Neglected

It is touching to see a foreigner like Daniel Inouye showing such deep concern for Filipino veterans of World War II.

The Japanese-American senator from Hawaii, a war hero in his country, has been working for most of his 43 years in the US Congress to grant American citizenship and other benefits to the Filipinos who fought alongside US forces during the war.

"We have to say that we did the right thing. We will do the right thing," he told his fellow Americans and Filipino guests at a reception in his honor hosted by the US Embassy Sunday evening.

Inouye’s concern is touching particularly because the war generation is fading away, leaving only Filipinos of my generation or younger with no memories of battlefield glory.

When we see a grizzled man wearing the blue cap of a war veteran, we are unable to connect the slow speech and old man’s shuffle to the strength and courage that earned him the medals on his shirt. War veterans are charming, like Hallmark cards and old typewriters, but really, who gives a whit?

It’s not just the veterans of World War II who are forgotten by a nation notorious for its short memory. We have neglected even the post-war retirees of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, which isn’t really surprising, considering that we can barely take care of AFP members in the active service.

Other countries not only pay tribute to their men and women in uniform through medals and special ceremonies, they also make sure soldiers are well taken care of upon their retirement with health coverage, housing assistance and a decent pension.

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Despite the efforts of Inouye and several other US lawmakers on behalf of Filipino war veterans, the general sentiment here is that in the grant of veterans’ benefits, America has discriminated against Filipinos who fought with US troops against the Japanese.

It is not a good story for a nation that, despite its superpower status, needs allies in a global war against the new threat of terrorism.

Each year the ranks of Filipino veterans of the world war dwindle. Two years ago in Nueva Ecija several of them told me that they had just returned from visits to the United States sponsored by the US government and were receiving better veterans benefits. Lack of required documentation was slowing down the processing of benefits for others, they said.

There are also stories of continuing disappointment, however, especially among those who want US citizenship.

As Inouye himself recounted at the reception, he became aware of the problem as early as 1959, when he came here and met with Carlos P. Garcia, the president at the time.

Garcia reportedly told Inouye: The country that you love gave a promise and it has not fulfilled that promise.

"I am still trying to rectify that," Inouye said, telling Filipino guests, "Because of you I am a Filipino at heart. Dahil sa iyo."

He has all the credentials for the effort. Inouye’s story is surely well known to an older generation, but for younger Filipinos, he is remembered mainly for his appearance as himself in the 1994 movie The Next Karate Kid. Younger Filipinos are impressed to learn that he lost his arm lobbing grenades at enemy machine gun positions in April 1945 in Italy. Inouye, a 20-year-old infantry lieutenant at the time, was part of the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, made up mostly of Nisei or Japanese-Americans. Initially distrusted by other American soldiers, the Nisei team would later become one of the most decorated in the entire US armed forces during the war.

In almost kamikaze fashion, Inouye led his men toward enemy positions, hurling grenades even as his arm was hit.

As their platoon advanced toward enemy fire, someone shouted, "Go for broke." The phrase survives to this day and will always be identified with the Nisei team.

As Inouye prepared to toss his fourth grenade, his arm was hit again and nearly severed. With his good arm, he took the grenade from the nearly detached one and managed to hit his target. He had been shot in the leg and stomach and he would lose his arm.

For his courage, Inouye would later receive the Medal of Honor.

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It wasn’t just the Nisei who fought valiantly in the European theater. Of 22 Asian-American heroes of World War II who were awarded Medals of Honor by US President Bill Clinton, one was a Filipino-American: Staff Sgt. Rudolph Davila of Vista, California. Davila also walked into enemy fire in Europe, lobbing grenades and firing away even when he was wounded.

Davila at least got the recognition that he deserved from his adopted country. For Filipinos who fought here, it has been a long, hard slog.

It’s not just America, however, that should give recognition and proper benefits to war veterans. If we took care of our veterans, including the guerrillas who fought alongside members of the regular armed forces during the war, there’s no need for anyone to go around with a begging bowl, demanding benefits and citizenship from another country.

But we neglect everyone in uniform — veterans of all wars, veterans of the Mindanao conflict, members of the AFP both active and retired. The public attitude is that giving the Philippine soldier anything more than the barest of essentials is a waste of public funds.

At a time when national security is a major concern, the sad plight of our war veterans and more recent AFP retirees is not a good recruitment tool for the military.

A nation that does not know how to show appreciation for the sacrifices of its fighting men and women risks creating an armed force of mercenaries, with little sense of honor, duty and love of country.