“Filipino war veterans could only get menial jobs as janitors, busboys or waiter’s assistant in restaurants, and as laundry aides”
Conrado (Sluggo) Rigor Jr., son of Conrado Rigor Sr., a major of the guerilla forces in Northern Luzon, the USAFIP NL (United States Armed Forces in the Philippines-Northern Luzon) guerrilla unit during the almost four years occupation of the Philippines by the Japanese Imperial Army, sent me some notes about how Filipino soldiers during the siege of Bataan and during the guerilla days were treated in the US after the US government allowed them to be petitioned as US citizens.
I am quoting portions of the information from Sluggo Rigor given me.
Rigor Jr. is based in Seattle, Washington as editor-publisher of the “Filipino-American Bulletin” and once worked in the Philippine Consulate in Seattle as information officer.
His accounts are well based.
His father, Major Rigor Sr., as I said, was a guerilla leader who fought in the Battle of Bessang Pass where my two elder brothers also fought.
That historic battle which led to the capture of the Japanese general Tomoyuki Yamashita, finally ended the Japanese Occupation upon the surrender of Yamashita and his execution in Los Banos.
Oh yes, Santa Banana, Sluggo Rigor Jr. is also the son of Erlinda Nicolas, former high school classmate of Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr. in the UP High School.
Here are some of the vignettes of how Filipino war veterans were sadly discriminated against and badly treated during the many years waiting for the privilege of getting united with their families in the Philippines.
My gulay, because at that time in the US, the Filipinos were discriminated against and regarded only as the little brown brothers of the Americans.
For several decades from the ‘50s, Filipino war veterans could only get menial jobs as janitors, busboys or waiter’s assistant in restaurants, and as laundry aides.
Anyway, here are some of the pathetic and pitiful treatments of Filipino war veterans as witnessed by Sluggo Rigor Jr.
Forgotten Warriors of Freedom
By Conrado (Sluggo) Rigor, Jr.
“The recent awarding of the U.S. Congressional Medal of Honor to Filipino WWII veterans has been hailed far and wide. Seven decades later, accolades in the form of replicated medals were given posthumously to families of thousands.
“The surviving few still participate in ceremonies but are no longer lucid nor aware what the rituals are about.
“Awed by the salutes and splendor, the audience sits in silence remembering the warriors of freedom who are no longer around. To see once-proud old soldiers on stage — surviving well into their 90s, each in a wheelchair, no longer able to understand, hear, nor appreciate the ceremony extolling them is an emotional experience.
“The senior center where I work is a virtual repository of WWII veterans’ files, especially those who had come to the U.S. to become citizens. Since the 1990s, Filipino WWII veterans of various stripes who chose to settle down in the Northwest gravitated towards the Senior center in Seattle.
“Many fought in the Pacific war as servicemen in the Philippine Commonwealth Army, as recognized civilian guerillas or as Philippine Scouts.
“When the International Drop-In Center (IDIC) invited the old soldiers in 2004 to relocate their small table to IDIC’s Beacon Hill office, they had by then organized themselves as Filipino War Veterans of Washington (FWVW).
“The Commander at that time was an Ilocano guerillero , Julio Joaquin. Working closely with Manong Julio, IDIC offered the group a room to be their official headquarters, an offer approved by the IDIC Board which the old soldiers happily accepted.
“I helped design their white gala uniform, designed (sic) their overseas cap, designed and produced the FWVW officers’ business cards.
“As adviser to the FWVW, I interviewed each one and learned about their sad plight.
“Thousands arrived in the U.S. alone because Uncle Sam had legislated that only the Filipino veteran could come if he wished to be a citizen. They had believed that they would also receive long-awaited WWII service pensions.
“In 1990 then President George H. Bush had signed an Executive Order allowing WWII Filipino soldiers to come to the U.S. to swear allegiance as citizens.
“Majority of those who came were mostly economically challenged ex-guerrillas and enlisted men. There was hardly anyone with a rank higher than a lieutenant.
“Already in their mid and early 70s, many were culture-shocked, coming mainly from provincial parts of the Philippines.
“Worst of all, the majority were unemployable due to age and lack of local experience.
