The Forgotten Filipino-American Regiment

The 1st and 2nd Filipino Infantry Regiments of the U.S. Army were composed of Filipino-Americans, many of whom were California farm workers who volunteered after Pearl Harbor. They served as scouts, interpreters, and intelligence specialists in the Philippines. Their knowledge of the local language, customs, and terrain made them invaluable for intelligence operations and for organizing guerrilla forces. One member, Pvt. Jose Calugas, earned the Medal of Honor on Bataan before escaping to join the regiment. His descendants had to fight for decades to get his medal officially recognized.