Assembly Concurrent Resolution
No. 129
CHAPTER 175
Relative to Leyte Landing Commemoration Day.
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Filed with
Secretary of State
September 26, 2019.
]
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
ACR 129, Bonta.
Leyte Landing Commemoration Day.
This measure would designate October 20, 2019, and each 20th day of October thereafter, as Leyte Landing Commemoration Day in recognition of the significance of the Leyte landing in liberating the Philippines from Japanese occupation and would also honor the significant contributions to California made by generations of Filipino Americans since that time.
Digest Key
Fiscal Committee:
NO WHEREAS, The Leyte Gulf Landing on October 20, 1944, led by General Douglas MacArthur that commenced on the eastern Philippine island of Leyte, is remembered as the liberation of the Philippines during World War II; and
WHEREAS, After General MacArthur had been evacuated from the Philippines in March 1942, all of its islands fell under the Japanese occupation from mid-1942 until mid-1944, an occupation that was harsh and accompanied by atrocities, with large numbers of Filipinos pressed into slave labor; and
WHEREAS, When General Douglas MacArthur was ordered to leave he had already established a strong rapport with the Filipino people and the guerillas; as he left, he vowed, “I shall return” and the fulfillment of his promise is the reason that General MacArthur was declared a hero; and
WHEREAS, During the war, the efforts of Filipino and American defenders during the Battle of Bataan were widely covered by the press, as were the actions of the 100th Infantry and the 442nd Infantry, including the 1951 film “Go for Broke!” which portrayed their endeavors; and
WHEREAS, By contrast, the activities of the Filipino Infantry Regiment and its sister units were largely unpublicized, and it was not until the making of the documentaries “Unsung Heroes” and “An Untold Triumph” that any significant visual media covered the history of the regiment; and
WHEREAS, During the American reconquest of the Philippines, the Filipino guerrillas struck openly against Japanese forces, carried out reconnaissance activities ahead of the advancing regular troops, and took their places in battle beside the advancing American divisions; and
WHEREAS, Following the liberation of Leyte and victory in World War II, many GI “war brides” came from the Philippines to the United States, which resulted in a dramatic population boom of first and second generation Filipino American-born children in the United States, creating a new milestone marking the growing presence and influence of Filipinos in the United States that carries on today; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, the Senate thereof concurring, That October 20, 2019, and each 20th day of October hereafter, is hereby designated and commemorated as Leyte Landing Commemoration Day; and be it further
Resolved, That the Legislature, in recognizing this historic event, also honors the significant contributions to California made by generations of Filipino Americans since that time; and be it further
Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.