‘No US Navy ship has been named after any Filipino who served in the US Armed Forces despite 120 years of faithful and loyal service by generations of Filipinos since President McKinley authorized the recruitment of Filipinos in the Insular Force in 1901.’
IN the wake of the Fourth of July (which used to be celebrated as Philippine-American Friendship Day), we share these missives.
The Bataan Legacy Historical Society joins the USS Telesforo Trinidad Campaign (USSTTC), the organization spearheading this initiative, in educating the public about Telesforo Trinidad, an American of Filipino descent who received the Medal of Honor in 1915. Trinidad holds the distinction of being the first and only Filipino in the US Navy to receive a Medal of Honor, in accordance with General Order Number 142 signed by Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels on April 1, 1915. It was awarded for extraordinary heroism in the line of duty during boiler explosions onboard the USS San Diego (ACR-6) while the ship was underway in the Gulf of California on January 21, 1915.
No US Navy ship has been named after any Filipino who served in the US Armed Forces despite 120 years of faithful and loyal service by generations of Filipinos since President McKinley authorized the recruitment of Filipinos in the Insular Force in 1901. Even after the Philippines was granted independence, the US Navy continued its recruitment of Filipinos under the Military Bases Agreement until 1992. To this day, thousands of Filipino-Americans continue to serve in the US Navy (and US Armed Forces).
The naming of a ship after Trinidad will recognize the long-standing contributions of Filipino-Americans to the security and freedom of our nation, the strong alliance between the US and the Philippines and the US Navy’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. Moreover, it will resonate strongly with over four million Filipino-Americans who are looking for validation of the seminal contributions of Filipinos to US history.
Second message, also from the Bataan Legacy Historical Society, via Executive Director Cecilia I. Gaerlan: “It is with great sadness to announce the passing of Jim Hornfischer last June 2. He spoke about his book ‘The Last Stand of the Tin Can Soldiers’ during our conference in 2019 at the University of San Francisco. He leaves behind his wife and three children.” He was joined at the conference by Walter Borneman, Jose Custodio, Bernard Karganilla, Rich Foye and other speakers.
From Hornfischer (winner of The Samuel Eliot Morison Award for Naval Literature) and the first full narrative account of the Battle off Samar (the greatest upset in the history of naval warfare), we learned: “The wounded and the healthy alike turned away their American rescuers. A flustered destroyer commander radioed to Oldendorf, ‘All survivors in water are Nips and refuse a line. What do you want done with them?’ Seconds later came the task group commander’s cold reply: ‘Let them sink.’ Some of the defiant Japanese, those with sufficient muscle or will to survive, managed to swim ashore on Leyte or Dinagat Island, only to be set upon by Filipino guerrillas who relished the spectacle of their sinking and welcomed the opportunity to hack them to pieces with their bolo blades.” [The Last Stand of the Tin Can Soldiers. NY: Bantam Books, 2004]
Learned from Hornfischer as well: “If the seas were lost, no level of gallantry would have saved the marines ashore from starvation and attrition. Admiral Halsey drew a convincing parallel. ‘If our surface forces in this epic battle had been routed our land forces on Guadalcanal would have been in the same position as our forces in the Philippines were at the beginning of the war. Archie Vandegrift would have undoubtedly taken to the hills.
Those who had fallen into the hands of the Japanese would have received the same horrible mistreatment our prisoners did on all occasions. Archie Vandegrift would have been the ‘Skinny’ Wainwright of Guadalcanal, and the Bataan Death March would have been repeated’.” [Neptune’s inferno: the U.S. Navy at Guadalcanal. NY: Bantam Books, 2011]
He was our kind of historian: “In an interview conducted by the Center for International Maritime Security (CIMSEC) in 2016, Hornfischer stated that he would spend about 18 to 24 months researching before even thinking about writing. ‘History to me is intensively visual, both in the writing and in the illustrating, so this is a major emphasis for me all along the way’.” [https://www.navy.mil/Press-Office/News-Stories/Article/2620702/naval-historian-receives-distinguished-public-service-award/]
The third transmission from the Bataan Legacy Historical Society: During WWII, 1,000 Filipino sailors died while serving in the US Navy and many thousands more died while serving in the US Army Forces in the Far East (USAFFE), the First Filipino Infantry Regiment and other branches of the US Armed Forces. Many are still missing in action and, even worse, their names have been consigned to oblivion. The ultimate sacrifice by Filipino-Americans continues today, such as US Army Special Forces Sgt. First Class Reymund R. Transfiguracion, who died from wounds sustained from an improvised explosive device attack in Helmand Province in 2018 during his fourth deployment in Afghanistan.
The fourth message: Save Bamban Museum. Bamban Museum in Bamban, Tarlac, Philippines is a small but venerable museum established by Rhonie dela Cruz out of his conviction to spread the legacy of the people of Bamban who sacrificed so much during World War II and to establish the seminal place of Bamban during the battle between the US 6th Army’s 160th Infantry Regiment of the 40th Division (XIV Corps) and the Japanese 14th Army’s Kembu Group’s Takaya Shitai (2nd Glider Regiment) starting on January 23, 1945. It was not until February 25 when the 160th Infantry’s 3rd Battalion was able to raise the US flag on the once verdant and now denuded summit of Mt. Monikayo. So many lives lost. Rhonie and the Bamban Historical Society also educates the public about the seminal role of Aeta Squadron 30 during this battle, led by Lt. Pedro Margarito, comprised of 44 indigenous Aeta tribe members who lived in the mountains surrounding Bamban and served as the mountain patrol unit. The museum does not receive any public funding and exists solely through small donations and through the help of its volunteers from Bamban Historical Society. Recently, it was in danger of being demolished because of street widening. But thanks to the efforts of some government officials in the Philippines, steps are being made to save it. Thank you to all those who support this museum. Mabuhay!
We share these concerns even as the Party of the Undead marks its birth centenary.
“In a time when chaos and uncertainty reign, the Alliance remains steadfast in its determination to bring light to the darkest corners of the world. Bound by a loathing for all things demonic, they fight to restore order in this war-torn world.” [Blizzard’s Warcraft]
