U.S., Philippines Commemorate Day of Valor

Military and civilian dignitaries from throughout the Asia-Pacific region gathered at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu to celebrate the Philippine national holiday "Araw ng Kagitingan" (Day of Valor) April 6.

The Day of Valor commemorates the fall of Bataan, which culminated in the surrender of more than 75,000 Filipino and American troops in April 1942. Bataan was the final Philippine province to surrender to Japanese forces in World War II, after a three-month long battle to hold the peninsula. After the surrender, the Bataan Death March claimed nearly 10,000 Filipino and American lives.

Filipino veterans past and present were in attendance at the ceremony, which reinforced the continued partnership between the United States and the Republic of the Philippines. Maj. Gen. Thomas L. Conant, U.S. Pacific Command director for strategic planning and policy, noted the alliance that was so strong during WWII lives on in exercises like Balikatan, which means "shoulder-to-shoulder" in Tagalog.

Gilbert Teodoro Jr., Philippines secretary of national defense, spoke of the shared ideals of democracy and freedom. Alluding to the problem of terrorism in the Philippines, Teodoro stated that the struggle to build a safe and secure republic today gives greater meaning to the sacrifices of Filipino veterans past and present.

Service members from U.S. Pacific Command work closely with their Filippino counterparts every day to further strengthen the long-standing ties between our two countries, while addressing mutual security concerns.