Seven Filipino-American veterans from San Jose are among the first Northern Californians to receive long-sought compensation for their military service during World War II.
Among those getting a $15,000 check in the mail was Dominador Valdez, 83, president of the Santa Clara County chapter of the American Coalition for Filipino Veterans of WWII.
"We are happy and grateful to the 111th Congress for finally taking this action,” Valdez said.
The establishment of the $198 million Filipino Veterans Equity Compensation Fund was part of the stimulus package signed by President Barack Obama in February. The fund was set up to honor the veterans for their World War II service and give them lump-sum payments to help rectify a congressional snub that six decades ago stripped away their promised veterans’ benefits.
The other San Jose vets to receive checks as of Monday were Leon Agda, 83; Jesus Batinga, 83; Ernesto Castillo, 83; Inocencio Cagiwa, 85; Salvador Sison, 83; and John Valencia, 85. Agda was the first local vet to receive his check.
Under the legislation, Filipino vets who are naturalized U.S. citizens are getting lump-sum payments of $15,000; those who are citizens of the Philippines are getting $9,000.
The vets’ quest for compensation stemmed from a July 1941 decision by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to draft 140,000 soldiers from the Philippines, then an American colony. A year later, Congress passed a law allowing Filipino soldiers to become U.S. citizens with full military benefits. But in February 1946, after Filipino soldiers fought side-by-side with U.S. troops under the American flag, President Harry Truman signed two bills denying the Filipinos citizenship and most veterans’ benefits. Truman said he regretted the decision but that he needed to contain postwar government spending.
Only about 18,000 of the 250,000 Filipinos who fought in World War II war are still alive — 6,000 in the U.S., 12,000 in the Philippines. About 10 die each day.
An estimated 200 Filipino vets live in Santa Clara County. More information about the fund can be obtained by calling Sarah Gonzalez at 408-391-1688.
Contact Ken McLaughlin at [email protected] or 408-920-5552.
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