JFAV Letter To the Editor on USAFFE Day

July 26, 2011 Dear Editor, We wrote to you to stress the significance of the USAFFE Day, July 26, 1941 Seventy years ago, today  on July 26, 1941, US President Franklin Delano Roosevelt formed the United States Armed Forces in the Far East or the USAFFE. This the main reason why the Filipinos must be considered as American soldiers and as American World War II veterans. To some sentimental guys they call this day “USAFFE Day. To the more conscious it is called “Conscription Day” On this day Filipinos were mandated to serve the United States as American nationals. Roosevelt issued this Military Order, calling into service and placing under the command of “the armed forces of the United States for the period of the existing emergency… all organized military forces of the Government of the Commonwealth of the Philippines.” By this order, the 120,000 armed forces of the Commonweath of the Philippines including its unarmed reserves were merged and placed under the command of the United States who has less than 40,000 troops in the Philippines. Thus the Philippines became the largest US garrison outside of the mainland. And yet until today, 66 years after, the Filipinos who served under the USAFFE are not treated and not recognized as American war veterans. And that includes their survivors, meaning the widows and legal heirs. Rationale The action was a general mobilization in an anticipation of a war against the Axis power.  Three years before, on September 3, 1939 Germany attacked Poland and the Second World War erupted in Europe. Unknown to Filipinos, who responded to the compulsory mobilization, they were bound by the Military Laws of the U.S. that provide among others that in case of desertion or “attempt to desert the service of the United States, if the offense” is committed in time of war, they will “suffer death or such other punishment as a court-martial may direct.” Other violations of Articles of War whose punitive punishment calls for death in time of war during that time were advising or aiding another deserter, misbehaving before an enemy, relieving, corresponding with or aiding the enemy, spying and committing murder or rape. But because the U.S. was going to face a well-trained, well-armed and more numerous Japanese Army that would attack Pearl Harbor four months later, Roosevelt conscripted an ill-trained and under-armed Commonwealth and later during the 3 –year Japanese occupation, other militia (guerrilla) forces that could face death in the hands of the U.S. military if they violated some Articles of War or their Japanese enemies. The War Years (December 1941-September 1945) The USAFFE existed for only 11 months. For the first six months were focused on the training and preparations and the next five months for intense fighting. When the war broke out in December 7, 1941. The USAFFE was placed into alert and war footing. The USAFFE divisions resisted the Japanese invasion until they were forced to retreat to Bataan in January 1942. The Battle for Bataan lasted from the last week of January to April 1942. When Bataan fell to the Japanese, it was just a matter of time that the fort of Corregidor will fall on  May 6, 1942. With the fall of Corregidor, USAFFE as a unit ceased to exists. But the Filipinos and some American officers and men refused to surrender and keep the fight for resistance for the next three years. They became the core of the liberating forces that helped the US Army to liberate the Philippines three years later in 1944. In its placer the new army of the commonwealth was formed. USAFFE  just became a part of history. Significance of the USAFFE. The USAFFE fought a holding action against the Japanese. Its battle at Bataan and Corregidor as well as the other pats of the Philippines, delayed the Japanese timetable for the occupation of the Philippines and the whole of Asia. For the US, it taught the country the need for preparedness in time of peace. Never again that American will be surprised with a large scale invasion from a foreign army. For the Philippines, it taught the country a lesson in self-reliance. That the defense of the Philippines cannot be placed and must not be trusted to another foreign power. This is a lesson that still echoes today. A lesson that must be well remembered. For justice, equity and racial equality, Arturo P. Garcia JFAV National Coordinator

Our Team

Story

Our Team

They say the happiest days are in high school. I can attest to that.

When we formed our volleyball team in our section in our Physical Education class, we never thought that we will be the champion in the freshmen class. Though we did not beat any of  the upper classes from the 2nd year to the seniors, we gave them a run for the title.

But volleyball is only the second  love of Filipinos. Our first love was basketball. And from volleyball we raise the ante to basketball.

To tell you the truth, I am a poor basketball player. That is why I played only as a filler when everybody “ graduates.” And nobody is there to play. I dribbled poorly so I stood as a filler guard. My team will laugh If I can get some of those jump shots and long shots that I can do occasionally.

I have my team’s first five. They are Rey, the spitfire alias Florencio; Jesse, the center alias Mumar; Tuloc, the long shot artist; E or Eulogio, the All Star player; Pacifico, our serious man and guard and Dabay, the short punky guard or sa Tagalog --ang Taong bato.

Rey is a short guy like me.  He was our captain ball of our volleyball team. But he is very good and fast. He is very good shooting, from the long distance, jump shot or as a lay-up artist. He loves to imitates the likes of Bernardo or Florencio and later Jaworski of UE. Pero pag-minalas walang shot kahit isa.

Jesse is an all around player. He can shoot, drive or make impossible lay ups. He is tall at around 5’7 or 5’8. He was never a part of our volleyball team, but he joined out team. He never joined the high school team although he was good. He honed his skills in the half court and our games at the full courts. He later became a player in college and got a scholarship for that.

Tuloc, as he was called in Ilokano was a long shot artist. He can also shot at any distance and drives occasionally when he is
not heavily guarded or if assisted by Rey or Jesse. Siya ang pagsinwerte, nakakaiskor ng mahigit bente! Sabi nga namin- "walang aling"

E, is a born player. He is all around. He can shot, drive and guard anybody. He and Tuloc are our tallest player. But he is lanky and thin and that is why our opponents  always misjudged him.

At first they will make fun of him but later will take him seriously when he does the damage with his shooting or guarding. He is a neighbor of mine and a school mate. He joined our team when we starting at the half court near Rey's neighborhood.

Pacifico, is our tallest guard. He was also in our volleyball team. He is the front line stopper because he was tall. He occasionally shoots and makes the shot when needed. He has a poor eyesight and wear glasses but does not impede him to play his best. But he was a good guard and our adversaries gives him respect because he is good at what he does. And he plays clean and not prone to shoving and dirty games.

Dabay is our destroyer. He is small and bulky and like a bulldozer, everybody gives way when he drives. But he is a guard and he does his chores like Pacifico. That is why we call him ang taong bato. Tumatalsik ang nababanga niya at kahit sinong dumikit sa kanya.

Well, because I cannot play, they made me their coach. Maybe because I am loud and shout orders. So in short, they call me “coach”. Like the way they call me as the volleyball coach of our freshman class in high school.

So during summer time we play and go around the whole district to compete. They learned to respect us as a team and gave us resounding applause.

Only once we almost went into a fight. And as usual, It was me again who got angry because they cheated us. But nothing happened because the old folks – who happened to know me came to our rescue when the whole neighborhood almost lyched us and asked for forgiveness because they know they cheated us of the time so they can win.

I respected the neighborhood because they showed us their sense of fairness and hospitality.

For three years., we played for friendship and camaraderie and for fun.

That is our neighborhood team! My team.

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