My wife’s father Alejandro Oganiza died today.
He was a Second World War Veteran who enlisted in the Pangasinan Regiment of the guerrilla forces fighting the Japanese. He was under age at the time and had used a doctored birth record to join. In April 1946 when his guerrilla unit was being disbanded he was recruited by the US Army. The Americans promised that if they served three years in the US Army they would get their American citizenship. In March 1949 he was told to pack up his kit and was given the bum’s rush out of the US Army. The Americans did not allow the Filipinos to complete the three years so that they could not become American citizens. My wife’s father was two and haft weeks short of the three years. He joined the Filipino Army a few month later and served until his retirement in 1979. His service included a deployment to Vietnam.
Both of my wife’s brothers also served in the Filipino Army. Her older brother retired a few years ago with the rank of full Colonel. He had commanded an Infantry Battalion in Mindanao and was the commandant of the Army Intelligence School in Manila at the time of his retirement.
My wife’s younger brother was killed while serving in the army in 1973. He was only 17 years old.
