WWll Filipino Veterans Gather To Watch Congressman Heck Hearing

Published on Mon, Jun 23, 2014 (10:43 p.m.)

Submitted by Filipino American Veterans & families of America-NV Chapter

Media Advisory:

Contact Luke Perry or Ceasar Elpidio
Filipino American Veterans & Families of America-NV Chapter
Phone: 702-595-5853

http://heck.house.gov/event/house-armed-services-oversight-and-investigations-subcommittee-hearing

WORLD WAR TWO FILIPINO VETERANS TO GATHER TO WATCH
CONGRESSMAN JOE HECK INVESTIGATION AND OVERSIGHT SUBCOMMITTE HEARING IN WASHINGTON D.C.

(Las Vegas,NV) They never thought the day would come, but faith in efforts by Congressman Dr. Joe Heck (R-Dist.3) to help them has managed to bring forth a hearing scheduled tomorrow in Washington D.C. at 2 p.m. in the Armed Services Investigation and Oversight Subcommittee at a hearing he will Chair. The Subcommittee which will examine the VA Filipino Veterans Equity Compensation fund is being applauded as a hopeful step in the effort to have claims settled and policy changed which are continuing to deny those who have proof of service and filed claims with the VA to be recognized under the FVEC program.

The FVEC which is part of the Recovery Act of 2009 is currently embroiled in controversy over Filipino World War Two veterans being unrecognized for service to the United States during the war. Thousands of claims have been
denied because of the VA policy not to accept documents from the Philippines showing proof of service and not being on rosters in the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis Missouri which were reconstructed after the
war and brought to the United States and did not include all of the veterans who served. These are official records left by our Military after the war and other historical documents that our National Personnel Records Center will not
allow to be placed in the history they house on war records even if they came from our Military because they are in the Philippines. The NPRC is also requiring you be on rosters they have from the war. Two sources are required to be
recognized and the Filipino veterans feel this is not fair when they have other proof of service.

Ceasar Elpidio, one of the leaders of the veterans group working to get the Filipinos recognized announced we will meet at the home of Lyn Perry (residence of the daughter of one of the denied veterans -labeled the "Mighty Five" by Congressman Heck) to watch the hearing and see if many questions will be answered by representatives of the Obama Administration from the Army, National Personnel Records Center and the VA. If not we hope Congressman Heck will push forward on his legislation that is pending in Congress to require the DOD-NPRC-VA to use records of the 24,000 men and women who are being left behind that served America.

Time: 11 to 1:00 P.M. 2572 Boise St. Las Vegas, NV 89121. Ph. 702-595-5853. World War Two Filipino Veterans will attend and are available to be interviewed.

Hearing Information

** MEDIA ADVISORY **
Heck to Hold First Hearing as Oversight and Investigations Chairman
Hearing to examine Filipino Veterans Equity Compensation Fund eligibility verification process

WASHINGTON - Congressman Joe Heck (NV-03) will hold his first hearing as House Armed Services Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee chairman on Tuesday, June 24. The hearing will examine the eligibility verification process to receive benefits from the Filipino Veterans Equity Compensation Fund, an issue Rep. Heck has worked on since coming to Congress in 2011.



Congress acknowledged the dedicated service of Filipino-American World War II veterans when it established the Fund in 2009. However, since that time, thousands of Filipino-American veterans have had their claims denied on the grounds that they did not possess proper documentation. This hearing seeks to explore eligibility verification issues that may be leading to these denials.



Hearing information:

Hearing Title: Filipino Veterans Equity Compensation Fund: Examining the Department of Defense and Interagency Process for Verifying Eligibility

Date: Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Time: 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM

Room: 2212 Rayburn House Office Building

NOTE -- Hearing live stream available HERE

Witnesses

Mr. Celesdino Almeda

Filipino Veterans Equity Compensation Fund Claimant

Mr. Brad Flohr

Senior Advisor for Compensation Service, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

Mr. Eric Lachica

Executive Director, American Coalition for Filipino Veterans, Inc.

Mr. Scott Levins

Director of the National Personnel Records Center, National Archives and Records Administration

Brigadier General David K. "Mac" MacEwan

The 59th Adjutant General of the U.S. Army, Department of the Army

Background
In July of 2012, Congressman Heck spoke on the House floor on 71st anniversary of Filipino soldiers being inducted into the U.S. Army to help counter the Japanese threat in the Pacific to recognize the contributions of the denied Filipino veterans, including “The Mighty Five” who reside in Las Vegas, Nevada.



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