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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES |
H.C.R. NO. |
22 |
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TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2008 |
H.D. 1 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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HOUSE CONCURRENT
RESOLUTION
RECOGNIZING THE COURAGEOUS CONTRIBUTIONS AND SERVICE OF THE FILIPINO VETERANS OF WORLD WAR II.
WHEREAS, on July 26, 1941, in anticipation of war with Japan, President Roosevelt issued an Executive Order calling for over 200,000 Filipino soldiers to serve in the United States Armed Forces in the Far East (USAFFE); and
WHEREAS, ten hours after Pearl Harbor was attacked, the United States military bases in the Philippines were also attacked, plunging the Philippines into war; and
WHEREAS, on March 27, 1942, Congress passed Title 8 of the Second War Powers Act, which provided that noncitizens who served in active duty in the USAFFE during World War II would be granted United States citizenship; and
WHEREAS, even after United States forces retreated from the Philippines in April of 1942, Filipinos continued to fight courageously against the invading Japanese forces, forming guerilla units to conduct operations, collect intelligence, and help prepare for the return of American forces; and
WHEREAS, after the war, the New Philippine Scouts were formed to help reestablish United States authority in the Pacific, which resulted in thousands more Filipino soldiers called to serve the United States; and
WHEREAS, throughout the war, Filipino soldiers demonstrated the highest levels of bravery and courage, willing to pay the ultimate price to support the United States and restore liberty and peace to the Philippines; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-fourth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2008, the Senate concurring, that the Legislature recognizes the courageous contributions and service of the Filipino veterans of World War II; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to Hawaii's Congressional Delegation, the President of the United Filipino Council of Hawaii, President of the Congress of Visayan Organizations, President of the Filipino American Citizens League, President of the Filipino Coalition for Solidarity, President of the World War II Fil-Am Veterans, Chairperson of the National Federation of Filipino American Associations – Region 12, President of the Philippine Nurses Association – Hawaii, and the President of the Oahu Filipino Community Council.
Filipino Veterans