THIS VETERAN'S Day, as we reflect upon the ideals and freedoms that define our country, we remember those who fought to protect them.While we all join to laud the patriotism and military service of soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines who have or are now serving in Iraq, Afghanistan, and across the globe, there remain unsung heroes whose sacrifice and allegiance to the flag has long gone unrecognized.
The Filipino soldiers who fought for the United States during World War II are an example of such forgotten heroes. Of the 66 countries recognized for their military service under the U.S. flag, Filipino soldiers are the only group yet to be fully recognized. In gratitude for their sacrifice, it is now time to fight for those who fought for us.
During World War II, over 200,000 Filipino soldiers served right alongside U.S. troops. Filipino soldiers were integral to the war effort in the Pacific, fighting valiantly at crucial battles such as Corrigodor and Bataan. Throughout the war, Filipino soldiers, in conjunction with U.S. command, conducted operations, collected intelligence, and helped defend the islands from Japan.
From 1898 to 1946, the Philippines was a commonwealth of the United States. This relationship set the precedent for the use of Philippine troops during World War II. In 1934, Congress passed a law requiring the Commonwealth Army of the Philippines to answer the U.S. president's request for troops. The Commonwealth Army responded to a military order issued by President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and joined troops from the U.S. Army in 1941. Included in this order was a promise of veterans' benefits. In addition to the Commonwealth Army of the Philippines, the Philippine Scouts and guerilla forces came under the U.S. Armed Forces of the Far Far East (USAFFE).
After the war, thousands more Filipino soldiers were called to serve the U.S. as the New Philippine Scouts were formed to help re-establish U.S. authority in the Pacific.
After recruiting 50,000 more Philippine Scouts in 1945, the U.S. government promised that all Filipino soldiers who fought under the Stars and Stripes would be treated as U.S. veterans with full entitlement to benefits.
In 1946, in one of its less decorous acts, Congress rescinded this promise. Although some Filipino veterans now receive partial veterans' benefits, many others are still waiting for the Congress to do the right thing and fully restore the benefits and honor that were promised to them, and which they so rightly earned nearly six decades ago.
In order to right this wrong, legislators committed to our veterans have introduced the Filipino Veterans Equity Act of 2006. This bill would amend the 1946 Rescission Act to recognize Filipino soldiers as full U.S. veterans. Additionally, the Act would make them rightfully eligible to qualify for U.S. veterans' benefits. This would allow all Filipino veterans of World War II, many of whom who are now elderly and in failing health, access to quality medical care at Veterans Administration facilities in the United States and the Philippines. Full equity for our veterans goes beyond party labels of Democrat or Republican.
We can not turn our backs on heroes who, without hesitation, sacrificed their lives at the call of duty. The struggle to pass these bills is not a fight for mere benefits, but an effort to truly bring recognition, justice, and equal treatment to these warriors who served and died for our freedom.
Justice for these defenders of our freedom will be had if Americans from all backgrounds and communities take time this Veteran's Day to tell their Representatives and Senators: "Pass the Filipino Veterans Equity Act now."Right the wrong; write today.
Drew Austria is the former president of the Asian Student Union, and a fourth year in the College.
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