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This website is dedicated to all soldiers of Pilipino descent who served in the United
States military during WW11 (12/7/1941-12/31/1946). The mission of this website is to reclaim
our forgotten military history and heritage in the United States
Armed Forces. Special recognition is given to the 7,000 Pilipinos in the U.S. Army 1st, 2nd Filipino
Infantry Regiments, 1st Reconnaissance Battalion, as well as to the additional Navy and the Merchant Marine personnel,
mostly sent to liberate the Philippines, then a colonial possession of the United States from three years of Japanese occupation.
Some of the Pilipino soldiers, already WW1 U.S.
veterans in the Hawaiian Infantry would serve again in the Korean War. Significantly, their descendants would serve not only
in the Korean and Vietnam wars, but also in the current Middle
East military conflicts. This only proves that answering the call to military duty is a gift that soldiers of Pilipino descent in every generation keeps on giving
to Uncle Sam, especially during times of wars. Sadly, such loyalty was repaid by the U.S.
Congress Rescission Acts of February 1946, wherein the dignity of the wartime heroic deeds of the Pilipinos was diminished
by the ongoing unequal treatment of the WW11 Pilipino veterans under the laws of the United
States.
An invaluable resource
for the Filipino Infantry Regiments is
http://geocities.com/laginguna1942
the highly recommended website
owned by Sgt (Ret.) Pelagio A. Valdez, created to honor SSgt Pablo S. Valdez, his father who served in both of these WW11
Filipino Inf Regts.
Meanwhile, in our website,
we start with the name list of our Pilipino WW11 veterans from their respective home state/country of military record
or residence. Most of the initial listings will come from the State of Hawaii, since my first genealogical project is
about Pilipinos in Hawaii
http://filipinosgone2hawaii.tripod.com
Significant
listings will be added for Pilipino WW11 veterans who served in the Philippines after they volunteered or were drafted to the US military service. They are the casualties and survivors
of the Bataan Death March, POWs, Army Philippine Scouts (PS), USAFFE, Navy, Coast Guards, USMC, Merchant Marine, Guerrilla
forces, Women Auxiliary Services of nurses, spies and others. Our listing will also include reactivated U.S. military units formed in 1946 (inactivated 1947) and designated as the 12th
Infantry Division (PS;”new Scouts”) for duties like the occupation of Okinawa
& other Japanese islands; guard duties like the Military Police, etc. Gathering
all these massive information will almost be a lifetime project, but then, such will be an insignificant task compared to
what thousands of our soldiers had given all of us for the cause of freedom and liberty. Moreover, since the Philippines
is the host country to the U.S. military bases, the role that the Pilipinos played in these wars that involved Asian countries
like Japan, Korea & Vietnam can not and should not be ignored.
The awareness
of our unique history is the responsibility of every living Pilipino. I offer you this website as a limited resource for WW11.
It is my hope that my love for the Philippine history and culture overcome my lack of scholarly credential.
Medal of
Honor (U.S. highest military award)
total
awarded in WW11 =347 with an additional 22 Asian American Affirmative Action upgrades from the Distinguished Service Cross
(DSC) in 2002
Short List
of Pilipino soldier awardees
Sgt Jose
Calugas awarded 2/24/1942
SSgt
Rudolph B. Davilla awarded 6/21/2002 (upgrade)
Pilipinos
who served in WW11 U.S.
Armed Forces in the Philippines:
Source:
Revised Reconstructed Guerilla Roster (RRGR) known as the Missouri List, listed 260,143
Filipino WWII veteran.; was compiled after the end of World War II & stored at the US Army Archives in St. Louis, Missouri.
After the US Army left in 1948 with the Missouri list the Armed Forces of the Philippines continued to list late registrants into its own
list
Pilipinos
in the U.S. who served in the U.S. Armed Forces: 12,000
~Memorials Lest We Forget~
Several Webpages list the memorials built as tributes to the heroism of WWII soldiers by various communities
in the Philippines
and the United States.
Also listed are events of commemoration.
Additionally, the memorial in Israel is a remembrance
of the assistance rendered by the Philippines
during the administration of Pres. Manuel Quezon to the Jewish search for refuge during WWII
This website
will always be a work in progress.
For any corrections
& omissions, pls send an e-mail to:
pinay_492001@yahoo.com
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Hit the Leather and Ride
by Captain Meredith Wilson
It’s a far cry -- from San Juan Hill to the gallant twenty-sixth at Bataan --
Now the spurs blend their jingle with the clank of a tank; --
Our
scouts reconnoiter to protect the Yankee flank; --
Our mechanized security is money in the bank; --
It’s the Cavalry rolling on --
CHORUS
We’re
gonna "Hit the Leather and Ride", take it all in our stride, "Hit the Leather and Ride" all the way, --
And
though we’re glad to know the Infantry’s behind us, --
They’ll have to eat Cavalry dust to find us,
--
Let every son of a gallopin’ Yank jump in a saddle or tank, "Hit the Leather and Ride" all the way,
--
Tho’ some are the mechanized, you’ll recognize the outfit, --
We’re ridin hell bent for leather
today, --
We’re ridin hell bent for leather today, --
VERSE
Let your spurs dig in!
Let the charge
begin!
Let the order to rally -- -- roll through the valley like the roll of drums -- --
Let hooves ring true -- --
in a wild tattoo!
Colonel Teddy and Custer know how we’ll muster when the great day comes
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Do Not Go Gentle
by Dylan Thomas (1914-1953)
Do
not go gentle into that good night,
Old
age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage,
rage against the dying of the light.
Though
wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because
their words had forked no lightning they
Do
not go gentle into that good night.
Good
men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their
frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage,
rage against the dying of the light.
Wild
men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And
learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do
not go gentle into that good night.
Grave
men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind
eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage,
rage against the dying of the light.
And
you, my father, there on the sad height,
Curse,
bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do
not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
A Rejoinder
from Mr Ogie Reyes
Wednesday, October 27, 2010 7:04 AM
Thanks, Maria. Your fav poem inspired
me to write this:
Thank you my Lord for the last gift
I'll remember not to go gently
ev'n if I have to use my last breath
Can't imagine saying such a talk
Why not fight another gasp for life?
No, not when the end is so clear in sight
And there's no way out, no niche to hide
Rage not against the dying of the light
Instead rage with courage to accept
The dying of the light that lit my life
Forever at rest, no worries, no pain
Unperturbed by anything, no noise
Wishing only to do one last thing
To thank my lord for his last love gift
To know not forever that I'm dead!
Ogie
An afterthought:
Wisdom shines better, so much brighter
With the dying embers lighting my life.
All Gave Some
Some Gave All
Author unknown
As life’s breath slowly left his body. Elias looked toward the east and murmured: "I die without seeing
the dawn brighten over my native land." You, who have it to see, welcome it! And forget not those
who have fallen during the night.
Dr. Jose Rizal
Alert Alert
New Webpage for Pinays
A new webpage added will honor the role of the womenfolk during the war. Although, the Pilipinas were not
drafted by the United States military, nevertheless they bore the burden of the war equally with their husbands, sons, fathers
& brothers. Some Pilipinas actually became members of the military thru their voluntary enlistment mostly in the medical
& auxilliary services. Others bear arms, fought alongside the guerillas & became casualties or POWs during the war.
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