August 22, 1997

Alfredo T. Diaz
Vice Pres/Finance Officer
PAVO Team Leader, EQUITY NOW RALLY
American Coalition for Filipino Veterans, Inc.

ON THIS 56th ANNIVERSARY WHEN THE COMMONWEALTH ARMY OF THE PHILIPPINES WAS INTEGRATED INTO THE UNITED STATES ARMY, WE FILIPINO VETERANS OF WORLD WAR II, THE WIDOWS, SONS & DAUGHTERS AND GRANDCHILDREN PRESENT BEFORE THE AMERICAN PEOPLE, THEIR RESPECTED LEADERS AND REPRESENTATIVES PRESENT OUR APPEAL FOR JUSTICE AND FAIR PLAY.

ON DEC. 8, 1941 WHEN THE JAPANESE IMPERIAL FORCES INVADED OUR SACRED SHORES AND SKIES, THE PHILIPPINES WAS A COMMONWEALTH OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. FILIPINOS FOUGHT THE WAR AS U.S. NATIONALS UNDER ORDERS OF AMERICAN OFFICERS AND UNDER THE OVER-ALL DIRECTION OF COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF PRESIDENT FRANKLIN DELANO ROOSEVELT.

IT HAS BEEN 56 YEARS AS OF JULY 26, 1941 SINCE PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT CALLED AND ORDERED INTO THE ARMED FORCES OF THE UNITED STATES ALL ORGANIZED MILITARY FORCES OF THE GOVERNMENT OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF THE PHILIPPINES, AND PLACED UNDER THE COMMAND OF GENERAL DOUGLAS MACARTHUR AS PART OF THE U.S. ARMY FORCES OF THE FAR EAST (USAFFE).

142,000 FILIPINO SOLDIERS WERE CALLED INTO ACTIVE MILITARY SERVICE, INDUCTED INTO THE U.S. ARMY AND SWORE ALLEGIANCE TO THE AMERICAN FLAG. BUT THE "REWARD" FOR FIGHTING FOR THE UNITED STATES IS CONGRESS' INFAMOUS RESCISSION ACT OF 1946 DENYING THE FILIPINO SOLDIER THE SAME RIGHTS, PRIVILEGES AND BENEFITS GIVEN TO OTHER WORLD WAR II VETERANS - THE 100,000 ALIENS AND OTHER U.S. COMMONWEALTH PEOPLE FROM 69 COUNTRIES, WHO ALSO JOINED THE UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES (PUERTO RICANS, ITALIANS, GERMANS, GUAMANIANS, SAMOANS) AND WHO ARE NOW ENJOYING VETERAN BENEFITS, WHILE THE FILIPINO VETERANS WERE SINGLED OUT, EXCLUDED, BY SAID ACT AND DENIED THE SAME BENEFITS.

TODAY THERE ARE ABOUT 26,000 SURVIVING FILIPINO VETERANS IN THE U.S. AND 44,000 IN THE PHILIPPINES WHO ARE IN THE TWILIGHT OF THEIR LIVES AND STILL WAITING TO SEE JUSTICE AND THE AMERICAN SENSE OF FAIRNESS. THE FILIPINO VETERANS THEREFORE APPEAL TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE TO ERASE THIS DISCRIMINATING TREATMENT AND SUPPORT THE FILIPINO VETERANS EQUITY ACT, HOUSE REPRESENTATIVES BILL NO. 836 AND SENATE BILL NO. 623, INTRODUCED BY CONGRESSMEN BENJAMIN OILMAN (R-NY) AND BOB FILNER (D-CA) IN THE HOUSE, AND SENATORS DANIEL INOUYE AND DANIEL AKAKA (D-HAWAII) IN THE SENATE, IN THE 105TH CONGRESS WHICH SEEKS TO CORRECT 56 YEARS OF INJUSTICE TO FILIPINO VETERANS OF WORLD WAR II, AMENDING THE RECISION ACT OF 1946, AND THEREBY RESTORE ALL BENEFITS TO THE FILIPINO SOLDIERS WHO WERE UNITED STATES NATIONALS DURING THE WAR.

WORLD WAR II FACTS:

U.S. PERSONNEL AT OUTBREAK OF WWII:

U.S. ARMY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . … 19,000
PHILIPPINE SCOUTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12,000
SUBTOTAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31,000
COMMONWEALTH ARMY OF THE PHILIPPINES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .100,000
T O T A L . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .131,000

BATAAN DEATH MARCH:

PRISONERS OF WAR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78,000
INCLUDING AMERICANS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12,000
DIED DURING THE DEATH MARCH. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7,000 TO 10,000

POW's MARCHED FROM MARIVELES AND CACABEN, BATAAN, 55 TO 60 MILES TO SAN FERNANDO, PAMPANGA, THEN BY FREIGHT CARS TO CAPAS, TARLAC AND FINALLY MARCHED SIX MILES ON FOOT TO CAMP O'DONNEL, TARLAC. MARCHES LASTED FIVE DAYS WHILE OTHERS AS LONG AS 10 DAYS. FOR MANY THE FIRST TWO OR THREE DAYS WERE WITHOUT FOOD OR WATER. WHEN THE JAPANESE NAVY ATTACKED PEARL HARBOR ON DEC. 7,1941, NO ONE DREAMED THAT THE WAR WOULD LAST 3-1 /2 YEARS, OR THAT 1.1 MILLION FILIPINO LIVES WOULD BE LOST.

FILIPINOS COULD THEREFORE STATE THAT .. "IF THE AMERICANS ARE FREE TODAY, IF AMERICA IS THE GREATEST COUNTRY ON EARTH TODAY, A PART OF THAT AMERICAN FREEDOM AND A PART OF THAT AMERICAN GREATNESS HAD BEEN PAID FOR BY THE SWEAT AND TEARS AND BLOOD OF THE FILIPINO SOLDIERS AND THE FILIPINO PEOPLE.