COVER STORY: A Long March Documentary about FilAm Veterans

By Mary Jeneverre Schultz

Uncovering historical relics in a basement led to the long-awaited documentary called A Long March.

Film producer, director, and writer T. S. Botkin is sharing Filipino American history after her uncle, Victor Fulford, discovered a crate of paintings from World War II in his basement.

“It’s a story of imperialist abuse,” said Botkin, who started the project in November 2018. “It has galled me to no end.”

Many migration stories from the Philippines are linked to the thousands of Filipino American soldiers who went to war to defend the US and the Philippines during World War II. In an honest and heartfelt directorial debut, T.S. Botkin follows Filipino American veterans as they emotionally trace their paths from war to erasure by the U.S. government, marching from an obscured history to the Federal Courts, right up to the steps of Congress in search of promises denied.

Because of the documentary, Botkin is collaborating with Giselle Rushford of the National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA) Region V. Rushford is assisting Filipinos in Colorado to obtain resources and benefits for aging veterans.

Congresswoman Jackie Speier (CA14), chair of the House Armed Services Military Personnel Subcommittee, and Congressman Ed Case (HI-01) have introduced the Filipino Veterans Fairness Act of 2022 to ensure our brave Filipino WWII veterans and their families receive the benefits to which they are entitled, and in celebration of October being Filipino American History Month.

“I am honored to join my colleagues in calling once again for our country to honor the promise made to Filipino veterans who fought alongside our service members during World War II,” Rep. Case said.

“In my Hawai‘i, we are home to 361,597 Filipinos, fully a quarter of the total population in the islands, by far the largest percentage of any state or territory, and among these are the last of these veterans who were willing to give the last full measure of devotion in the fight against aggression to preserve the peace and freedom we all enjoy. Time for them and their families and for those they honored is short and we must deliver now.”

When the U.S. came under attack in World War II, 250,000 brave Filipinos volunteered to fight alongside U.S. forces and under the command of U.S. military officers. As American nationals, they were promised all the benefits afforded to U.S. troops. Yet in 1946, Congress inexplicably stripped these benefits from Filipino veterans, overturning President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s commitment.

The Filipino Veterans Fairness Act of 2022 rectifies that injustice by restoring full veterans benefits to all Filipino WWII veterans who served under U.S. command, especially providing widows and children of Filipino veterans the same eligibility for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation provided to the families of all other veterans.

It also directs the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to consider alternative military documentation when determining eligibility, removing a significant hurdle that has kept many deserving dependents from receiving their rightful benefits due to a 1973 fire at the National Personnel Records Center.

A Long March is partnering with organizations and communities to bring the film to audiences across the US. To learn about the film, visit lfffilm.com.

A Long March recognizes a million Filipino veterans, while rehabilitating the narrative of WWII to include all who served under the US flag.

I dedicate this article to my grandfathers: Victoriano E. Herreria, who died during World War II; and Juan Tagorda, who served as a policeman in Manila, and experienced immense atrocities during war times. - Mary J. Schultz