U.S. President hails Filipino war veterans

From the Philippine News Agency (Apr 29): U.S. President hails Filipino war veterans
 
United States President Barack Obama on Tuesday hailed Filipino war veterans who fought alongside American forces during World War II.

In his speech before some 300 Filipino and American soldiers at Fort Bonifacio in Taguig, President Obama acknowledged his nation’s “injustice” towards Filipino war veterans, who were denied compensation promised to them by the US government during the war.

“Sadly, the proud service of many of these Filipino veterans was never fully recognized by the United States. Many were denied the compensation they had been promised. It was an injustice,” he said.

Obama said his administration has been working with Congress and other concerned units to correct said wrongdoing.

“We passed a law, reviewed the records, processed claims, and nearly 20,000 Filipino veterans from World War II and their families finally received the compensation they had earned. And it was the right thing to do,” he said.

The US President then honored some of the Filipino war veterans present at the event, among them those who fought in Bataan and Corregidor.

“Some fought in the resistance, including nurse Carolina Garcia Delfin. These veterans are now in their nineties. They are an inspiration to us all, and I’d ask those who can stand to stand or give a wave so that we can all salute their service,” he said to a round of applause and standing ovation from the crowd.

He lauded the heroism of the war veterans, saying that their struggle “brought out the best in the Filipino character in the face of adversity and served as a beacon to freedom loving peoples everywhere.”Before leaving, he had a brief opportunity to shake hands with several veterans and soldiers.

After the event, President Obama paid his respects at the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial, also in Fort Bonifacio. It is the resting place of Americans and Filipinos who fought in the war.

“These Americans and Filipinos rest in peace as they stood in war -- side-by-side, shoulder-to-shoulder, balikatan,” he said.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=&sid=&nid=&rid=638945