AARP to pay for 1000 medals for Filipino veterans

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Filipino WWII veterans await the start of the ceremonies awarding the Congressional Gold Medal.

AARP saluted the Filipino and Filipino American veterans of World War II by funding the minting of 1,000 bronze replicas of the Congressional Gold Medal to be given to veterans and their family members in recognition of their service and sacrifice. 

Commissioned by Congress, the medals are the highest expression of national appreciation for distinguished achievements and contributions.

The veterans were honored in a national celebration on Capitol Hill on Oct. 25, where House Speaker Paul Ryan presented them the Congressional Gold Medal on behalf of the nation for the distinguished service of 260,000 Filipino and Filipino/American soldiers and guerrillas during World War II in the Philippines.

RELATED: Congressional Gold Medal awarded to Filipino veterans

“AARP is proud to support the efforts to recognize and celebrate Filipino and Filipino American World War II veterans,” said Daphne Kwok, AARP Vice President of Multicultural Leadership, Asian American and Pacific Islander Audience Strategy. “We are so pleased to join with the Filipino Veterans Recognition and Education Project and this nation in the shared goal of ensuring that future generations of Americans understand these vets’ incredible sacrifices.”

The Filipino Veterans Recognition and Education Project (FilVetREP) spearheaded the effort to pass the Congressional Gold Medal legislation and worked with the U.S. Mint to manage the minting and production of the medals.

“It has been 72 years since the end of World War II, and these vets’ service and sacrifice have not been forgotten,” said FilVetREP Chairman (Ret.) Maj. Gen. Antonio Taguba. “These Congressional Gold Medals recognize and celebrate the extraordinary sacrifices and contributions of Filipino WWII soldiers. AARP’s support has been extremely valuable in this effort.”

Filipino World War II veterans or surviving family members are urged to register so they can receive long-overdue recognition of their service. 

• Register with The Filipino Veterans Recognition and Education Project here.
• If any individual. business or organization wishes to donate to help pay for the veterans' medals, click here. 

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Fil-Am History Month: Why Filipino veterans were given the Congressional Gold Medal

Donations sought for medals

BEFORE THIS MONTH, Filipino American History Month, is over, we need to recount why the Filipino veterans of World War II were recently given the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest civilian honor given in peacetime by the U.S. Congress.

It is unfortunate, but many Filipino/American youngsters and recent immigrants from the Philippines, still don't know why such importance was given to this historic event that occurred in Washington DC last week.

Watch this video from the Filipino Veterans Recognition & Education Project:

For 75 years, Filipino American leaders sought to correct this grievious slight and broken promise of a recalcitrant Congress and a reluctant President Harry Truman.

Of the 66 nationalities that fought alongside the U.S. during World War II, only those from the Philippines were denied this recognition.

If you have spent time with these men, you know they are full of pride. Their loyalty to the U.S. and the ideals of democracy remained steadfast, even though they were insulted by the broken promise of benefits, recognition and citizenship as promised by President Franklin Roosevelt.

In the late 60s and 70s, some Filipino American leaders lobbied sympathetic Congressional representatives in California and Hawaii, some who were WWII veterans themselves, to fulfill Roosevelt's promise.

Leading the charge was Alex Esclamado, publisher of the Philippine News, and founder of fledgling umbrella organizations such as the Filipino American Political Association and the Filipino American Council of Northern California. 

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I'm proud to say that for a number of successive terms, my father, Melchor V. Diokno, was president of the FACNC during this era. As a documented member of the US Army, my father had no problem with his benefits. He did not fight for personal gain. He fought for his comrades and the thousands of others he found with and who he marched with in the Bataan Death March and with whom he shared rice with in the POW camp.  He fought to correct an injustice and for what was right.

The Filipino community, up until then was fractionalized into regional and professional groups and weakened by the divisions caused by the Marcos dictatorship. They learned to  use the power of collective action to garner the attention and support of congress members. This era marked a period of educatoin: The first stirrings of political activism in the Filipino/American community as theiy began to learn the ins-and-outs of US politics; members of Congress had to be educated at the injustice of what had happened to the veterans. 

The issue came up to Congress, time and time again, under the authorship of a long series of congressional representatives, only to have the bill die in committee and buried in red tape. 

But they never gave up. Victories started to come in: Citizenship for all former members of the United States Armed Forces of the Far East; benefits for those with documentation of their service; widening of benefits to include those veterans who fought in guerrilla units or whose documentation was destroyed in the war; benefits for their children, reunification with their families.

Image of the Congressional Gold Medal for Filipino WWII vets.

Only one Congressional Gold Medal was created. It will be displayed in a museum. Most likely it will become part of the Smithsonian.

