BILL REQ. #:  S-1169.2 

Read first time 01/29/2007.   Referred to Committee on Government Operations & Elections.

     TO THE HONORABLE GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, AND TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE AND THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AND TO THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNITED STATES, IN CONGRESS ASSEMBLED:
     We, your Memorialists, the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Washington, in legislative session assembled, respectfully represent and petition as follows:
     WHEREAS, The Philippine Islands was a territory of the United States until July 4, 1946, and the United States had control over Philippine nationals and its internal affairs. The Philippines Commonwealth had no function in matters of foreign affairs and could not declare war nor surrender its forces; and
     WHEREAS, On July 26, 1941, U.S. President Roosevelt issued a Military Order and invoked his powers under Section 2(a)(12) of the Philippine Independence Act (P.L. No. 77-127 Section 10(a)) to "call and order into the service of the Armed Forces of the United States...all of the organized military forces of the government of the Commonwealth of the Philippines"; and
     WHEREAS, World War II is remembered as The Good War that President Roosevelt claimed to have defended the great human freedoms against the encroachment and attack of the dark forces of despotism; and
     WHEREAS, Filipino soldiers fought during World War II under the American flag and under the direction and control of United States military leaders pursuant to President Roosevelt's July 1941 Military Order; and
     WHEREAS, Shortly after the war in 1946, the U.S. Congress passed the Rescission Act which specifically mandates that services rendered by Filipino World War II veterans "...shall not be deemed to have been active military, naval, or air service for the purposes of any law of the United States conferring rights, privileges or benefits..."; and
     WHEREAS, The legislative rider appended to the 1946 Rescission Act denies U.S. military status and benefits to those veterans who fought under the command of officers of the U.S. Armed Forces in the Philippines; and
     WHEREAS, The significant and adverse impact of the 1946 Rescission Act is its unjust discrimination against Filipino soldiers of World War II by denying them eligibility for equal benefits administered by the department of veterans affairs; and
     WHEREAS, Filipinos are the only national group singled out for denial of full U.S. veterans status while the soldiers of more than sixty-six other U.S. allied countries, who were similarly inducted into the service of the armed forces of the United States during World War II, were granted full U.S. veterans status; and
     WHEREAS, The United States government has yet to fully restore the rights, privileges, and benefits guaranteed, then taken away from Filipino soldiers of WWII; and
     WHEREAS, The gallantry, loyalty, and sacrifices of Filipino veterans of WWII, who fought for freedom and democracy in the Armed Forces of the United States, deserve recognition and their honor and dignity restored; and
     WHEREAS, There is no pending legislation in the U.S. Congress that will restore full United States veterans status to Filipino WWII veterans;
     NOW, THEREFORE, Your Memorialists respectfully pray that the President and Congress of the United States during the First Session of the 110th Congress take action necessary to give priority in the issuance of immigrant visas to the sons, daughters, and grandchildren of Filipino World War II veterans who are or were naturalized citizens of the United States, and amend the 1946 Rescission Act and honor our country's moral obligation to restore these Filipino veterans full United States veterans status with the military benefits that they deserve;
     BE IT RESOLVED, That copies of this Memorial be immediately transmitted to the Honorable George W. Bush, President of the United States, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and each member of Congress from the State of Washington.