Daniel Akaka: “I wish to update our colleagues on an important issue that the Veterans' Affairs Committee is dealing with; namely…”

“I wish to update our colleagues on an important issue that the Veterans' Affairs Committee is dealing with; namely, providing long overdue recognition to all those veterans of the Philippines Armed Forces who served under U.S. command during the Second World War. Recently, the Veterans' Affairs Committee, which I am privileged to chair, held a hearing on S. 57, the Filipino Veterans Equity Act of 2007. This important legislation, introduced by my good friend and senior Senator, Mr. Inouye, would end more than 50 years of inequality for Filipino veterans who have served our country, and it has my strong support. During our hearing, the committee received testimony from Filipino veterans who spoke of their service under U.S. military command and their difficulties with a VA system that doesn't recognize them as veterans. Until 1946, the Philippines was not completely independent from the United States. When America entered the Second World War, the Filipino military was a part of the U.S. Armed Forces, under the command of the U.S. Armed Forces of the Far East. All military forces of the Commonwealth of the Philippines were ordered by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to serve under the command of the U.S. military, and they served bravely, fighting for our country and their freedom. In 1946, Congress limited veterans' benefits to only a portion of Filipinos who served in World War II.”