Joe Cunningham: “I rise in support of H.R. 3645 and thank you for the opportunity to speak about this bill. While this issue, as a matter…”

“I rise in support of H.R. 3645 and thank you for the opportunity to speak about this bill. While this issue, as a matter of national honor, is one of the most important subjects that we will discuss this session, it does not capture the headlines and few Americans are even aware of it. Yet it requires no debate to determine the only honorable and right course of action. When we went to war in 1941, the people of the Philippines, then an American Commonwealth, went with us. Under Executive Order by President Roosevelt, the 4000,000 men of the Philippines military were called on to join our forces under General Douglas MacArthur. They faithfully fought with us throughout the war. They walked side by side with us during the Bataan Death March, dying at a rate exceeding that of the American troops. After the war, we passed legislation that denied these brave men status as US veterans, denying them access to veterans' benefits. I am proud to count myself among the many that feel this was wrong and not worthy of our Nation's honor. I believe that a promise made is a debt unpaid, and it is far past the proper time to correct this longstanding wrong. While passage of H.R. 3645 does not correct the entire problem it is a step in the right direction. This bill will take the step of extending VA benefits to the 11,000 Filipino WWII veterans that are living in the United States.”