Hawaii unveils monument to Filipino WWII veterans

Hawaii unveiled what may be the first state-commissioned monument in the U.S. honoring the sacrifices of Filipino veterans. SCREENGRAB

Hawaii unveiled a monument on Friday, Feb. 24 to honor the tens of thousands of Filipinos who served during World War II. It may be the first state-commissioned monument in the U.S. honoring the sacrifices of Filipino veterans.

More than a hundred people attended the unveiling of four bronze statues outside the Waipahu Public Library in Honolulu, among them Arthur Caleda, 99, Oscar Bangui, 987, and Faustino Garcia, 101, both veterans, reported Hawaii News Now.. Only a dozen or so surviving Filipino WWII veterans reportedly remain in Hawaii.

The bronze sculptures represent veterans of the Philippine Constabulary, 1st Filipino Division, Filipino Scouts, Filipino guerrillas and the 1st and 2nd Filipino Regiments from Hawaii and the mainland.

State lawmakers in 2017 appropriated $200,000 for a permanent memorial for the more than 260,000 Filipino and Filipino American soldiers who fought for the U.S. during World War II.

An advisory committee of Filipino veterans and community leaders selected artist Kelley Hestir, a University of Hawaii arts graduate and former professor, to create the monument after seeing photos of her Bataan Death March Memorial in Las Cruces, N.M, according to the Honolulu Star Advertiser. As part of her design process, the artist traveled to Hawaii to interview Filipino veterans.

The public can learn more about the contributions of Filipinos and Filipino Americans to helping the U.S. win World War II inside the library and online at dutytocountry.org. The website was created by nonprofit Filipino Veterans Recognition and Education Project.