Statement on the Day of Valor

Press Release

U.S. Representative Colleen Hanabusa (HI-01), a member of the House Armed Services Committee, released the following statement on the 72nd anniversary of Araw ng Kagitingan, also known as the Day of Valor:

"Today we honor the valor and service of the many brave soldiers who lost their lives in the fall of Bataan during World War II. When the United States needed allies in combat, the people of the Philippines did not hesitate to fight alongside our troops. We as a nation must never forget that. These Filipino soldiers were promised the same benefits and status as their American counterparts, and it is a travesty that the U.S. has yet to pay this debt. That is why I was proud to introduce legislation to ensure our Filipino veterans receive the compensation they earned for their service, as well as a bill to award them with the Congressional gold medal. I encourage my colleagues to support these measures and help our country fulfill a long, overdue obligation."

Hanabusa introduced H.R. 110, which directs the Secretary of the Army to issue certificates of service to Filipino veterans who have valid claims, streamlining the process to receive benefits, as well as H.R. 111, which award these veterans with a Congressional Gold Medal.

She also teamed up with U.S. Senator Dean Heller (R-NV) to introduce the Filipino Veterans Promise Act, which authorizes the Department of Defense to establish an appeals process for Filipino vets who have not been able to have their military service verified by the U.S. This bipartisan bill gives these veterans the opportunity to have their records examined and verified by military historians so they can receive benefits.

The Day of Valor, which is marked on April 9, honors the bravery of Filipino-American World War II soldiers during the fall of Bataan. When the Japanese occupied the Philippines in World War II, the U.S. Army was forced to surrender more than 75,000 Filipino, American, and Chinese soldiers. Thousands of them died as they were forced to march more than 60 miles to their prison camps; this was known as the Bataan Death March, one of the cruelest and inhumane acts of the war. Despite the surrender, this event delayed the Japanese invasion of the Pacific and prevented a complete takeover by Axis forces.

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