Filipino-American Veterans honor fallen comrades at the Kagitingan Rites in Honolulu

9 April 2010. The Filipino-American Community, led by the Philippine Celebrations Coordinating Committee of Hawaii (PCCCH) joined the WW II Fil-Am Veterans and Ladies Auxiliary, Hawaii Chapter, the Philippine Scout Veterans Organization of Hawaii, the First Filipino Infantry, US Army and the Veterans of Foreign Wars in the commemoration of the “68^th Araw ng Kagitingan” (Day of Valor) held on 9 April 2010 at the National Cemetery of the Pacific in Punchbowl, Honolulu.  

Organized by the Philippine Consulate General, with the US Pacific Command under Admiral Robert F. Willard, providing all the military components of the celebration, the  Kagitingan rites was attended by Hawaii Governor Linda Lingle, Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann,  Major General Peter Pawling, Chief of Staff, US PACOM, BGen Gary Hara, US PACOM, Vice Admiral Ferdinand Golez, Flag Officer-in-Command, Philippine Navy, Major General Juancho Sabaan, Commandant, Philippine Marines,  the Consular Corps, Vice Speaker Michael Magaoay and the Philippines Legislative Caucus, officers of the US PACOM and Filipino Community leaders. Retired AFP Major General Diosdado Tabamo delivered the main “Araw ng Kagitingan” address. 

A tourist from Richmond, Indiana visiting Punchbowl for the first time felt very privileged to witness the rites and was overcome by emotions when he saw the ageing and frail Fil-Am veterans standing at attention amidst pouring rain as floral wreaths were placed at the Philippine marker installed in 2006 in memoriam to their fallen comrades of  World War II and the Bataan Death March which claimed 10,000 Filipino and American lives in April 1942.  

END