Truman Admitted It Was Wrong, But Filipino Veterans Still Wait for Justice

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Discover the story of Filipino WWII soldiers who fought for the US, only to be denied the benefits and citizenship they earned. Filipino WWII Veterans, Rescission Act of 1946, USAFFE Filipino soldiers WWII, Bataan Death March Filipino veterans, Philippine guerrilla resistance Japan, Filipino veterans benefits denied, Congressional Gold Medal Filipino veterans 2017, FilVetREP advocacy, Major General Antonio Taguba, Truman Rescission Act injustice — this is the untold tale of how the United States promised hundreds of thousands of Filipino soldiers full American benefits and citizenship for fighting under the U.S. flag in World War Two, then signed a single piece of legislation in 1946 that erased their service and sparked an 80 year fight for justice that is still not over today. In 1941 the Philippines was a U.S. commonwealth and Filipinos were U.S. nationals. When Imperial Japan attacked Pearl Harbor it also targeted the Philippines, and President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued a military order incorporating the Philippine Commonwealth Army into the U.S. Army Forces in the Far East known as USAFFE. More than 260,000 Filipino soldiers along with tens of thousands of scouts and guerrilla fighters answered that call believing the promise that service under the American flag meant equal pay, benefits, and a clear path to U.S. citizenship. They fought side by side with American soldiers in the foxholes of Bataan and the tunnels of Corregidor. They survived the Bataan Death March. They formed the most effective guerrilla resistance networks of the entire Pacific War, paving the way for General MacArthur's return to the Philippines in 1944. Then in February 1946 just before the Philippines was granted independence the U.S. Congress passed the Rescission Act tucked inside a larger bill. A single clause reclassified Filipino soldiers' service so it would not count for veteran benefits. The GI Bill, healthcare, pensions — all denied. President Harry S. Truman signed the act and openly admitted it was an injustice. The prom