SAMMY JULIAN
A BILL introduced in the United States Congress calling for the awarding of a single Congressional Gold Medal collectively to the Filipino Veterans of World War II in recognition of their dedicated service to the United States from July 1941 to December 1946 is gaining support from Filipino-American community activists.
Organizers of the Filipino-American World War II Soldiers Recognition Project announced their plans to hold a national summit this month to formally launch a national coalition and mobilize grassroots support for congressional action of House Bill 111, otherwise known as the Filipino Veterans of World War II Congressional Gold Medal Act, introduced by Rep. Colleen Hanabusa of Hawaii with more than 54 sponsors.
According to US Army Maj. Gen. Antonio Taguba (ret.), Filipino-American soldiers fought bravely alongside American soldiers to resist Japanese aggression, engaged in guerilla warfare and provided to US forces intelligence critical in ultimately winning the war. Sadly, there has never been a formal declaration to recognize for their sacrifice and loyal service during World War II.
The bill directs the Speaker of the House and the Senate President pro tempore to make arrangements for the award on behalf of the US Congress. The medal, the cost of which will be charged against the US Mint Public Enterprise Fund, in an amount not to exceed $30,000, shall be given to the Smithsonian Institution for display.
The Smithsonian, in turn, should make the medal available for display elsewhere, particularly in locations associated with the Filipino war Veterans.
According to HB 111, it was then President Franklin Delano Roosevelt who issued an order commissioning around 250,000 troops from the Philippines into active service for the US during World War II.
Philippine Scout units and the New Philippine Scouts, who were directly recruited by the US Army, immediately responded to President Roosevelt’s call-to-arms and later fought under the American flag throughout the entire duration of the war.
“Under extremely severe occupation policies imposed by the Japanese, it was the anti-Japanese resistance movement that drew more and more Filipinos to its side and through 1943 many of these anti-Japanese guerrillas recovered or newly established liaisons with the United States Army Command of the Southwest Pacific Area and placed themselves under the command of General Douglas MacArthur,” the measure stated.
The proposed bill further pointed out that many Filipinos “made the ultimate sacrifice” as both soldiers in the US Armed Forces in the Far East and as guerilla fighters during the Imperial Japanese occupation of the Philippines “under the expectation that they would be treated as US military service members.”
Rep. Hanabusa said the US “remains forever indebted to the bravery, valor, and dedication to country these men displayed.”
We agree. Their commitment and sacrifice demonstrates a highly uncommon and commendable sense of patriotism and honor.
It’s about time we say thank you and honor them for their exemplary record of selfless sacrifice and love of country./PN
