Recognizing And Honoring Filipino World War II Veterans

RECOGNIZING AND HONORING FILIPINO WORLD WAR II VETERANS -- (House of Representatives - September 19, 2006)

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Mr. SCOTT of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I thank the gentleman from California for yielding. I rise in strong support of this resolution.

On December 7, 1941, the Empire of Japan attacked not only Pearl Harbor, but also Clark Airfield in the Philippines. Tens of thousands of Americans died that day, but also thousands of Filipino soldiers lost their lives. This one act of war united the American and Filipino people in the noble cause of ending tyranny in the Pacific.

In 1946, President Harry Truman cited that during the war the Philippine Army veterans ``fought with gallantry and courage under the most difficult conditions.'' He also declared that it was the ``moral obligation of the United States to look after the welfare of the Philippine Army veterans.'' In fact, it was with that promise that many of the veterans joined our military efforts, many losing their lives, others suffering lifetime injuries.

Our promise, however, remains unfulfilled. We promised to make them eligible for veterans benefits, but, unfortunately, in 1946, Congress withdrew those benefits.

Now, nearly 60 years later, our Filipino veterans are still looking to see our promise fulfilled. We saw some progress in 2003 when we passed the Veterans Benefit Act, which increased VA benefits for U.S. residents who are Filipino veterans and made the new Philippine Scouts living in the United States eligible for burial in VA national cemeteries.

The United States is indebted to the 120,000 Filipino veterans of World War II for their extraordinary sacrifices. While we can never fully repay our veterans for the sacrifices made on our behalf, today we stop to remember those who gave their lives for our freedom and to thank those who are still with us for their courage and dedication to our country.

Although no longer a territory of the United States, the Philippines and the United States are bound by the countless sacrifices the Filipino veterans made during World War II. We are also bound by countless contributions and achievements of Americans of Filipino descent in every field of human endeavor, including the sciences, business, education, medicine, the arts, athletics, and government.

As the only Member of Congress with any Filipino ancestry, I am honored to come before the House today to honor the Filipino veterans of World War II and urge my colleagues not only to support this resolution, but to also pass legislation to grant the Filipino veterans the equity that they were promised

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