Bataan Death March

Bataan Death March
Originally uploaded by CD-13.

Last November, I was joined by Filipino Veterans from around the country to dedicate the nation's first Filipino Veteran's Memorial, a testament to the more than 120,000 Filipino soldiers that served under the command of General Douglas MacArthur during WWII in the United States Armed Forces of the Far East (USAFFE). I was joined once again by the surviving veterans and their families to commemorate the 65-year anniversary of the fall of Bataan and Corregidor, where Filipino and American soldiers valiantly defended the archipelago for five months before supplies ran out and exhaustion set in. Many in attendance were also survivors of the Bataan Death March, a forced 65-mile march to prisoner of war camps without provisions that resulted in the deaths of thousands of Filipino soldiers. Their bravery will forever be remembered on the black granite that stands tall in the heart of Historic Filipinotown.

However, it has taken a generation for the United States government to recognize their heroism. Stripped of their U.S. Veteran status and benefits promised to them under the G.I. Bill of Rights, Filipino Veterans have only in the last 20 years begun to receive the recognition due them as veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces. Their organizing efforts have led to a number of "Equity bills," which have restored partial veterans' rights to some. The battle to win full equity and honor has not been won. The Los Angeles City Council has passed a resolution of support for H.R. 760/S.57, which would grant veterans' rights to all Filipino Veterans. We remember the heroes from those battles every year. It is time the government recognize their bravery in full.