Mazie Hirono: “Filipino veterans are those who answered the call of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and served alongside our Armed…”

“Filipino veterans are those who answered the call of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and served alongside our Armed Forces during World War II. They fought shoulder-to-shoulder with American servicemen, and we promised to provide full veterans benefits to them. While we have made some progress toward that goal, we have not yet achieved the full equity that the Filipino veterans deserve. I am proud to be an original cosponsor of H.R. 760, the Filipino Veterans Equity Act, which, in essence, makes good on the promise that our government made to these brave men over 60 years ago. Our Filipino veterans are in the twilight of their lives. Of the 250,000 soldiers that fought with us, only 18,000 survive today. Of that number, 2,000 reside in my State of Hawaii. As we honor our veterans all across the country this Veterans Day, let us include those Filipino veterans who still await a promise unfulfilled.”