Premiering on Veterans Day, Faces of Courage: Untold Stories of World War II Filipino Veterans tells the story of the struggle for equity by the Filipino veterans who fought side by side with Americans as soldiers and guerrillas during World War II. The one-hour documentary includes a moving film, “Duty to Country,” which drives home the critical role of Filipino men and women in America’s victory in the Pacific, and the decades-long effort to obtain the benefits and recognition that had been promised to these heroic veterans.
Viewers will also hear from some local veterans and their families about the impacts of the war and the hardships they faced. Hawai‘i-born retired Major General Antonio Taguba, chairman of the Filipino Veterans Recognition and Education Project (FilVetREP), along with educator and activist Amy Agbayani and other Filipino community leaders, will also discuss continuing efforts to seek justice for the veterans and the importance of education to learn from this history.
Faces of Courage: Untold Stories of World War II Filipino Veterans is presented by MoveMeHawai‘i, an all-volunteer community education project of the nonprofit Beta Beta Gamma Foundation, in partnership with FilVetRep. By preserving history, increasing public awareness, and cultivating empathy and acceptance of diversity, MoveMeHawai‘i hopes to peacefully combat discrimination and social injustice.
In prior years, MoveMeHawai‘i shared stories of the discrimination that led to the incarceration of Japanese Americans in U.S. concentration camps during WWII. This year, in honor of Veterans Day, MoveMeHawai‘i is pleased to partner with FilVetREP to increase awareness of the service and sacrifice of these courageous Filipino veterans.
All net proceeds from this event will go to FilVetREP, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, to support its ongoing community education efforts. To contribute, visit the website MoveMeHawaii.org.