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Phillips Adds Star Power to Veterans' Cause

By RPG Newswire
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WASHINGTON (RPG Newswire) – The granting of health care and pension benefits for 11,000 aging and ailing Filipino World War II veterans in the United States and 34,000 in the Philippines was personal to Hollywood star Lou Diamond Phillips.

“I have five Filipino uncles who have proudly served in the U.S. Navy, two of whom went on to become staff members of the White House under President Nixon,” said the star of “La Bamba” and “Courage Under Fire.”

He testified during a two-and-a-half-hour congressional subcommittee hearing June 12, urging the speedy passage of benefits legislation for the veterans.

“Both my father and stepfather were also sailors in the Navy; my stepfather, George Phillips, having served two tours of duty in Vietnam, Phillips said.

“My father was so proud of his military affiliation that he named me after a war hero of the Second World War, Gunnery Sergeant Lew Diamond, a Marine legend in the Pacific Theatre,” Phillips said.

Congressman Bob Filner, Secretary of Veterans Affairs Anthony Principi, and several key members of Congressional Veterans Committees held a news conference on Tuesday, June 11 to announce Principi's support for Filner's bill to reinstate veterans benefits to Filipino veterans of World War II.

“The long nightmare for America's Filipino World War II veterans may finally be ending,” said Filner. “Filipino soldiers were drafted by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, they served this country, and then they were discarded by the U.S. government after the war,” said Filner.

“Finally, more than 50 years later, we have a real chance to give them the benefits and the official ‘U.S. Veteran’ status that they deserve!”

“The Veterans Administration is happy to work with the Veterans Affairs leadership to help craft legislation to meet the needs of veterans who were called to arms by the U.S. government and who stood shoulder to shoulder with U.S. troops during America's darkest hour,” said Secretary Principi.

Filner's bill was heard in the House Veterans Affairs Subcommittee on Health on Thursday afternoon.