Filipino WWII veterans Gold Medal drive launched in US
Participating in the planning meeting last summer to launch the Filipino Veterans Recognition and Education Project are (from left, front row) Maj. Gen. Antonio Taguba, Marie Blanco, Gina Jones, Christy Panis Poisot, Atty. Erick Soriano, Jon Melegrito; (back row) Jude Soundar, Ben de Guzman, Phil Olaya, Maj. Gen. Del Lorenzana, Sonny Izon, Jason Tengco, Hector Vargas, Romeo Ymalay. PHOTO BY BING BRANIGIN
WASHINGTON, DC — A nationwide public information and education drive to highlight the service and sacrifices of Filipino veterans of World War II is now officially underway with the formation of The Filipino Veterans Recognition and Education Project (FilVetREP).
The project will tell the Filipino and Filipino-American WWII soldiers’ story of patriotism, duty and uncommon valor and preserve their historic legacy in a digitized education program.
As a non-partisan, community-based charitable organization and an all-volunteer national educational initiative, FilVetREP’s main mission is to raise the American public’s awareness about the valuable role Filipino WWII veterans played.
The end goals are to secure recognition, in the form of a government proclamation, of the veterans’ selfless sacrifice and uncommon valor and tof secure the Congressional Gold Medal award for their dedication to duty and distinguished service to the nation.
FilVetREP plans to achieve these goals through a nationwide public information and education campaign, legislative action, academic research and study, a national tour and exhibition of the Congressional Gold Medal, and development of a digitized national educational program for secondary schools and colleges.
The Filipino WWII soldiers are likely the last minority veterans of World War II who have yet to receive the Congressional Gold Medal.
Other minority veterans who were previously recognized include the Tuskegee Airmen, Montford Marines, Navajo Code Talkers, Women Air Service Pilots, Japanese American Nisei Soldiers and Puerto Rican soldiers of the 65th Infantry Regiment.
Organization & governance
A Board of Directors representing Filipino veterans in the Philippines and across the nation, including Guam, Puerto Rico and American Samoa was constituted last September.
The officers and ex-officio members of the Board are:
- Chair, Maj. Gen. Antonio Taguba (Ret)
- Vice Chair, Marie Blanco, former Chief of Staff to the late Senator Daniel Inouye
- Secretary, Jon Melegrito, National Communications Director of NaFFAA
- General Counsel, Erick Soriano, a Washington, DC attorney and Managing Member of Axxis Law Group, PLLC
- Youth Representative, Joel Vazquez, University of Maryland student
- Philippines Representative Maj. Gen. Del Lorenzana (Ret), Director of the Philippine Embassy’s Veterans Affairs Office
The remaining members of the Board are:
- Armin Sayson of Dayton, Ohio
- Ben Acohido of Hawaii
- Christy Panis Poisot of Houston, Texas
- Dick Aquino of Jacksonville, Florida
- Giselle Rushford of Denver, Colorado
- Jerry Clarito of Chicago, Illinois
- Luisa Antonio of San Francisco
- Oscar Hillman of Seattle, Washington
- Rozita Lee of Las Vegas
- Steven Raga of New York City
FilVetREP is in the process of incorporating as a non-stock, nonprofit charitable organization under applicable Virginia law. It also intends to seek 501(c)(3) tax exempt status as a public charity under applicable Federal law.
To date, more than 30 national organizations and veterans advocacy groups have joined the Project as partners and supporters. Among them:
- Bataan Legacy Historical Society,
- Bataan-Corregidor Foundation of New Mexico,
- Filipino American Association of Georgia,
- Filipino American National Historical Society,
- Filipino American Service Group, Inc. (FASGI) of Los Angeles,
- Filipino History Society of Hawaii,
- Filipino Veterans Equity Center of San Francisco,
- Filipino Veterans Foundation of Florida,
- KAYA Filipinos for Progress,
- National Alliance for Filipino Veterans Equity (NAFVE),
- National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA),
- Philippine Embassy
- Philippine Scouts Heritage Society,
- University of Maryland Filipino Cultural Association (FCA),
- Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) chapters in Guam and Hawaii
Also assisting in the Project are independent documentary film producers Sonny Izon and Steven Menick.
