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US ARMY Filipino American soldiers of the 1st Filipino Regiment were sworn in as U.S. citizens. |
One of the United States' most famous WWII segregated units was the 442nd Regiment, composed of Japanese American soldiers. Their heroism and bravery fighting in Europe are well documented resulting in the 442nd becoming as the most decorated unit for its size and length of service in the history of the US military.
Little known and receiving much less attention, was the unit made up of Filipino American soldiers -- the 1st and 2nd Filipino Regiments, which saw action in the Pacific and took part in the liberation of the Philippines.
Out of a sense of patriotic duty and love for their homeland, thousands of Filipinos residing in the U.S. responded to the call to arms.
Following is the history of the 1st Filipino Regiment from the US Army Center of Military History:
Following the Japanese attacks that destroyed U.S. airfields on Luzon on 8 December 1941, thousands of Filipinos fought side by side with U.S. Army soldiers in the defense of the Philippines. Yet at the same time stateside recruiters refused to enlist Filipino-American volunteers
Pertaining to the Tydings-McDuffie Act of 1934, Filipinos were stripped of their “U.S. National” status and were now considered “aliens.” As U.S. “aliens,” they were exempted from being drafted into the army and thus not legally required to serve for the United States.
On December 7, 1941, when Pearl Harbor was attacked by the Imperial Navy of Japan, Filipino Americans petitioned for the rights to serve in the U.S. Army leading President Franklin Roosevelt to revise the Selective Service Act allowing Filipinos in the U.S. to serve in the Second World War.
To fight a world war, however, the nation needed to call upon all its available manpower. On December 21, 1941 Congress amended the Selective Service and Training Act to permit enlistment of citizens and “every other male person residing in the United States.”
Thousands of Filipino American men volunteered to serve the United States.
As a result, on February 19, 1942, Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson announced the creation of a Filipino battalion to enable Americans of Filipino ancestry as well as resident Filipinos to serve together in the U.S. Army.
On April 1, 1942 the War Department activated the 1st Filipino Battalion. Its existence proved short-lived. In July 1942 the soldiers transferred to the newly constituted 1st Filipino Regiment which replaced the battalion, and the new regiment activated on 13 July 1942 at Salinas, California. On 14 October 1942 the Army constituted a second regiment, designated as the 2d Filipino Regiment. The 1st Battalion, 2d Filipino Regiment, activated on October 22, 1942 at Fort Ord, California.
Shortly thereafter, the Office of The Adjutant General approved a coat of arms for the 1st Filipino Regiment. The red, white, and blue colors on the shield, representing the national colors of the Philippines and the United States, reflected the Filipino heritage of this U.S. Army regiment. The unit was granted the motto "Laging Una," which is “Always First” in Tagalog—a major native language of the Philippines. No records have surfaced to indicate that the Army ever authorized a coat of arms for the 2d Filipino Regiment.
On March 27, 1944 the 2d Filipino Regiment was disbanded, and the 1st Battalion was concurrently reorganized and redesignated as the 2d Filipino Battalion (Separate). From Fort Ord, elements of the 1st Filipino Regiment and the 2d Filipino Battalion (Separate) moved to various training locations in California before embarking separately at San Francisco for a two-week voyage to the South Pacific.
Elements of the 1st Filipino Regiment arrived in New Guinea in April 1944 where they fought until moving to the Philippines (Leyte) in February 1945. There, some of the regiment’s companies provided security for Eighth Army General Headquarters, Far East Air Force, and Seventh Fleet Headquarters as well as at two airstrips, Tanauan and Tacloban.
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US ARMY Filipino American soldiers used bolo knives while training in eskrima, a Philippine martial art. |
For the remainder of the war, the 1st Filipino Regiment manned checkpoints, participated in mopping-up operations, and performed security and support operations in the Philippines. Many of unit members were used as scouts and intelligence gatherers because they were able to blend in with the local population.
The unit returned to the United States in March 1946 and inactivated at Camp Stoneman, California, on April 10, 1946. The 1st Filipino Regiment earned battle honors for New Guinea, Leyte, and the Southern Philippines. The unit additionally earned the Philippine Presidential Unit Citation.
The 2d Filipino Battalion (Separate) left the United States in June 1944 and arrived in New Guinea in July 1944. The battalion eventually moved to Manila, Philippine Islands, where it inactivated on December 21, 1945. The unit earned battle honors for New Guinea. It did not receive any decorations.
Unlike their fellow Filipino veterans who fought on the side the U.S. as members of the US forces, members of the 2st and 2nd Filipino Regiments were given U.S. citizenship. According to historian Barbara Posadas, 10,737 Filipinos who served in the U.S. Armed Forces were granted citizenship during and after World War II.
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