HISTORY WAS MADE ON JULY 14, 2016. THE CALIFORNIA STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION APPROVED THE INCLUSION OF WWII IN THE PHILIPPINES IN THE U.S. HISTORY CURRICULUM FRAMEWORK FOR GRADE 11 (CHAPTER 16). THIS WILL BE THE FIRST TIME THAT HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN THE UNITED STATES ARE MANDATED TO LEARN ABOUT THE GREAT SACRIFICES MADE BY FILIPINO AND AMERICAN SOLDIERS, CIVILIANS DURING WWII IN THE PHILIPPINES
HELP US CONTINUE OUR WORK
Tax ID#46-5373351
HELP US CONTINUE OUR WORK
Tax ID#46-5373351
remember the legacy
saturday, april 11, 2026 at 9:45am
bataan death march 84th anniversary commemoration
san francisco national cemetery
1 lincoln blvd., san francisco, ca
please arrive early
limited seats. metered parking on lincoln blvd.
PROGRAM
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Live Feed on Facebook/Bataanlegacy
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ltg mary k. izaguirre, USA
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thank you to our 2026 sponsors & SUPPORTERS
ambassador & Mrs. Howard Leach |
mrs. consuelo hall mchugh & family |
IN MEMORY OF COMPANY C, CALIFORNIA NATIONAL GUARD (SALINAS), CO. C, 194TH TANK BATTALION
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IIN MEMORY OF THE 100,000 CIVILIANS WHO DIED DURING THE BATTLE OF MANILA BETWEEN FEBRUARY & MARCH 1945
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JOSEPH & MERCEDES MCMICKING FOUNDATION |
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iN MEMORY OF LT ALFRED MCMICKING, 51st DIVISION PHILIPPINE COMMONWEALTH ARMY, USAFFE
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IN MEMORY OF CAPT. CALVIN ELLSWORTH CHUNN 45TH INFANTRY REGIMENT
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VFW 4618 CHINATOWN POST |
BILL FOYE PHILIPPINE SCHOLARSHIP FUND |
IN MEMORY OF WWII CHINESE AMERICAN VETERANS
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IN MEMORY OF ELIZABETH MARIE FETZER FOYE WORLD WAR II NURSE
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ROBERT RAGSACiN MEMORY OF HIS UNCLE, EUSEBIO RAGSAC, US ARMY FORCES IN THE FAR EAST (USAFFE) WHO DIED AS A PRISONER OF WAR AT CAMP O'DONNELL
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us marine corps
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special support
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nurse honor guard northern california, california central coast monterey bay, sigma theta tau nurse honor society, army nurse corps association |
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SUPPORT s.2195 & H.R. 4901
THE CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL FOR WWii NURSES
visit the coalition for wwii nurses congressional gold medal
Two companion bills, S.2195 and H.R. 4901, were recently reintroduced to award the Congressional Gold Medal to World War II Nurses who worked for U.S. Army and Navy Corps Hospitals. Senator Tammy Baldwin (Democrat-WI) sponsored S.2195 on June 25, 2025, and Congresswoman Elise Stefanik (Republican-NY-21) sponsored H.R. 4901 on August 5, 2025.
Both bipartisan bills were previously introduced several times in both houses as early as 2013 but never received the required votes. For the 119th Session of Congress, it will need the approval of at least 67 Senators and 290 Representatives. It has been almost 80 years since the end of WWII but this long-delayed honor has yet to be given to WWII Nurses who saved thousands of lives amidst great personal sacrifice. Most of the nurses have passed on and only a handful are left today like Elsie Chin Yuen Seetoo who will turn 107 on September 14.
When the U.S. entered World War II after the bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, there were fewer than 7,000 nurses on active duty. By 1945, there were approximately 59,000 nurses serving under the Army Nurse Corps and 11,000 serving under the Navy Nurse Corps from all over the country as well as from US territories like the Philippines, Hawaii, Guam and Alaska.
These nurses saved tens of thousands of lives from despair and even death without any regard for their safety or well-being. Many of them worked near the frontlines in makeshift hospitals and suffered from disease, starvation and constant bombing. Some like the Army and Navy Corps American and Filipino nurses in the Philippines and Navy Corps nurses in Guam were imprisoned, suffering further indignities. Fourteen nurses from the China-Burma-India theater died in a plane crash in March 1945. African-American nurses suffered discrimination and were subjected to a quota of only 56 at the beginning of WWII, which later was lifted only because of the great need for nurses in Europe, Africa and the Pacific. Chinese-American and Nurses of Asian descent worked for the Army and Navy Corps Hospitals in the Pacific Theater under the most dangerous conditions. And despite being subjected to a forced internment, Japanese-Americans signed up as Cadet Nurses while those who were already nurses worked in hospitals in the mainland.
The WASPS, Rosie the Riveter and the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion have already been awarded the Congressional Gold Medal. Majority of the nurses have passed on without being honored for their sacrifices for our country. It is time to honor their memory and their legacy. It is high time for representatives from both sides of the aisle of the Senate and Congress to come together to recognize the bravery and immense sacrifice that the nurses gave to our country during WWII.
Please write to your Senators and House Representatives and ask them to co-sponsor bipartisan Bill S-2195 and H.R. 4901. If you represent an organization, please send a copy of your letter to Senator Tammy Baldwin's office or to Cong. Elise Stefanik's Office.
Both bipartisan bills were previously introduced several times in both houses as early as 2013 but never received the required votes. For the 119th Session of Congress, it will need the approval of at least 67 Senators and 290 Representatives. It has been almost 80 years since the end of WWII but this long-delayed honor has yet to be given to WWII Nurses who saved thousands of lives amidst great personal sacrifice. Most of the nurses have passed on and only a handful are left today like Elsie Chin Yuen Seetoo who will turn 107 on September 14.
When the U.S. entered World War II after the bombing of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, there were fewer than 7,000 nurses on active duty. By 1945, there were approximately 59,000 nurses serving under the Army Nurse Corps and 11,000 serving under the Navy Nurse Corps from all over the country as well as from US territories like the Philippines, Hawaii, Guam and Alaska.
These nurses saved tens of thousands of lives from despair and even death without any regard for their safety or well-being. Many of them worked near the frontlines in makeshift hospitals and suffered from disease, starvation and constant bombing. Some like the Army and Navy Corps American and Filipino nurses in the Philippines and Navy Corps nurses in Guam were imprisoned, suffering further indignities. Fourteen nurses from the China-Burma-India theater died in a plane crash in March 1945. African-American nurses suffered discrimination and were subjected to a quota of only 56 at the beginning of WWII, which later was lifted only because of the great need for nurses in Europe, Africa and the Pacific. Chinese-American and Nurses of Asian descent worked for the Army and Navy Corps Hospitals in the Pacific Theater under the most dangerous conditions. And despite being subjected to a forced internment, Japanese-Americans signed up as Cadet Nurses while those who were already nurses worked in hospitals in the mainland.
The WASPS, Rosie the Riveter and the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion have already been awarded the Congressional Gold Medal. Majority of the nurses have passed on without being honored for their sacrifices for our country. It is time to honor their memory and their legacy. It is high time for representatives from both sides of the aisle of the Senate and Congress to come together to recognize the bravery and immense sacrifice that the nurses gave to our country during WWII.
Please write to your Senators and House Representatives and ask them to co-sponsor bipartisan Bill S-2195 and H.R. 4901. If you represent an organization, please send a copy of your letter to Senator Tammy Baldwin's office or to Cong. Elise Stefanik's Office.
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Read "The other angels of bataan"
(THE STORY OF A FILIPINA NURSE, ADELAIDA GARCIA, IN BATAAN