Replicas are available to be given to those veterans or their descendants, who can prove their participation in the war or who can prove the eligibility of their elderly relatives. Unfortunately, the medals will not be free. They cost several hundred dollars each.

There were 250,000 Filipino veterans who answered Roosevelt's call to fight against the Japanese Empire and who became eligible for the award but there are only about 18,000 surviving veterans left after the long battle for recognition.

The Filipino Veterans Recognition & Education Project is raising funds to help defray the expenses involved. If you, your business or your organization would like to donate, click here, or copy and paste this website: https://www.filvetrep.org/resource.
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Medal ceremony for Filipino WWII vets on Oct. 25

Filipino WWII veterans chained themselves to the White House fence while seeking recognition and benefits.

THE U.S. CONGRESS will honor Filipino World War II veterans with the Congressional Gold Medal, at a ceremony in the U.S. Capitol on Oct. 25. 

“The United States is indebted to the service, bravery, and perseverance of Filipino veterans of World War II.  Their sacrifices were left untold in the United States for decades, as they fought for recognition by the country they served," said Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, D-HI. "I am proud that we can correct the record today, and finally honor the service and sacrifice of these heroes and their families, and ensure they are never forgotten.”

“The presentation of the Congressional Gold Medal to our Filipino World War II veterans is the culmination of decades of work to honor these veterans for their service to our country,” said Sen. Mazie Hirono, D-HI. “These veterans and their families overcame many challenges in their fight for compensation, family reunification, and verification of wartime service.  I look forward to participating in the ceremony to provide this long overdue recognition next month.”

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• Obama signs bill awarding medal
• Senate passes bill to honor WWII Filipino vets
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The medal, Congress' highest civilian honor, and ceremony are a result of the bill introduced by the two Hawaii lawmakers to honor the over 260,000 Filipino and Filipino/American soldiers who fought in the Pacific Theater.

The ceremony will take place on Oct. 25 at 11 a.m. EST in Emancipation Hall and will be live-streamed on speaker.gov/live. 

Filipino World War II veterans and their families who are interested in participating in the ceremony and receiving a bronze replica medal should register through the Filipino Veterans Recognition and Education Project at www.filvetrep.org/registry.

House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), and House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) will take part in the bipartisan, bicameral ceremony.

Hirono and Gabbard’s law, the Filipino Veterans of World War II Congressional Gold Medal Act (Public Law 114-265), was signed into law by President Obama and awarded the medal collectively to the over 260,000 Filipino and Filipino-American soldiers who responded to President Roosevelt’s call-to-duty and fought under the American flag during World War II.

"I urge all eligible veterans and their families to register with the Filipino Veterans Recognition and Education Project to be included in this honor,” said Hirono. 

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR A MEDAL

Veterans or their surviving relatives must register with the Filipino Veterans Recognition and Education Project if they wish to participate in the ceremony and receive a bronze replica medal. Applications can be found online through the Filipino Veterans Recognition and Education Project at www.filvetrep.org/registry.

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Fundraising underway for Filipino veterans Congressional Gold Medal replicas

Hawaii Sen. Mazie Hirono (center) meets with some of the Filipino veterans eligible for the Congressional Gold Medal. She was one of the cosponsors of the resolution approving the Congressional Gold Medal. 

FILIPINO VETERANS of World War II will finally receive the recognition they were denied for so long.  The Congressional Gold Medal will be presented to the elderly soldiers sometime in October or November in a formal ceremony in Washington. D.C.

“We secured the Congressional Gold Medal to honor our veterans and demonstrate our deepest gratitude for their supreme sacrifice,” said Maj. Gen. Antonio Taguba (Ret). chair of  Filipino Veterans Recognition and Education Project, which led the effort to pass the resolution in Congress. 

There's a catch though, Congress paid for only one gold medal. If you know someone who you think deserves the medal, it will cost. FilVetREP is sponsoring a fundraising drive to help defray the costs for the bronze replicas. Click here if you, your business or your organization want to donate.

Plans are underway for Speaker of the House Rep. Paul Ryan to present the gold medal honoring Filipino World War II veterans, whose service and sacrifice have been finally recognized by the U.S. with the passage last year of the Filipino Veterans of World War II Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2015, or Public Law 114-265. The presentation has not been scheduled, but could be held as early as October or November of this year.

The Congressional Gold Medal (CGM) is one of the highest civilian awards bestowed by the United States for persons or groups who have performed an achievement that have an impact on American history and culture.  

“We will ensure that our national celebration of this historic achievement is one that treats our veterans with the utmost dignity and respect," said Taguba. "We are, therefore, calling on all our supporters to make this important event happen. It’s for our veterans and they deserve to have a memorable event.”

