FilVetRep finishes in-depth teaching tool on WWII Filipino veterans’ heroic role

“Duty to Country – Under One Flag” is complete with multiple education resources. CONTRIBUTED

WASHINGTON, DC – Schools and civic organizations now have the means to tell the heroic story of Filipino soldiers who fought in World War II under the US flag.

The Filipino Veterans Recognition and Education Project (FilVetRep) has completed the 2023 “Duty to Country – Under One Flag Education Project.”

Retired US Army Maj. Gen. Antonio M. Taguba, chair of FilVetREP, said, “We finally created a lasting memorial in honor of the legacy of thousands of Filipinos and Filipino Americans whose uncommon valor and untold story will be remembered and revered for eternity. We will never leave them behind.”

“Duty to Country – Under One Flag” is complete with multiple education resources that include:

• A comprehensive online exhibition, 10 detailed lesson plans, 14 explainer activities with over 200 educational resources available to middle and high school students.
• 25 hours of oral history interviews with veterans and advocates, 120+ highlight clips and 20 animations crafted from the oral histories.
• a deck of 30 profile cards of key figures and dozens of detailed illustrations.
• a 20-minute film capturing the full history of FilVetREP.
• a 200-page graphic novel, In the Shadows of Giants, will be completed on Oct 31, 2023.

All components of the education program are fully accessible online, and FREE to teachers, students, and public at large.

Teachers at middle and high schools across the country and in Hawaii will have the opportunity to learn, discuss, and discover this piece of American history.

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Historical and cultural institutions will be able to share this program with the public. To facilitate this, “Duty to Country” also includes 50 minutes of teacher training videos to orient educators on how to use the “Duty to Country” curriculum in the classroom, a media kit, a variety of overview handouts, and a suite of free content tailored for usage in broadcast media.

“This project is the fulfillment of a promise made to the Filipino Veterans of WWII to tell their story of loyalty, patriotic duty, and solemn oath to serve under One Flag– that of the United States of America,” FilVetRep said in a statement. “They served and sacrificed despite the betrayal of promise to care and compensate for them and their families after World War II.”

The ambitious project brings to life the story of the U.S – Philippine relations that date to 1892 – of the untold and hidden history of colonial imperialism, path to Philippine Independence, World War II in the Philippines, and the devastating impact on the lives of the veterans and families caused by the Rescission Act of 1946 – a law that still exists after over 75 years.

This state-of-the-art project was approved with a grant from the U.S. Department of Education. It was produced by the Filipino Veterans Recognition and Education Project (FilVetREP), a nonprofit, tax exempt, charitable and education organization composed of dedicated teachers, educators, students, historians, community advocates, and families over the course of five years.  It was developed by Night Kitchen Interactive, a leading and award-winning online education designer company in the country.

FilVetRep expresses deep gratitude to Senator Mazie Hirono (D-HI) for her stalwart support of the Duty to Country education project. A special thanks to Eric Schulz, Project Officer, U.S. Dept of Education for his outstanding assistance in producing Duty to Country.

Log on to Duty to Country at www.dutytocountry.org and enjoy the program.