REPORT TITLE:
Burial Assistance; Veterans


DESCRIPTION:
Makes an appropriation for fiscal year 1999-2000, to provide
burial assistance to Filipino veterans of World War II.
Appropriates for fiscal year 2000-2001 to provide burial
assistance to Filipino veterans of World War II.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                                        
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES                H.B. NO.1298       
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 1999                                
STATE OF HAWAII                                            
                                                             
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                   A  BILL  FOR  AN  ACT

RELATING TO BURIALS.



BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 1      SECTION 1.  The legislature finds that on July 26, 1941,
 
 2 President Franklin D. Roosevelt appointed Lieutenant General
 
 3 Douglas MacArthur to command the newly formed United States Armed
 
 4 Forces in the Far East (USAFFE).  General MacArthur mobilized the
 
 5 entire Philippine Commonwealth Army into the USAFFE and
 
 6 reinforced the Philippine Scouts and the Philippine Constabulary
 
 7 under the command of American military force.  Over 200,000
 
 8 Filipino soldiers were mobilized under the USAFFE by General
 
 9 MacArthur.
 
10      As part of the USAFFE, Filipino soldiers endured many
 
11 hardships and fought fierce battles at Bataan, Corregidor, and
 
12 other theaters of battle.  For example, at Bataan, as many as
 
13 36,000 Filipino and American soldiers were captured by the
 
14 Japanese and forced to set out on the infamous "Bataan Death
 
15 March" to San Fernando.  On this "death march," tens of thousands
 
16 died from hunger, thirst, disease, and exhaustion.  The few
 
17 survivors were crammed into boxcars and shipped to prisons in
 
18 Capas.
 

 
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                                     H.B. NO.1298       
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1      The legislature finds that although Filipino soldiers
 
 2 courageously risked their lives to protect and promote American
 
 3 democratic values, some of these veterans are still denied the
 
 4 honor of being buried with their comrades in arms.  Currently,
 
 5 only veterans who served in the armed forces of the United States
 
 6 or joined the Philippine Scouts before October 6, 1945, are
 
 7 entitled to be buried in a national or state veterans cemetery.
 
 8      The legislature recognizes the right of these valiant men
 
 9 who served honorably in active duty:
 
10      (1)  Under the command of the USAFFE;
 
11      (2)  Within the Philippine Army;
 
12      (3)  Within the Philippine Scouts; or
 
13      (4)  With a recognized Philippine guerilla unit;
 
14 to be either buried in a state veterans cemetery or returned to
 
15 the Philippines for an honorable burial by relatives.
 
16      The purpose of this Act is to appropriate funds to provide
 
17 financial assistance for the proper burial of these veterans.
 
18      SECTION 2.  There is appropriated out of the general
 
19 revenues of the State of Hawaii the sum of $       or so much
 
20 thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 1999-2000 and the sum
 
21 of $       or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year
 
22 2000-2001 to provide financial assistance for the proper burial
 
23 of Filipino veterans of World War II.
 

 
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                                     H.B. NO.1298       
                                                        
                                                        

 
 1      SECTION 3.  The sums appropriated shall be expended by the
 
 2 department of defense for the purposes of this Act.
 
 3      SECTION 4.  This Act shall take effect on July 1, 1999.
 
 4 
 
 5                           INTRODUCED BY:  _______________________