HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES |
H.C.R. NO. |
109 |
TWENTY-NINTH LEGISLATURE, 2018 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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HOUSE CONCURRENT
RESOLUTION
URGING THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES AND THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS TO GRANT FULL VETERANS BENEFITS TO FILIPINO VETERANS WHO FOUGHT IN WORLD WAR II BUT WERE SUBSEQUENTLY DENIED THE BENEFITS TO WHICH THEY WERE ENTITLED.
WHEREAS, prior to World War II, the Philippines was a United States commonwealth; and
WHEREAS, Filipino soldiers earned full veterans benefits when they joined the Philippine Commonwealth Army to prepare against the potential threat of Japanese aggression; and
WHEREAS, thousands of Filipino men and women risked their lives against the invading and occupying Japanese forces and assisted our nation in its efforts to liberate the Philippines; and
WHEREAS, Filipino soldiers and guerrillas fought bravely beside American troops to restore liberty and democracy to their homeland; and
WHEREAS, exhibiting great courage in the battles of Corregidor and Bataan, and in the eventual liberation of the Philippines, Filipino soldiers and guerrillas contributed to the Allied victory that ended Word War II; and
WHEREAS, Filipinos who served in the Philippine Commonwealth Army were made eligible for full United States veterans benefits for their active duty service; and
WHEREAS, in 1946, by congressional act and upon the granting of full independence to the Philippines, these same Filipino veterans were denied eligibility for United States veterans benefits, including health care, disability pensions, and burial expenses; and
WHEREAS, over the years, Congress has considered legislation to restore the benefits denied to Filipino veterans; and
WHEREAS, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 included a provision that called for the release of funding for a one-time, lump sum payment to eligible Filipino veterans in lieu of a pension; and
WHEREAS, restoring benefits denied to Filipino veterans and fulfilling and expediting any pending claims would honor those Filipino veterans who served with our armed forces so courageously; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-ninth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2018, the Senate concurring, that the President of the United States and the United States Congress are urged to grant full veterans benefits to Filipino veterans who fought in World War II but were subsequently denied the benefits to which they were entitled; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this body requests that full veterans benefits apply to the veterans groups commonly referred to as the "Old" Philippine Scouts, the Philippine Commonwealth Army, the Recognized Guerrilla Forces, the "New" Philippine Scouts, and the United States Armed Forces in the Far East under General MacArthur (USAFFE); and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that spouses and children of these veterans would qualify for the same Dependency and Indemnity Compensation that spouses and children of United States veterans receive; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that providing these benefits would not correct the injustice and discrimination that occurred more than sixty years ago, but would represent a small step toward making reparations; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the President of the United States, the Majority Leader of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, Hawaii's congressional delegation, the United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs, the Director of the Hawaii Office of Veterans' Services, the President of the Republic of the Philippines, and the Philippine Consul General in Hawaii.
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OFFERED BY: |
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World War II; Filipino Veterans; Full Veterans Benefits