UNTOLD TRIUMPH, is an open tribute to the 7,000 regiment members.
It won the Hawaii International Film Festival award for the best documentary.
It has been circulating slowly among Filipinos communities in the
diaspora, after its world premier in Nov. 4, 2000.
This 85 minute
commendation should be disseminated as much as possible. I hope it
does for a number of reasons. The Filipinos in America are considered
"nationals" rather than citizens, and like other aliens,
were subjects to restrictions in employment, marriage and real estate
property ownership. Nevertheless they flocked to recruitment centers,
especially after the Fall of Bataan and Corregidor. The first volunteers
were turned down. But the persistence of Filipino loyalty to their
homeland overcame barriers. The powers-that-be finally realized they
may be useful, especially to redeem the Philippines.
Filipinos were
aghast, after Pearl Harbor. Two regiments were recruited and trained
in California. They were recruited from the cane fields of Hawaii,
and the orchard farms of California. Even the professionals of Filipino
descent joyously joined. Some after training, some as Alamo Scouts,
infiltrated the Philippines from Australia through the Allied Intelligence
Bureau. Some trained with the Rangers, and they helped liberate Cabanatuan's
POW with the rest of the Filipino guerrillas. Los Baños internment
camp POW was liberated the same way.
This reviewer
personally knew two of them. The first was a sergeant, met and married
his wife from Leyte. He used his GI Bill to finish his doctorate in
political science. He settled down as a university professor. The
other was a U.S. trained lawyer/teacher.
He met his wife
in San Jose, Occidental Mindoro (second landing place).
Various film
footage came from various sources, very few on the fight and surrender
of Bataan and the subsequent March of Death. It seems to have been
minimized; were the Americans ashamed of the surrender? The US Air
Force was caught on the ground, while taking lunch. An attack in Formosa
was already decided; a
second shameful incident.
Picture footage
of American soldiers attacking the Japanese who held out South Manila,
the Intramuros side showed Howitzers, 155 cannons, flame throwers
that were used to root out Japanese stragglers.
South Manila
was so destroyed by the American technology, who forgot the human
cost, including civilians who hid in the strong houses and were massacred.
Manila like Warsaw
became synonymous with the word massacre. They were liberated, but
at what cost?
It showed the
Filipino flag being raised, after the Red White and Blue was pulled
down. It was of course solemn, but still circus-like.
The survivors
were down to their last rags; food was unavailable. Their city in
ruins. Infrastructure devastated. No money in the treasury.
In spite of all
these, the documentary is powerful, moving, and delightful for this
film reviewer. Incidentally, it is available for sale to organizations/individuals.
Certainly worthy to be kept in a library collection. I hope, UNTOLD
TRIUMPH, gets the audiences it fully deserves.
Maximo P. Fabella
9/10/03
He lived
the rest of his life there.