“So IDIC had to arrange for them to receive SSI (supplemental security income), a monthly subsidy enough for an unemployed senior citizen to survive.
“In order for them to petition their wives and children, the veterans had to prove that they had income.
“Again, it was IDIC that referred them to menial jobs to comply with immigration laws that will allow petitions to be filed.
“It was heartbreaking to see old, frail warriors working in sweatshops as janitors, laundry aides, dishwashers, kitchen aides, sharing tiny rooms at the International District and scrimping on rent and food.
“Of course, they were hurt and angry but could not complain.
“Many shed tears and shared their agony with us.
“To be able to save a little to send to their families back home and to officially record them as employed and therefore eligible to file petitions, the aging WWII warriors felt that their dignity was trampled upon and that no one cared.
“Beginning in 2005 IDIC advocated in earnest for the old soldiers by affiliating with local and national organizations.
“It turned out that their plight was duplicated in major parts of the U.S. like San Francisco, Los Angeles and Honolulu. They had wisely chosen to stay in warmer regions.
“In Seattle, the FWVW had 300 active members in the beginning. Aside from veterans living in the Bush Hotel and subsidized apartment facilities in Chinatown, others lived in King, Pierce and Kitsap counties.,
“To get to know them better, IDIC conducted a survey focusing on their most critical needs.
“The result was heartrending. As expected, all wanted their families to join them in the U.S.
“Based on the unprecedented survey that was conducted in Western Washington by virtue of a one-time grant from Governor Christine Gregoire, official endorsements came from the Washington State Veterans Affairs Office (VAO) and the Olympia-based Council of Asian Pacific American Affairs (CAPAA).
“IDIC worked closely with then CAPAA Chair Ellen Abellera who made the veterans’ plight a single-minded focus. It was the first time that a community group would help to make known the foremost desire of aging Filipino soldiers who lived alone in America.
“Although there was then a high-profile national campaign led by Washington DC-based Eric Lachica’s American Coalition for Filipino Veterans (ACFV) and the National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA) of the late Alex Esclamado to seek pension benefits for Filipino WWII veterans as de facto wartime recruits of the U.S. Army, the old soldiers still loudly voiced their preference for their families to join them in the U.S.
“At that conference in Washington DC, there emerged a heated argument whether family reunification should be given equal push like that of the pension issue.
“I remember that the majority of veterans under Eric Lachica’s ACFV almost walked out of the Embassy after they were turned down. If not for PH Ambassador Jose Gaa’s appeal, the old soldiers — who really wanted their families more than the much delayed pension bill — would have jeopardized the conference.
“Unbeknownst to the public, it was the FWVW’s and the IDIC’s strategic leadership that launched what became known (and still actively pursued ) as the Filipino WWII Veterans Family Reunification Program.
“Current FWVW Commander Greg Garcia is officially credited for the initiative and consequent recognition by Filipino veteran’s groups all over the U.S.
“It was Manong Greg’s position paper, prepared with the help of IDIC, that was roundly applauded by veterans, their widows and children in Honolulu during the NaFFAA national conference.
“A few months later Commanders Montero and Garcia, with their spouses, attended a command conference in Washington DC organized by the Philippine Embassy and the National Federation of Filipino-American Associations (NaFFAA) to address the pending veterans’ pension bill.
“I was privileged to be part of the delegation. That historic conference of aging Filipino soldiers living in the U.S. was highlighted by meetings with the late U.S. Senators Daniel Inouye and Daniel Akaka.
“And there was the unforgettable five-minute testimony delivered by Filipino WWII hero of the Nueva Ecija raid, Lt. Benito Valdez, before the U.S. Congressional Veterans Affairs Committee in Washington DC.
“In a trembling voice and holding back tears, Manong Benito appealed for family reunification before a hushed audience.
“After that emotional speech, U.S. Senator Patty Murray, a member of the Committee, was so touched that she stepped down from her chair to embrace Manong Benito.
“She declared how proud she was that a war hero from her home State was performing one more heroic act on behalf of his aging comrades.
“Two years later the lady Senator was instrumental in arranging for the children and grandchildren of Manong Benito — who was then on his deathbed — to come to the U.S. just in time before he died at age 91.”
(to be continued in my next column on Tuesday, April 25)