 |
| Mike Simbre |
Aurora resident and Air Force Veteran Mike Simbre is the regional chair of the Filipino Veterans Recognition and Education Project (FilVetREP), a national volunteer-driven organization that seeks to secure formal recognition for Filipino soldiers who fought for the United States during World War II (WWII).
As one of the 12 regional leaders throughout the country, Mike leads the charge to locate and provide support for Filipino-American WWII Veterans, their families and next-of-kin to ensure that they receive the recently minted Congressional Gold Medal. He serves six states: Kansas, Colorado, South Dakota, North Dakota, Wyoming and Montana.
On October 25, Mike led the regional delegation at the national awards ceremony that bestowed the Congressional Gold Medal (CGM) to Filipino World War II Veterans in honor of their wartime service. The ceremony at the U.S. Capitol was officiated by House Speaker Paul Ryan.
FilVetREP spearheaded the national campaign to secure the Congressional Gold Medal for Filipino-American Veterans. U.S. Congress passed the Filipino Veterans of World War II Congressional Gold Medal Act in late 2016. Signed by former President Barack Obama, the law grants recognition for the Filipino-American soldiers who fought under the United States flag during World War II.
Pride in Service
“U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt used constitutional powers to recruit all organized Filipino military forces,” says Mike. “He promised them veteran benefits, U.S. citizenship – the works. They answered the call to duty, not only for the U.S., but for pride of country.”
However, that offer was rescinded through the Rescission Act of 1946. In the ending part of the war, President Harry S. Truman took away all the promised benefits and any recognition of Filipinos who served in WWII.
Of the 66 countries that were allied with the United States during WWII, only the Philippines were denied U.S. veteran benefits.
“It was like a slap in the face. The devastation in the Philippines was horrible, second only to Poland. Manila was destroyed,” says Mike.
“For all the fighting and the dying they did for the Americans, the Filipinos didn’t get any of the promises made and recognition. That’s a great injustice.”
For advocates who fought for decades to secure recognition, victory came with the passage of the Filipino Veterans Equity Compensation Act, which was signed into law by President Obama in 2009. The law offered Filipino Veterans a one-time lump sum payment — $15,000 if they were U.S. citizens and $9,000 if they still lived in the Philippines.
“The money was set aside for a year, so if you didn’t apply for it, you were done. Not many Veterans got the monetary benefit,” says Mike.
Complexities in record-keeping and verification of proof of military service made the process tenuous. By late 2015, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs estimated that more than half of the claims have been denied.
At the heels of the compensation act came a renewed campaign to obtain national recognition of the Filipino-American WWII soldiers for their wartime service to the United States and Philippines. Mike was personally tapped by Major General Antonio (Tony) Taguba, who served 34 years on active duty. Tony served in numerous command and staff positions from platoon to General Officer level, with service tours that included assignments in the United States, South Korea, Germany, and Kuwait forward deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.
 |
| Filvetrep Chairman Gen. Tony Taguba and Region 6 Director Mike Simbre (right) |
“Tony personally asked me to help him with the project. His dad was a POW [prisoner of war] during World War II,” says Mike.
“I went into it cold, and now I’m totally immersed. The more that I read about it, the more that I knew something had to be done. It’s been 75 years, and the Veterans are dying daily.”
“History Hides Facts”
 |
| With Arthur and Rebecca Canono, son and daughter of the late Gregorio Canono. |
“History hides facts. There are lots of things that people don’t know about. It’s important to know that when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, the next day, they hit the Philippines, Midway, and Guam,” says Mike.
“The Japanese army thought that they could take the Pacific very easily. When they got to the Philippines, they were wrong. Filipinos were fighting for their country, and fighting for America, even though they were not supplied well. Between December 1941 and April 1942, Filipino soldiers held the Japanese at bay. This gave Americans time to recoup from the attack in Pearl Harbor.”
There are discrepancies in reported Filipino and American casualties during three years of Japanese occupation during WWII. According to Mr. Francone's research, more than 66,000 Filipino and 10,000 American soldiers were forced to make the arduous 70-mile Bataan Death March. Some 18,000 Filipinos and 650 Americans perished due to starvation, wanton killings, severe physical abuse.
In all, some 57,000 Filipino soldiers and almost 1 million Filipino civilians died during the Japanese occupation of the Philippines.
In Colorado and beyond, FilVetREP presentations double as fund-raisers for the volunteer-led campaign. Their primary goal is reaching Veterans and their families to let them know about the Congressional Gold Medal recognition.
Mike personally credits Mr. Francone for his genealogic research that expanded the reach of FilVetREP in the region.
“We started with about nine families, and now we have 23. We have tracked people down who didn’t know about the medal. Frank was passionate about getting the medals to the living vets and next-of-kin,” he says.
Preserving History
Working with the late Greg Canono, Mike empathized with the anguish and heartbreak of having to wait more than 75 years to be fully recognized for one’s service.
“Mr. Canono was living history; we became friends,” says Mike. “He was 93 years old, and I knew that he wasn’t doing well, in terms of his health.”
Mike vividly remembers their first meeting at Mr. Canono’s house. “As soon as I said something about the war, he lit up. He was proud. It was like turning on a switch,” says Mike.
“[Mr. Canono] went to get photos, his orders; he showed me everything that he kept from his service. But there was something missing: he was waiting for his medal.”
Mr. Canono passed away from complications of lung cancer in September of this year. Mike regrets that Mr. Canono never received the recognition he deserved during his lifetime. His family members were among those who attended the national ceremony in Washington, D.C.
Mr. Canono's story was featured in a 9News' "Storytellers" feature by Nelson Garcia.
“Veterans don’t talk much about their experiences. The veteran may be able to forgive, but he cannot forget,” says Mike.
“The recognition is 76 years too late for some. That is why we are focusing on education to preserve their legacy.”
At the Congressional Gold Medal national ceremony held at Emancipation Hall in the Capitol Building, Mike led the Region 6 delegation that joined thousands of Filipino Veterans and their families from across the country. While the event was headlined by members of Congress and other political VIPs, the true intent and purpose of the event respectfully focused on the Veterans and their families.
“There were the familiar faces of Nancy Pelosi, Charles Schumer, Mitch McConnell and Paul Ryan. They all made their speeches, then it was Mr. Celestino Almeda’s turn,” says Mike.
 |
| Celestino Almeda, at the Congressional Gold Medal ceremony. (Photo y Alex Wong/Getty Images North America) |
Mr. Almeda was among the fortunate Filipino servicemembers who survived Japanese invasion during WWII. Following the war, he continued his career as a teacher. He attained U.S. citizenship in 1990, some 50 years after serving in the Philippine theatre of WWII.
“[Mr. Almeda’s] speech outclassed those of any senator or representative. Here he was, a 100-year-old veteran, finally getting the recognition he has long deserved. The crowd made several standing ovations,” says Mike.
Mike and Colorado-based FilVetREP volunteers are organizing a regional recognition ceremony to honor families of WWII Filipino-American Veterans. The event is slated to be held in early 2018; more details are forthcoming.
To learn more about or to volunteer with the Filipino Veterans Recognition and Education Project, email Mike Simbre or visit https://www.filvetrep.org.