Heroism of WWII veterans in Bataan honored in Cherry Hill N.J.

On April 9, the town of Cherry Hill in New Jersey welcomed four Filipino World War II veterans and officers of the Philippine Consulate as they commemorated the 73rd anniversary of the Fall of Bataan, also known as the ‘Araw ng Kagitingan.’
 
Consul General Mario de Leon, Jr. and Cherry Hill Mayor Chuck Cahn commemorate Araw ng Kagitingan (Fall of Bataan) with four veterans and members of the FilAm community in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The FilAm photo
The Battle of Bataan and Corregidor in 1942 completed the Japanese conquest of the Philippines. American and Filipino troops surrendered on April 9 and the survivors were transferred into a camp and incarcerated as prisoners of war, a dark episode of history known as the Bataan Death March.

Since 1998, the Cherry Hill township with a population of more than 70,000 has been the site of the Bataan Death March Memorial. This stone memorial in dark gray sits at the Cooper River Park across from the Jose Rizal Monument, the Filipino presence in this town evident through these historical markers.

“Our town of Cherry Hill was fortunate to have the Bataan Death March Memorial, the only memorial in the Northeast USA, to honor the valor, bravery and sacrifice of WWII Veterans in the Philippines and the Philippine theatre of military operations,” said Cherry Hill Mayor Chuck Cahn, who paid tribute to the heroism of the Philippine and American soldiers during the war.

The stone monument carried an inscription, which reads in part: “To these valiant soldiers, we dedicate this memorial. Indeed, both Filipinos and Americans from generation to generation will always be grateful for their courage, perseverance, sufferings, and the lives they gave that we may freely live.

It was quite the emotional moment for the four veterans—Pablo Barros from Jersey City, Sostones Rivera from Cherry Hill, Regino Barreda from Brooklyn, and Rogelio Bucot from Long Island—and members of their families.

“My grandfather never attends any event but was so excited when he received the Consulate’s invitation. This is very important to him”, said Camille Nunez, granddaughter of Pablo Barros.

The Consulate invited 31 veterans across the Northeast, but many could not attend “due to age or mobility problems.”

Consul General Mario L. de Leon, Jr. extolled the heroism of veterans and conveyed profound appreciation to the four veterans who participated in the ceremony.

He also updated them of the Consulate’s effort in rallying support for House Resolution (HR) 535 which seeks to award collectively a Congressional gold medal to the Filipino Veterans of World War II in recognition of their dedicated service to the U.S. and the Philippines. He conferred Certificates of Appreciation to the four veterans in attendance.

In a reception that followed at the Philippine Community Center in Stratford, Regino Barreda spoke on behalf of the veterans and recounted his experiences as an intelligence officer of the United States Army Forces in the Far East or USAFFE during the war. He also spoke in detail about his training after the liberation of the Philippines and his subsequent assignment to Okinawa to provide help to American soldiers still fighting there.

The affair was organized by the Filipino Executive Council of Greater Philadelphia, Inc. and attended by more than 80 Filipinos from Philadelphia and New Jersey. —The FilAm


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