Thousands of Filipinos who applied for U.S. recognition and payments for helping fight the Japanese in World War II have been denied. Now some lawmakers are taking up their cause again.WASHINGTON — January 26, 2013 - For a dwindling group of aging Philippine World War II veterans, the battle to gain recognition for their service goes on.
The veterans, many in their 80s and 90s, thought they had won a decades-long struggle when President Obama signed legislation in 2009 providing one-time payments for helping U.S. troops fight the Japanese. Philippine veterans who are U.S. citizens can receive $15,000, and noncitizens, including those living in the Philippines, $9,000.
But more than half of the 43,083 applicants were turned down, most because their wartime service could not be verified by U.S. military records. The U.S. government had paid 18,698 claims as of Aug. 1.
In response to complaints, the White House has been reviewing the payment process. read more>>>
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