Filipino WWII veterans sue over benefits

[alp227]

Source: San Francisco Chronicle

Filipino veterans of World War II and their widows have sued the U.S. government in San Francisco over a 2009 law that granted them partial veterans' benefits, but excluded spouses and required verification through records that were largely destroyed years ago in a fire.

"You should be treated like other war veterans. ... You shed blood for freedom and democracy," attorney Arnedo Valera told about 75 elderly Filipino Americans who demonstrated Friday outside the federal courthouse on Golden Gate Avenue, where the lawsuit was filed a day earlier.

It was the second suit this year to challenge the government's treatment of more than 200,000 Filipinos who were drafted by the United States and fought alongside Americans in the war, when the Philippines was a U.S. commonwealth.

Congress denied them pensions and other military benefits in 1946. After years of protests, President Obama signed a law in February 2009 granting payments of $15,000 to Filipino veterans who had become U.S. citizens, and $9,000 to noncitizens.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/10/09/BAMN1FQADD.DTL

[Submariner]

1. I never met any Filipino's until I was in the Navy

It was the mid '60s, and I noticed that the only job they had was that of a Steward. They literally were servants to the wardroom officers. They had no other duties on the submarine, other than cooking and cleaning for the khaki-clad class of Officer's and Gentlemen. :puke:

They seemed to feel separate from the rest of the crew, and never joined us on liberty outings. They hung out together. As I think about this, I guess I can't blame them. I recall some derogatory names, I won't resurrect here, that came mostly from the lifers (career enlisted sailors).

So when they booted us out of Subic Bay and Clark AFB, it was probably along overdue stick in our eye for treating them so shabby.

[4bucksagallon]

2. I was just approached by a Filipino that was wondering if he...

and his family were eligible for the one time payment. As far as I could glean there was a deadline of Feb. 16 2010 for the paperwork to be in hand by US officials. Now lots of these Filipinos don't have paperwork or it is being held up by signatures or it just went missing. So I am guessing that unless all your t's are crossed and your i's are dotted then you are out of luck. I am hoping they extend the deadline for these poor souls and their families but somehow I doubt it will happen.