Honoring heroes

MANILA, Philippines - In 1942, 67 years ago today, our boys starved, bled and died in the foxholes of Bataan and Corregidor.

In 1942, 67 years ago, after the fall of Bataan and Corregidor, the Bataan death march began under the hot blistering and scorching sun of April, our boys walking from Bataan to Camp O’Donnell, ill and emaciated, bayonets prodding them, brutally beaten, tortured, denied food and water and dying like flies along the way.

In 1946, four years after our heroic stand in the Bataan peninsula and in the island of Corregidor, the rescission act of 1946 was enacted by the US Congress denying our boys recognition and depriving them of benefits given to American and other allies.

If December 7, 1941 is a day of infamy, February 18, 1946 the day the US rescission act took effect was a day of injustice and infamy and a gross betrayal of the Filipino soldiers’ heroism, courage and sacrifice.

For 63 years, we waited - every President of the Philippines, our war heroes and our countrymen - we waited every year, year after agonizing year, for justice, truth and fair play to come. It seemed a forlorn and hopeless wait.

In spite of decades of failures and frustration however, from the start of her presidency, President Arroyo made the recognition of and justice for our Filipino veterans a cornerstone of her administration.

In this task and drive, the President was relentless, unwavering and unwearing in her leadership and pursuit – of the long overdue and long deserved recognition of Filipino veterans and their sacrifices.

Starting with last year’s efforts, finally, this year Senator Daniel Inouye, our friend and champion, stood on the floor of the US Senate to urge the US Congress to right the wrong and acknowledge their nation’s debt of honor to Filipino veteran soldiers.

“This is a matter of honor for our country,” Senator Inouye told his colleagues in the Senate and the House.

The rest is history.

On February 18, 2009, President Obama signed the stimulus package bill, which included the long delayed recognition of our war heroes.

In giving recognition to Filipino veterans, their heroism and their sacrifice, we are most grateful to all our friends in the US Congress.

They were led by:

In the Senate: Sen. Daniel Inouye, Sen. Daniel Akaka, the majority leader Sen. Harry Reid, Sen. Richard Lugar, Sen. Ted Stevens, Sen. Hillary Clinton, Sen. John Kerry and Sen. Jim Webb.

In the House: Congressman Bob Filner, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Congressman Darrell Issa, Congressman Mike Honda and the members of the Philippine Friendship caucus.

And finally we are most grateful to President Barack Obama for his vote when he was still senator and his signature to the bill enacted into law.

In celebration, 63 years and 11 Presidents later, we stand here this morning with our President for this historic and memorable event to honor and remember our heroes – the Filipino veterans.