-NV-3) as lead
co-sponsor.
“We did our due diligence by
securing more than the two-thirds majority
required in both chambers, to ensure its
passage,” says Marie Blanco, FilVetREP’s
legislative director. “We know how much it
means to our veterans and their families.”
She adds: “We are extremely
grateful to Sen. Hirono and Sen. Heller, and
to Rep. Gabbard and Rep. Heck for their
leadership in pushing this bill through to the
finish line. We are appreciative as well of
the senior leadership in both the House and
Senate, the Congressional Asian Pacific
American Caucus (CAPAC) and, of course, to all
the cosponsors and their staffers for
championing this very important legislation."
Historic step
In a statement released earlier,
Sen. Mazie Hirono paid tribute to Filipino
World War II veteran Domingo Los Banos of
Kaua’i, who joined the Senator last week
aboard the USS Missouri “to recount how these
veterans were instrumental to our victory in
the Pacific, but had to fight for decades to
receive the benefits they earned. The
unanimous support this bill earned in the
Senate and the overwhelming backing it has in
the House honors the sacrifice so many of
these veterans made for our country.”
“For months, we have said that
time is running out to recognize Filipino
World War II veterans for their brave
service,” adds Hirono. “Today’s House passage
is the culmination of decades of work by these
veterans and their families to recognize their
key role in the Allied victory, and their
decades-long fight for benefits.”
“Today, the United States Congress
took an historic step forward in honoring the
more than 200,000 Filipino and
Filipino-American soldiers that served our
country during World War II. With unanimous
support from the United State Congress, our
bill now heads to the President’s desk,” said
Rep. Tulsi Gabbard. “Our Filipino WWII
veterans have waited decades for this
recognition alongside units like the Tuskegee
Airmen and Hawaii’s own 442nd/100th Infantry
Battalion with the Congressional Gold
Medal—our nation’s highest civilian honor.
With just 18,000 of these Filipino World War
II veterans still alive today, we cannot
afford to wait any longer. I urge the
President to sign this bill into law before
the year’s end, and honor our veterans with
this long-overdue recognition.”
U.S. Rep. Coleen Hanabusa
(D-HI-lst), in her remarks during the House
proceedings, acknowledged former Senators
Daniel Inouye and Daniel Akaka, for
championing the cause of Filipino World War II
veterans during their many years of service in
the Senate. “They fought to repeal the
Rescission Act,” Hanabusa said, “and they did
everything they can to restore their rightful
benefits. They would be proud to know that
Congress finally did the right thing.”
Grassroots support
Ben de Guzman, FilVetREP’s
Outreach Director, expressed gratitude for the
outpouring of support for the national effort
to raise awareness about the critical role
Filipino World War II veterans played in the
Pacific Theatre. “A coalition of national
advocacy groups serving Filipino Americans,
Asian Americans/ Pacific Islanders, veterans
service organizations, and countless local
organizations and advocates at the local level
took part in this national campaign. Their
engagement with their senators and
representatives in the last 17 months was
instrumental in moving the CGM legislation
forward,” de Guzman said. “Without grassroots
support, it would have been difficult to mount
the kind of campaign needed to bring us to
this historic moment, which we celebrate with
pride today.”
Among the advocacy groups that
assisted in the nationwide effort is the San
Francisco Veterans Equity Center (SVEC), which
has helped hundreds of Filipino World War II
veterans over the years. “They are so
delighted to finally receive the recognition
they have been waiting for a long time,” says
SVEC Exec. Director Luisa Antonio, who is also
a FilVetREP Board Member. “Leo Ansis, an
89-year-old New Philippine Scout, felt that
his service has been forgotten, but very
excited to hear of the bill’s passage. Mrs.
Lourdes Poblete, a member of the Philippine
Commonwealth Army and a recognized guerrilla
who served from 1942 to 1944 is also overjoyed
to receive the honor while she is still alive.
She is 92 years old.”
Preserving an American story
The stories of veterans Almeda,
Ansis, Los Banos, Panaglima and Poblete have
inspired the work of the Bataan Legacy History
Society (BLHS), which has been educating the
American public since 2012 about the role of
Filipinos in World War II. In 2014, it started
working with the California Department of
Education to have their stories taught in
public classrooms, a program that was finally
approved in July.
“The recognition of their
sacrifices and valor comes at an auspicious
time when we are about to commemorate the 75th
anniversary of the Japanese attack on Pearl
Harbor and the Philippines,” points out BLHS
Exec. Director Cecilia Gaerlan. “The Filipinos
formed the majority of the USAFFE and they
forged an unbreakable bond with their American
brothers in the trenches of Bataan and
Corregidor. Their forces were able to delay
the timetable of the Imperial Japanese Army
despite suffering from massive disease and
starvation and fighting without any air
support. These facts are now included in the
U.S. history curriculum framework for Grade 11
in California.”
“Indeed, our heroes accomplished
their mission and we are deeply and eternally
grateful to them for defending our country,
for preserving our freedom, and granting us to
live free for generations to come,” Taguba
said. “Now, we have to accomplish ours by
ensuring that this American story is preserved
for posterity.”
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