Lucille Roybal-Allard: “in my district, on June 14, at MacArthur Park, located in the heart of downtown Los Angeles, three brave, elderly…”

“in my district, on June 14, at MacArthur Park, located in the heart of downtown Los Angeles, three brave, elderly, former soldiers renewed a battle first begun in World War II. In an unprecedented display of determination, Percy Javellana, age 74, Angel De La Cruz, age 71, and Orcencio Salem, age 71, chained themselves to the statue of their former commander, General Douglas MacArthur. They have vowed to remain there for 24 hours a day in protest of our Government's denial of benefits for Filipino veterans of World War II. Mr. De La Cruz took his personal sacrifice one step further by beginning a hunger strike he has promised will not end until Federal legislation to restore these promised benefits is enacted. Let there be no mistake, their symbolic act of protest, which is gaining national media attention, is not merely motivated by a desire for monetary compensation. Instead, their struggle is about honor, dignity, and respect for their sacrifices as soldiers. More importantly, it is about the moral obligation of our Government to live up to its promises once made.”