At the award ceremony, slated to be held on Capitol Hill, surviving Filipino and American veterans or their next-of-kin will receive bronze replicas of the CGM and a framed copy of Public Law 114-265. Expected to attend are Congressional sponsors, Philippine Government officials, Presidential Cabinet members, high ranking general officers from the U.S. Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, veterans advocates, community leaders and other dignitaries.

Renderings of the Congressional Gold Medal to be given to WWII Filipino veterans.

Taguba also notes that not all recipients of the medal may not be able to come to Washington due to their age and physical condition. Regional award ceremonies are being considered in the West Coast, Midwest and the South to accommodate veterans who are not able to travel to Washington.

There are also plans for Filipino veterans residing in the Philippines to receive their bronze replicas in Manila. It is anticipated that this will be handled by the Philippine Veterans Administration Office (PVAO) and Philippine Office of National Defense.

National Registry. Bronze replicas will be awarded only to surviving veterans or their next-of-kin whose eligibility for CGM has been vetted and whose names are included in FilVetREP’s national veterans registry.

Bronze replicas will be awarded only to surviving veterans or their next-of-kin whose eligibility for CGM has been vetted and whose names are included in FilVetREP’s national veterans registry.

“It is essential that veterans and their families register as soon as possible to make sure they are included in the award ceremony,” Taguba adds.

Applications and instructions for submission may be downloaded from FilVetREP’s website, www.filvetrep.org. Each of the FILVETREP regional directors are responsible for contacting the veterans and families to help them register.

Bronze replicas are not funded by the U.S. government, but rather by donations from the public. Donations to support FilVetREP’s CGM activities are accepted through the FilVetREP website.

“This American story of Filipino soldiers fighting under the U.S. flag in Bataan, Corregidor and other places, and helping liberate a U.S. sovereign territory only to be denied the benefits promised them, must be told widely and preserved for posterity for generations to come,” Taguba said. 

“It is a story we all should be proud of.”

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

• WHO qualifiies for the Congressional Gold Medal?
• Donate to pay for a medal for a veteran
• Application for the Congressional Gold Medal

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America remembers Bataan's 75th anniversary

MY-RIGHT-EYE-PHOTO

Hundreds of marchers in White Sands, New Mexico trekked 26 miles (the Bataan Death March was 65 miles) last month to remember the thousands of American and Filipino POW's who were part of the infamous Bataan Death March. The Bataan Memorial Death March is a challenging march through the high desert terrain of the White Sands Missile Range. The memorial march is conducted in honor of the heroic service members who defended the Philippine Islands during World War II, sacrificing their freedom, health, and, in many cases, their very lives.

  World War II's Battle of Bataan in the Philippines may be recorded as a defeat for the U.S. Armed Forces of the
Far East, but it was a victory for the human spirit. Thousands of POW's died in the one of WWII's greatest atrocities - the Bataan Death March.

THIS COMING WEEKEND, April 8 and 9, will be the 75th anniversary of the Fall of Bataan. Ceremonies will be held in the Philippines and across the United States to remember one of the darkest events of WWII.

“It is particularly significant this year because very few people actually know the story of Bataan and being the 75th anniversary, there are very few survivors left to tell the story. This could be one of the last times that the community can honor these men and recognize their bravery,” says Lyn Rolf III, director of programs at the Veterans of Foreign Wars.

“It was perhaps the second most consequential event of World War II after Pearl Harbor, but even the people in the Philippines do not know the history of the Bataan. It is so important to educate people about Bataan and to honor those who survived,” says Robert Hansen, a member of the board of directors of the Bataan Legacy Historical Society and the grandson of a Bataan survivor.

In San Francisco, the Bataan Legacy Historical Society is partnering with the Presideo Trust, the National Park Service, and a host of other organizations to mark the somber occasion, to remember the men and women who sacrificed their lives, survived the brutalities of war and the few who still are alive from that battle where Filipino and American soldiers fought against the Japanese Imperial Army in the first major land battle of World War II that involved U.S. forces.

Click here for the program. Please note that you must RSVP to attend the indoor ceremonies. (See flyer for information.)

Legendary jazz musician Joe Bataan will be the guest of honor in Organgeburg, New York.

At the commemoration, Bataan told lohud.com he'll be singing a solo rendition of the Lord’s Prayer and will be part of the performance of the national anthem.

He said he'll be thinking of his father, Pio Nitollano, who came to the United States in the 1930s but never had an opportunity to return to the Philippines.

"I got a strange feeling that this is going to make me cry, because it will make me remember my father and what he went through," Bataan said. "He never got to go back."

OTHER OBSERVANCES (Some events may already have been held.):

• Los Angeles, California
• Asheville, North Carolina
• Orangeburg, New York
• Las Cruces, New Mexico
• Pittsburg, California

(Add to this list by emailing a link to an event at dioknoed@gmail.com.)

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Legacy of the 'Battling Bastards of Bataan'

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