Filipino World War II Veteran Speaks at Protest
As part of an ongoing sit-in at MacArthur Park, Domingo Ramos, a 79-year-old Filipino native who received a Purple Heart for his service with the U.S. Army during World War II, spoke to protesters and television cameras Tuesday about his war experiences.
He recounted his days in the Battle of Corregidor, where, barricaded in a tunnel during a bombing, he met Gen. Douglas MacArthur.
Ramos addressed about 70 people, most of whom were protesting the U.S. government’s refusal to grant the benefits it originally promised to Filipino soldiers when they entered the war, Bander said.
In October 1996, Ramos, who uses a wheelchair because of his wounds, met President Clinton when he was signing a proclamation to honor the Filipino veterans.
Ramos receives 60% of the disability benefits awarded to U.S.-born soldiers. Those veterans in the park who were not wounded in action receive no benefits, Bander said.
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