Excited
Filipino Veterans have been neglected for nearly 60 years since World War II. And the US Senate finally passes a bill boosting veteran benefits, including those for Filipino Veterans.
Supporters of the controversial provision said it would overturn a 60-year-old law and give 18,000 Filipino veterans of World War II who live abroad a roughly US$300-a-month pension.
Sadly, it’s a bit too late for the majority of Filipino Veterans who have passed on.
I was five when I learned of my grandfather’s story during World War II. A local San Francisco Bay Area news reporter, Wendy Tokuda, came to interview my grandfather about his experience. It was during this television interview that I learned of my grandfather’s bravery. My grandfather enlisted when he was 18 to fight against the Japanese in World War II. He was a cook in the Navy, because at that time most minorities were given these types of jobs. But it wasn’t the job that became so interesting for the news reporter. It was what the Navy asked my grandfather to do. In 1945, they ordered him and a number of other soldiers to stand on the bow of their ship and look at the water. They were told to look at the ocean along the horizon. A few minutes later, a bright light flashed and a mushroom cloud formed. The navy conducted tests on my grandfather to study the affects of nuclear blasts and radiation on their soldiers.
I understood why my grandfather wore thick glass-bottled lenses. I understood why he had trouble seeing his later years in life. But I never understood why he was still so proud to have served in the Navy, after what the military and government had done. To his last dying day he was proud to be a Filipino Veteran. He looked upon his duty with honor, without remorse or regret.
The bill’s passing is honorable, and it’s welcomed. But for most it’s a bit too late. But even if it came many years after, I’m sure if my grandfather was here today, he would still stand and salute and would have been ever so proud to have served.
How does this post make you feel?
- Fascinated
- Amused
- Bored
- Sad
- Angry
NOTE: 8Asians.com is a community, and we thank you for being a part of it. While we welcome and appreciate differences in opinion, if you're rude or you're promoting spam, we have a right to edit or delete your comment. Read our comment policy for more information.
If you see a comment that violates the 8Asians.com comment policy, you may flag the comment by mousing over the comment and clicking "FLAG."
Yeah, this shit is wrong. That pension should be retroactive as well. The government treats veterans in general exceedingly poorly (just Google Walter Reed hospital), but nuclear testing? That is beyond negligence... it's criminal.
Yeah, this shit is wrong. That pension should be retroactive as well. The government treats veterans in general exceedingly poorly (just Google Walter Reed hospital), but nuclear testing? That is beyond negligence... it's criminal.
How does a person read this and not seethe with fury?
In other instances, such as the Spanish-American War and the Japanese Internment Camps, at least the U.S. government was being forthright about their assholeyness and racism. This situation here is pure treachery.
They had to DEBATE whether or not to pass this bill?! How far have we *really* come since 1945 if in 2008 we still need to debate whether or not nonconsensual nuclear testing of American soldiers should be compensated?
How does a person read this and not seethe with fury?
In other instances, such as the Spanish-American War and the Japanese Internment Camps, at least the U.S. government was being forthright about their assholeyness and racism. This situation here is pure treachery.
They had to DEBATE whether or not to pass this bill?! How far have we *really* come since 1945 if in 2008 we still need to debate whether or not nonconsensual nuclear testing of American soldiers should be compensated?
hmmmm...
You think any compensation for Filipinos that were massacred during the Spanish-American war by the U.S. military will occur???
opps sorry, stupid question...
hmmmm...
You think any compensation for Filipinos that were massacred during the Spanish-American war by the U.S. military will occur???
opps sorry, stupid question...
It was an actual nuclear test near Atool island, not the actual bombs that hit Hiroshima or Nagasaki. He was never compensated for his time as a Veteran.
It was an actual nuclear test near Atool island, not the actual bombs that hit Hiroshima or Nagasaki. He was never compensated for his time as a Veteran.
>A few minutes later, a bright light flashed and a mushroom cloud formed.
>The navy conducted tests on my grandfather to study the affects of nuclear blasts
>and radiation on their soldiers.
Which bomb was that - Hiroshima or Nagasaki - or both? That's unconscionable. John
>A few minutes later, a bright light flashed and a mushroom cloud formed.
>The navy conducted tests on my grandfather to study the affects of nuclear blasts
>and radiation on their soldiers.
Which bomb was that - Hiroshima or Nagasaki - or both? That's unconscionable. John
Custom Search
Recent Posts
- Handcrafted “Oswald” Wooden Sunglasses
- What if Jeremy Lin Weren’t Asian?
- Jason Wu’s Target Collection Debuts With Super Bowl XLVI
- Jennifer Yuh Nelson Wins Annie Award for Kung Fu Panda 2
- Report Reveals APA Gay & Lesbian Organizations Only Receive 0.7% Of Available LGBT Funding
- What I Learned From Posting A Dragon Lady Personal Ad
- Hard Boiled Egg Mold for Bento Decoration
Recent Comments
- : This is stupid, after a civil war, the loser shouldnt be considered a different country. Civil war in America, Ethiopia, Lebanon etc, didn't end with... – NPR / KQED: Why Taiwan Matters: Small Island, Global Powerhouse
- : @Reechard That's my point... If he weren't Asian, he wouldn't matter (as much). My question is this: Why Jeremy? What makes him special? And what... – What if Jeremy Lin Weren't Asian?
- : Also, I think your fear that if he fails it will spur stereotypes is unfounded. Those stereotypes already existed before Jeremy Lin exploded into the... – What if Jeremy Lin Weren't Asian?
- : Also, I think your fear that if he fails it will spur stereotypes is unfounded. Those stereotypes already existed before Jeremy Lin exploded into the... – What if Jeremy Lin Weren't Asian?
- : I think America pretty much DOES recognize that "LinSanity" is spurred heavily on the fact that he is "Asian-American in a league devoid of them:... – What if Jeremy Lin Weren't Asian?
APA Events
Feb 10: (Los Angeles, CA) CAUSE: Women in Power Annual Luncheon
Feb 15: (Seattle, WA) Pork Filled Players Enter The Year of the Dragon Spam*O*Rama
Feb 16: Adam WarRock and Kirby Krackle: West Cost Tour Dates!!!
Feb 16: (New York, NY) Amar Chitra Katha: Monica Ferrell, Chitra Ganesh, Keshni Kashyap, and Himanshu “Heems” Suri of Das Racist
Feb 17: (Los Angeles, CA) All My Sons
Feb 18: (Stanford, CA) Stanford’s 16th Listen to the Silence Conference- Feb 18: (San Francisco, CA) NAAAP-SF Lunar New Year Gala 2012
Feb 25: (Los Angeles, CA) Past Present I Future Imperatives: Queer Space Time
Staff and Contributors
- Editors
- Ernie Hsiung - Founder, Editor-in-Chief
- Moye Ishimoto - Co-Editor, Editorial
- Joz Wang - Co-Editor, PR & APA Outreach
