[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 22 (Wednesday, March 2, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E338]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 IN MEMORY OF MAGDALENO SANCHEZ DUENAS

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. MICHAEL M. HONDA

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, March 2, 2005

  Mr. HONDA. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a courageous 
American, a man who was willing to give everything to this country, but 
who got far too little in return. Magdaleno Sanchez Duenas was born in 
Maasin, Philippines on May 27, 1914 into a large loving family with 
seven brothers and sisters. Mr. Duenas worked several jobs throughout 
the years, moving in 1937 to Davao City. There, in November 1941 on the 
eve of World War II, Mr. Duenas was asked to join the impending fight 
for freedom as a soldier in the U.S. Armed Forces. Mr. Duenas proudly 
joined the 101st Infantry.
  To say Mr. Duenas fought bravely is an understatement. In 1943, he 
joined guerilla forces living in the mountains. He fought without 
shoes, living on a diet of ``camote'' (yams) and ``lugaw'' (rice 
porridge). On December 24, 1942, he was captured by the Japanese while 
gathering food for his fellow freedom fighters. He was immediately 
interrogated, yet he refused to relinquish any information that would 
reveal the hiding place of the guerilla forces. That night, Mr. Duenas 
managed to escape and return to his mountain hiding place. On April 4, 
1943, Mr. Duenas helped engineer and carry out a rescue operation that 
freed ten American soldiers from captivity at the Davao Penal Colony. 
Mr. Duenas kept them fed and hidden and helped them rejoin the guerilla 
forces.
  For his wartime heroism, Mr. Duenas deserved fame. Tragically, 
however, this was not why he came into the public eye. Mr. Duenas 
realized a life-long dream and immigrated to the United States, 
arriving in Richmond, California in 1992. It was upon his arrival in 
America that Mr. Duenas and 16 other Filipino American World War II 
veterans were held in virtual captivity by an abusive landlord who beat 
them, kept them chained, and fed them only dog food, all the while 
stealing their monthly Social Security checks. In December 1993, a 
group of Filipino American advocates discovered the heinous abuses and 
rescued Mr. Duenas and the other Filipino American heroes that were 
trapped with him.
  During his final years, Mr. Duenas lived quietly in the Tenderloin 
District of San Francisco. Those who knew him remember him with deep 
affection as an endearing companion with a knit cap, and a folding two-
wheel cart to get around.
  It is a equally tragic that Mr. Duenas and his other Filipino 
veterans still have never received full recognition from our government 
for their patriotism during World War II. In his final years, Mr. 
Duenas was featured in two documentaries and his story remains at the 
center of the battle for veteran Filipinos from our greatest 
generation. Sadly, Mr. Duenas did not live to see the story through to 
completion. He died this past weekend, on February 27th, at the age of 
ninety.
  Mr. Speaker, since 1948 every Christmas Mr. Duenas received a token 
from General Schoefner, one of the ten soldiers he saved those many 
years ago. This simple, poignant gesture of gratitude is a reminder as 
Americans, we all owe this man and his comrades more than just a debt 
of gratitude. We owe them the promise of the full equity.
  Mr. Speaker, we cannot allow more brave men like Mr. Duenas to die 
before we act on legislation introduced by my colleagues Bob Filner and 
Duke Cunningham, H.R. 302, the Filipino Veterans Equity Act of 2005. 
This is the gift we owe to all Filipino veterans who fought along side 
U.S. soldiers during World War II.

                          ____________________