Home
> Authors > Filipino World War II Veterans Bills Reintroduced In Congress
Filipino World War II Veterans Bills Reintroduced In Congress
By
Benedict Dimapindan
February 12, 2005
Rep. Bob Filner was introduced to the plight of Filipino World
War II veterans back in 1992, when he first campaigned for a
seat in the U.S. Congress, going door to door and chatting with
voters.
With the largest number of Filipinos in San Diego County residing
within his district, Filner became familiar with their cause
very rapidly. The San Diego Democrat learned how these Filipino
men were commissioned to and duly fought alongside American soldiers
more than half a century ago, only to be later denied those benefits
that the U.S. troops received – benefits they too had been
promised by Washington for serving under the American flag.
He has championed redress for Filipino veterans of World War
II ever since.
Earlier this month, Filner and Rep. Randy “Duke” Cunningham,
R-San Diego, reintroduced the Filipino World War II Veterans
Equity Act, H.R. 302, which would “amend title 38, United
States Code, to deem certain service in the organized military
forces of the Government of the Commonwealth of the Philippines
and the Philippine Scouts to have been active service for purposes
of benefits under programs administered by the Secretary of Veterans
Affairs.”
A companion bill of the Equity Act, S.146, was proposed last
month in the Senate by Sen. Dan Inouye, D-Hawaii.
In addition, Rep. Juanita Millender-McDonald, D-Carson, also
reintroduced another House measure – the Filipino Veterans
Fairness Act – in January. The bill, H.R. 170, seeks to “amend
title 38, United States Code, to improve benefits for Filipino
veterans of World War II, and for other purposes.” Both
House bills were originally introduced in 2003 before the 108th
Congress, but did not garner enough co-sponsors for passage.
“This is now a 60-year injustice,” Filner said. “It
rankles everyone. It’s not about money, it’s about
injustice – a lack of honor, a lack of keeping a promise.
These veterans are dying at a very high rate, and we want justice
while they’re still around to see it.”
In 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt used an executive order
to invoke the military service of more than 120,000 men in the
Philippines, then a U.S. territory. The president also promised
to give them full benefits for fighting alongside U.S. forces
against Japan, which had invaded the archipelago.
However, in February 1946 – just months after the Japanese
officially surrendered and just months before the Philippines
was granted independence – Congress reneged on that promise
with the passage of the Rescission Act. It declared that the
Filipino servicemen “shall not be deemed to be or have
been military or naval forces of the United States.”
In 1990, Congress granted the Filipino World War II veterans
U.S. citizenship rights. And in 2003, President George W. Bush
signed two more bills to aid their cause. One measure authorized
full war-related disability pension and burial benefits to about
100 Filipino veterans and 400 servicemen’s widows residing
in the United States. The other, sponsored by Filner, awarded
some health benefits to the Filipino veterans in the United States.
The combined costs of the laws are estimated to be $16 million
per year.
But the struggle continues for the veterans and their supporters
as they lobby for the broader, complete benefits and full pensions
that they were originally pledged.
According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, there
are more than 29,000 Filipino World War II veterans – about
7,000 of them living in the United States. Most of these men
are their 70s or 80s and an estimated five to seven die every
day, said Erin Dawn Pasaporte, community service worker for the
San Francisco Veterans Equity Center.
“We’re all mystified why these bills haven’t
been passed years before – this really isn’t an issue
we should be talking about in the 21st Century,” said Carl
Rasmussen, communications director for Rep. Millender-McDonald. “So
many of them are dying every day. They’re getting older
and older – the clock is ticking and something has to be
done now.”
And strides are being made now. The Equity Act would formally
recognize the military service of Filipino soldiers during World
War II. If passed, it would effectively reverse the Rescission
Act and thus make all veterans – here and abroad – eligible
for the full benefits they’ve been waiting, and seeking,
to receive for the past 60 years.
“It’s important for all Americans to understand
Filipinos’ role in World War II,” Filner said.
The Fairness Act by Millender-McDonald would increase disability
pension, provide outpatient health care for veterans residing
in the Philippines, offer assistance for housing loans to the
veterans in the United States and grant educational benefits
for veterans’ spouses and dependents.
“In their uniforms which consisted of fiber helmets – they
were never issued steel helmets, canvas shoes, short-sleeve shirts
and short pants, these valiant men deserve no less than recognition
of their military service and fairness under the law,” said
Millender-McDonald during her floor statement introducing the
Fairness Act before the 108th Congress.
All of these recent legislative efforts have won the strong
approval and appreciation of the advocacy groups in the Filipino
American community.
“It shows us and the veterans that Congress does care
and people are willing to fight regardless how many years this
takes,” Pasaporte said. “It shows that many people
share in what we believe – that these veterans will not
die in vain and that they’ll receive the benefits they
deserve.”
Contact Benedict Dimapindan at bend1@stanford.edu
