Filipino American - Community Challenges - World War II Veteran Benefits

World War II Veteran Benefits

During World War II, over 250,000 to over 400,000 Filipinos served with the United States Military. They served in multiple groups, including but not limited, to the Philippine Scouts, Philippine Commonwealth Army under US Command, and recognized guerrillas during the Japanese Occupation. The U.S. government promised all of the benefits afforded to those serving in the Military of the United States. However, in 1946, the United States Congress passed the Rescission Act of 1946 which stripped Filipino veterans who served during WWII of the benefits as promised. It is estimated that monies due to these veterans for back pay and other benefits may be in excess of One Billion Dollars (1,000,000,000). Of the sixty-six countries allied with the United States during the war, the Philippines is the only country that did not receive military benefits from the United States.

Since the passage of the Rescission Act, many Filipino veterans have traveled to the United States to lobby Congress for the benefits promised to them for their service and sacrifice. In the late 1980s the first successful efforts towards reinstating benefits occurred with the incorporation of Filipino veteran naturalization in the Immigration Act of 1990. Over 30,000 of such veterans had come to live in the United States, with most being American citizens, receiving benefits relating to their service. The phrase "Second Class Veterans" has been used to describe the plight of these Filipino Americans.

Since 1993, numerous bills have been introduced in Congress to return the benefits taken away from these veterans, and have all died in committee. In the 110th Congress, the "full equity" bills were S. 57 in the Senate, and H.R. 760 in the House of Representatives. These two bills also did not pass at the end of the 110th US Congress, and have been reintroduced in the 111th US Congress. Similar language to those bills was inserted by the Senate into the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 which was signed into law, providing a one time payment of at least 9,000 USD to eligible non-US Citizens, and 15,000 USD to eligible US Citizens. However these payments are only provided to those recognized as being soldiers or recognized guerrilla members by the United States or their surviving spouse. Those listed as eligible by the US Government is smaller than the list of World War II veterans recognized by the Philippines. Additionally, by receiving these payments the recipient waives all rights to any future benefits that they maybe eligible for. In March 2011, 42 percent of all claims under this legislation has been rejected. By September 2012, that number was reduced down to some 24 thousand, with the remaining deemed ineligible due to not being on the "Missouri list" (the Approved Revised Reconstructed Guerilla Roster kept by the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) in St Louis, MO.); due to this, Representative Heck introduced legislation to allow documents from the Philippine government and the U.S. Army to be accepted as proof of eligibility.

As of February 2011, there were ten thousand surviving Filipino American veterans of World War II in the United States, and a further forty thousand in the Philippines, with some estimates stating there are eighteen thousand or fewer surviving veterans. There is also a lawsuit to be filed by The Justice for Filipino-American Veterans against the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Efforts to overturn the Rescission Act of 1946 continued in the 112th Congress (2011/2012); Representative Jackie Speier introduced a bill seeking full recognition and equity for Filipino World War II veterans, their widows and children. As of September 2012, the bill had 96 cosponsors, and no action has been taken since being referred to subcommittee.