The 60-year-old
Philippine dream

Published by the Visayan Daily Star Publications, Inc.

NINFA R. LEONARDIA Editor-in-Chief & President

CARLA P. GOMEZ Managing Editor ANTONIETA B. LOPEZ Business Editor ODETTE MONTELIBANO Desk Editor MARY ANN BARCELONA Advertising Coordinator RENE GENOVE Bureau Chief, Dumaguete

ANDRES R. LEONARDIA Managing Director

A news item from Chicago, Illinois yesterday said that a group of World War II veterans who are now based in the United States have started agitating again for the passage of a bill that would give them equal benefits with their counterparts who are American citizens.

How many years have we been repeatedly hearing about this struggle of WWII veterans who had fought side by side with the Americans and their allied soldiers during that global conflict where the Philippines was among the countries left devastated?

More than half-a-century has passed since that war ended, with America and her allies triumphantly declaring victory over Japan in Asia, and Germany and her allies in Europe. All those years, the old soldiers from the Philippines have been hoping, administration after administration, to see the day when they, too, would enjoy the same privileges and benefits as their U.S. citizen fellows, if only to be able to improve their lives and those of their families.

Since then, so many of them have fallen ill, have become bedridden, or have died, still clinging to the hope that the American government would do justice to them. All the while, promises and measures have been proposed, but their main target - full recognition and compensation - has never been attained. Now their number has been greatly decimated, and their last hope is the House Bill No. 302, or the Filipino Veterans Bill. As before, they are again banking on the words of yet another member of the U.S. House of Representatives to push for the passage of the measure. Last year, the bill was also filed by another congressman.

Despite all the disappointments they have gone through, the handful that are still able to, continue to do their bit, and continue to dream that they will still be around when that longed-for measure is finally enacted into law.

Do they have more reason to hope this time?*