Campaign for a ship named USS Telesforo Trinidad gaining steam

Filipino sailor Telesforo Trinidad is the only Asian American in the U.S. Navy to earn a Medal of Honor. SCREENSHOT

California Rep. Sara Jacobs of the House Armed Services Committee is leading the effort on Capitol Hill to name a U.S. Navy warship after Filipino sailor Telesforo Trinidad, the only Asian American in the U.S. Navy to earn a Medal of Honor.

The sustained ship naming drive has the support of Filipino American organizations and mostly Democratic members of Congress.

 “A USS Trinidad would send a powerful message, commemorating his story and the long history of Filipino and Asian American service,” Jacobs said in a press statement. “It will highlight the Navy’s commitment to inclusion and diversity and will also honor the tens of thousands of Filipinos who have served in the Navy since 1901.”

In a letter to President Biden, National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA) National Chair Brendan Flores said more than 90 members of Congress support the effort.

Flores stated further: “The naming of a United States Navy combatant ship after Trinidad will resonate strongly not only to several generations of Filipino Americans who have served in the U.S. Navy since 1901, but also to more than four million Filipino Americans who are looking for validation of the seminal contributions of Filipinos to U.S. history. It will recognize as well the shared history and values of two allies, forged in war and peace.”

Navy Fireman Second Class Telesforo Trinidad, who was born on November 25, 1890 in New Washington, Aklan province in Western Visayas enlisted in the U.S. Navy after the U.S. took seized the Philippines during the Spanish-American War. President William McKinley signed an executive order allowing the recruitment of 500 Filipinos in the U.S. Navy as part of the Insular Force. Tens of thousands of Filipinos enlisted in the U.S. Navy between WWI and WWII.

According to the U.S. Navy Memorial citation, Trinidad saved the lives of two sailors when their ship exploded. For his bravery, he was awarded the Medal of Honor by the U.S. Navy in 1915. Trinidad died at the age of 77 on May 8, 1968.  He was laid to rest at Imus Public Cemetery, Cavite, Philippines.

California Rep. Sara Jacobs of the House Armed Services Committee and NaFFAA National President Brendan Flores are leading the effort on Capitol Hill to name a US Navy warship after Medal of Honor recipient Telesforo Trinidad. TWITTER

Trinidad’s citation said: “He was aboard the armored cruiser USS San Diego which was steaming in the Gulf of California as part of the naval patrol established to protect U.S. interests and citizens in Mexico.  The captain of San Diego decided to conduct a four-hour full-speed and endurance trial to determine if the cruiser could still maintain its officially rated flank speed.  At the end of the trials an obstructed tube of one of the ship’s boilers gave way, creating an eventual chain reaction of other boilers.

“The first explosion in the No. 2 boiler vented live steam into the fireroom and forced Trinidad from the fireroom as Ensign Robert W. Cary was closing the door.  Trinidad then realized that his crewmate, Fireman Second Class R. W. Daly, was still inside.  Risking his own life Trinidad re-entered the steam and smoke-filled fireroom and carried Daly out to safety while Ensign Cary held the door open.  As Trinidad carried Daly through the No. 4 fireroom, an explosion of the No. 3 boiler hit Trinidad, burning him in the face.  After passing Daly to safety and in spite of his own injury, Trinidad then assisted in rescuing another injured crewman from the No. 3 fireroom.”