On the 66th Year of the Fall of Corregidor, May 6, 1942

Remember Corregidor, Heighten the Struggle for Equity and Justice, Fight Racism and Inequality

On May 6, 1942, after enduring one month of siege, air and artillery bombardment by the Japanese, the island fortress of Corregidor surrendered to the Japanese Imperial Army..

With the surrender of Corregidor, General Jonathan Wainright, USAFEE Chief was forced to formally surrendered the whole Philippines. With the fall of the Philippines, organized armed resistance by the USAFFE forces in the Philippines ceased to exist. The formal occupation of the Philippines by the Japanese Imperial forces for the next three years begun.

But, the Filipino guerilla resistance became very much alive. Independent guerilla forces started in earnest. The guerilla forces in Northern Luzon led by General Guillermo Nakar in Isabela and the HUKBALAHAP in Central Luzon started even before the fall of Bataan on April 9, 1942.

For the next three years, Filipino guerillas led by able Filipino leaders or by American officers never let the Japanese have peace of mind in occupying the Philippines. They held the line and even liberated areas even before American forces landed in the Philippines.

The Filipino guerillas cleared the way for the American soldiers who came to reoccupy the Philippines and did the brunt of the fighting in taking the strategic Bessang Pass in the Cordillera, Balite (now called Dalton) Pass in Cagayan valley and last outpost of General Yamashita in the Cordillera- the Loo Valley and the Kiangan triangle in 1945.

We in the United States and the Justice for Filipino American Veterans (JAFV), remember the Fall of Corregidor not for its loss but to remember the start of the armed struggle, the tenacity of our people in waging an armed resistance even if the USAFFE surrendered in May 6, 1942. Even if the United States abandoned the Philippines to focus on Europe.

Even if the Philippine government choose to forget that inequalities were present for 250,000 Filipino World War IIveterans and covered up for the government of the United States presenting the issue as an issue about “backpay” and “reparations” not about equity and justice and the broken promises by the US government.

We remember Bataan and Corregidor not for is defeats but our struggle for equity and justice that we still wage right now here in the United States of America, We remembered that the Filipinos did to give up fighting and did not give up hope that American forces will return to liberate the Philippines.

We fought for equity and justice for 63 years. We will fight for justice and equity, against racism and inequalities in the halls of the House of Representatives, in the streets and in our communities until those who served are fully compensated, treated as American veterans and given dignity for the service they rendered and given the honor they truly deserved.



Justice for Filipino American Veterans (JFAV)

May 6, 2008

Los Angeles, California

Struggle for equity and justice continues with JFAV activities US-wide