Supporting the board are Executive Committee members Phil Olaya and Jude Soundar, who both worked in the Inter Agency Working Group (IWG) of the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, NaFFAA National Director Bing Branigin, NAFVE Coordinator Ben de Guzman, Ron Sagudan of the US Veterans Administration and Hector Vargas, former Commissioner to the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.
Subcommittees were also formed to implement the various functions of the project: Web Site Development (Soundar and Eric Macalma), Communications & Marketing (Margaret Lacson-Ecarma, Erwin de Leon, Sonny Izon, Macalma, Soundar, Vazquez), Fundraising (Branigin, Gem Daus, Ben de Guzman, Gloria Caoile, Lida Peterson), Public Information and Education (Branigin, Melegrito, Ecarma, Vargas), Veterans Support and Outreach (Sagudan, Lorenzana, Taguba).
Historical research
An Academic Advisory Group has been conducting academic and historical research for the past six months. It is led by University of Maryland professors Dr. Jon Sumida, Dr. Colleen Woods and Dr. Janelle Wong and Massachusetts Institute of Technology Political and Legal History Professor, Dr. Chris Cappozolla.
“The war in the Pacific was a significant campaign,” said Sumida, a professor of military history. “Filipino guerillas saw themselves not just liberating the Philippines, but as part of an international struggle against a hostile menace. It is exciting for historians to dig deeper into this so Americans can have a larger understanding of World War II.”
Woods, a history professor, is leading the effort to identify sources of research for students and historians. Some of them include the National Archives, the MacArthur Library in Norfolk, Virginia, and the U.S. Army Heritage Center in Carlisle, PA. Woods will be teaching “History 408: War in the Pacific,” a senior level seminar, in Fall 2015 at the University of Maryland College Park.
Engagement & education
The project is to have several phases, including but not limited to a national exhibition of the Congressional Gold Medal, potentially in collaboration with a national museum, such as the Smithsonian Institution; the establishment of a digital education program for use in public schools; and Congressional support and approval for the recognition of wartime services of our veterans and the awarding of the Congressional Gold Medal.
“Recognition of their wartime service and the awarding of the Congressional Gold Medal is a way of saying ‘thank you’ to our veterans,” said Taguba. “We owe it to our heroes that they get the recognition they deserve, now.”
The medal, along with Presidential Medal of Freedom, are the highest civilian awards in the U.S. bestowed to outstanding citizens and groups.
Roster & repository
To ensure that no veteran is left out, a master list of survivors and immediate families of veterans who have died is being compiled. The key focus is to include anyone who served honorably between July 26, 1941 through December 31, 1946, were in active status under the command of the United States Armed Forces of the Far East (USAFFE), served within the Philippine Army, the Philippine scouts, the Philippine Constabulary, recognized guerrilla units, the New Philippine Scouts, the 1st Filipino Infantry Regiment, 2d Filipino Infantry Battalion (Separate), and 1st Filipino Reconnaissance Battalion.
Web Site & Social Media
Information about the project can now be accessed at www.filvetsrecognition.org and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/FilVetsRecognition. Keep an eye out for key documents for FilVetREP, bios for project leadership, and other timely updates.
Logo Contest
To further heighten awareness about the project and promote its important work, FilVetREP is sponsoring a logo design contest. “We need a memorable logo that conveys the mission of the Project and invokes the spirit of the Filipino American WWII veterans that are the core of the Project’s work,” said Taguba.
Competition is now open and the deadline to submit entries has been extended to November 30, 2014. More details are provided in the web site, www.filvetsrecognition.org. Submissions for the competition should be sent to [email protected].
For more information about the project, e-mail [email protected].
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