General Taguba (wearing a green shirt) leads the FilVetREP team at the starting line of the march.
White Sands, New Mexico
March 28, 2026
After formally participating in the annual Bataan Memorial Death March in 2017, FilVetREP has led a group of veterans families, community leaders and supporters each year, traveling from across the United States to the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico.
On March 21, 2026, they joined 5,000 participants to honor Filipino and American soldiers who endured the original march 84 years ago. More than 270,000 Filipinos fought under the American flag in World War II.
The FilVetREP team headed by Maj. Gen. Antonio Taguba (Ret) included members of the Philippine Scouts Heritage Society led by Paul Ruiz, USS Telesforo Trinidad Campaign led by Col. Nonie Cabana, and the Filipino Veterans Group of Las Vegas, NV, headed by Alex Pena. A Philippine delegation led by Undersecretary Reynaldo B. Mapagu of the Philippine Veterans Affairs Office also traveled from Manila to represent the country.
This year, due to forecasted record-breaking heat in the desert Southwest, the BMDM’s traditional full marathon course of 26 miles was changed to 15.6 miles. More than a dozen members of the FilVetREP team marched along with active-duty service members, veterans, ROTC cadets and civilians.
‘A Testament to the Unbreakable Spirit’
At the opening ceremony, Col. Andrew “Drew” Morgan, U.S. Army White Sands Missile Range Senior Commander, said: “Eighty-four years ago, in the crucible of conflict, a terrible chapter in military history unfolded. A trial of unimaginable suffering. But it was also a testament to the unbreakable spirit of the human will.”
He pointed out that “this event is a living memorial. Every step you take today across this challenging terrain and scorching heat is a tribute. It’s an act of remembrance that gives weight and meaning to the Army values we hold dear: the personal courage to start this journey, the loyalty to our nation’s ideals, the duty you fulfill in carrying their memory and the selfless service you demonstrate by serving your community, your mission and your country.”
He hailed the “spirit of resilience that defined the heroes of Bataan” as “the same spirit that fuels our mission today.”
Col. Morgan also acknowledged General Taguba’s “service to the Filipino veterans community and for your faithful support of this event for more than two decades now.”
The Philippines was prominently featured in the opening ceremony with the Philippine Flag on display and the singing of the Philippine National Anthem by the FilVetREP quartet: Matthew Aninzo, Jon Melegrito, Lida Peterson and Dan Gruta.
Recipients of the Congressional Gold Medal posed for a photo inside the Post Theatre after the awards ceremony.
Congressional Gold Medal Ceremony
At a separate event at the Post Theatre the day before the march, FilVetREP presented the Congressional Gold Medal to the families of Private First Class Valentino Juanitas of the Philippine Scouts, Chief Petty Officer Leon San Juan Anterola of the U.S. Navy, and Private First Class Conrado V. Castroverde of Company H, 5th Infantry Regiment, Philippine Scouts.
Receiving the awards were Fernando Juanitas and his grandson Sean Juanitas, Cathy Johnson and Caesar Castroverde.
Presenting the awards were Philippine Undersecretary Reynaldo Mapagu and Col. Don Mozer, WSMR Garrison Commander. FilVetREP Regional Director Sonny Busa assisted in the program
In his remarks, General Taguba said that the CGM ceremony is about “gaining recognition from our country, gaining respect for these soldiers, men and women alike, who endured the Bataan Death March and perished in prison camps. But what was unknown and unwritten were more stories of hardship, injustice, discrimination that thousands experienced after the war in 1945.”
Undersecretary Mapagu noted that since the first awarding of the CGM in the Philippines in 2018, a total of 1,604 Filipino veterans have received this highest civilian honor. “Moments like these remind us that the heroes we read about in history are real people whose courage helped shape the freedoms we enjoy today,” he said.
The CGM presentation, added Col. Mozer, “is not just about remembrance – it is about connection. To the families here with us, you carry the legacy of those who endured one of the most brutal chapters in military history. Their story lives on through you. Their strength, their resilience, and their sacrifice are part of your family’s history – and now, part of our nation’s enduring legacy.”
The CGM ceremony, which is now part of the annual BMDM event in White Sands, is FilVEtREP’s 127th since Congress presented the award on Oct. 25, 2017.
Historical and Educational Programs
Preceding the CGM ceremony at the Post Theatre were two programs: the USS Telesforo Trinidad Commissioning and the Duty to Country.
Captain Dan Gruta, US Navy Retired, explained that the USS Telesforo Trinidad (DDG-139) is the planned 89th Arleigh Burke-class (Flight III) Aegis guided missile destroyer of the United States Navy. She will honor Fireman 2nd class Telesforo Trinidad, the only Filipino in the US Navy to ever be awarded the Medal of Honor. The naming of a warship after Fireman Second Class Trinidad will be a historic moment not only because he was the first Filipino sailor to have this distinguished honor, but more importantly, it recognizes the commitment, distinction, and valor of thousands of Filipinos who have served faithfully and loyally for the past 120 years.
Following a video which summarizes the online education program, Duty to Country, FilVetREP Regional Director Rob Vasquez shared the project’s goal of providing multiple education resources about the untold story of the Filipino Veterans of WWII. These are available to middle and high school students, fully accessible online and free to teachers, students, and public at large.
“Teachers at middle and high schools across the country and in Hawaii will have the opportunity to learn, discuss, and discover this piece of American history. Historical and cultural institutions will be able to share this program with the public,” Vasquez said.
FilVetREP’s exhibit booth at the DFAC building was heavily visited for two days. The merchandise and souvenirs included the graphic novel, “In the Shadows of Giants,” tee-shirts, and commemorative coins
Fellowship and Camaraderie
The FilVetREP team took time during the three-day stay in Las Cruces to dine together at favorite restaurants, celebrate Ceres Busa’s birthday with a serenade, forge new friendships with first-timers, and share the story of Filipino World War II veterans during the march and other public events.
General Taguba thanked the volunteers for their “dedication to our mission to honor our veterans,” and to never forget that “we are the beneficiaries of their selfless sacrifice and uncommon acts of courage. This band of veterans embodied the values of the Army creed – to never leave a fallen comrade, and to never quit.”
PHOTOS
Photos, courtesy of Bing Branigin, Caesar Contraverde, Cita Gruta, Jeffry Priela-Tam.
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The Filipino Veterans Recognition and Education Project (FilVetREP), is a nonpartisan, 501(c)(3) tax-exempt, community-based, all-volunteer national initiative whose mission is to obtain national recognition of Filipino and American WW11 soldiers across the United States and the Philippines for their wartime service to the U.S. and the Philippines from July 26, 1941 to December 31, 1946. For more information about Filipino WWII veterans and how to get involved, visit our website at www.filvetrep.org or find us on Facebook or Twitter.