Author details 'Dauntless,' untold story of Filipino aid in World War II
May 5-Years back, newly retired Marie Silva Vallejo returned to her motherland in the Philippines after living in the United States for 45 years.
It was here that she first got wind of her father's largely untold role in World War II, alongside the thousands of Filipino-American soldiers and guerrilla fighters whose support proved critical to U.S. military operations in the Pacific. As Vallejo would discover, it was through their aid that the U.S. Army and Naval Forces were able to liberate the Philippines.
That discovery sparked a decade-long research effort that ultimately led to Vallejo's book, "Dauntless: The 1st & 2nd Filipino Infantry Regiments, United States Army."
"When I started researching in the Philippines, they would tell me that there were no Filipinos from the U.S. who came to the Philippines to fight.," said Vallejo. "I said, 'Yes, there were.' I couldn't find any information on them, so I had to go abroad to look it up."
Vallejo's search for hidden information covered a span of roughly 10 years before she was able to compile her findings and complete the book.
The championed author is returning to the Vallejo Naval and Historical Museum from 1-4 p.m. Friday to host a free presentation and Q&A on her book and the historical intricacies behind it. The event follows her first museum visit in 2023, when she debuted the publication.
Vallejo's book centers on the Filipino soldiers who secretly served in U.S. military units during World War II, including the more than 7,000 Filipino volunteers living in the United States who enlisted to help liberate the Philippines from Japanese invasion.
"It's an unknown story, the Philippine World War II," says Vallejo. "So I think it's important that people know about it because it fills in a gap in our Filipino and American history."
Unearthing what Vallejo described as "scattered" information about Filipinos' hidden involvement led to an exhausting decade-long research for the book.
Vallejo was able to obtain military records and historical evidence detailing her father's service, along with the contributions of thousands of others who participated in classified missions. Her book also includes official documents, letters, proclamations, photographs, and the names of individuals involved.
On Sunday, Dec. 7, 1941, the Japanese launched the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, which not only took the lives of thousands of Americans but also kick-started a wave of retaliation that led to the United States' involvement in World War II.
In her book, Vallejo details the formation of the U.S. Army's First Filipino Battalion, made up of over 7,000 Filipino volunteers, all eager to liberate their homeland and destroy the enemy.
Following that unit, the First and Second Infantry Regiments were formed, and from them, secret military units - the First Reconnaissance Battalion and the 978th Signal Service Company - known only to U.S. General Douglas MacArthur and a very few members of his staff.
Vallejo said these missions ultimately helped pave the way for U.S. Army and naval forces to reclaim the Philippines, with her own father serving in the First and Second Filipino Infantry Regiments, as well as the First Reconnaissance Battalion - a unit established under President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Retelling the full story, Vallejo says, is critical to better highlight Filipino history and the understanding of the people's active involvement in their land's liberation.
"I think that it would be nice if the future generations knew about this, because they can be proud of it," she said. "It's important because it wasn't just the Filipinos waiting for the liberation and the coming back of the allies; they did something on their own. By knowing about this book and this information, Filipinos can be proud of their significant contribution to the Philippine World War II, as they continued to fight."
After her presentations, the author added, there have been instances in which younger U.S.-born Filipinos have commended her for her insightful retelling of their involvement in the war, and shared that the newfound information - as she had hoped - encouraged further research about their heritage.
In her research, Vallejo also calls attention to the significance of Filipino participation, sacrifice, even at a time when many of them have been largely overlooked in the U.S.
"Many of those men had all that racism heaped up on them," she said. "And, at the time, they couldn't really find jobs, so they just found work in the fields. And with all of that, they couldn't even go out because they would be lynched or attacked."
When the word broke out about the war, she added, "They wanted to prove themselves, show that they were just as good and capable. They were also concerned about what would happen to their families in the Philippines, so they wanted to help remove the invaders- that was their motivation."
At the free event, Vallejo will be presenting her findings, offering book signings, and hosting a Q&A for participants.
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