1st filipino infantry regiment segregated united_states_army infantry regiment filipino americans continental united_states veterans saw combat world war formed activated camp san california auspices originally created battalion declared regiment july deployed initially new_guinea source manpower special forces units serve occupied territories deployed philippines saw combat unit major combat operations remained philippines returned california camp background philippines ceded spain united_states conflict philippine independence forces united_states allowed freely united_states nationals immigrants chose settle territory hawaii west_coast policy changed status nationals revoked imperial_japanese_navy attacked pearl harbor japanese forces attacked philippines filipino americans like americans attempted volunteer military service allowed enlist citizens resident aliens following change legislation announced january day manila fell permitted volunteer drafted military service california half male filipino american population enlisted volunteered serve refused age older volunteers refused need agricultural labor strongly encouraged volunteer regiment assigned volunteer serve regiment served regular white units theaters operation example awarded actions germany history constituted march 1st activated april camp san liberate philippines colonel selected unit commanding officer spoke spent time youth following months filipino americans continued volunteer unit grew personnel united_states filipino military personnel escaped fall philippines united_states instructed report unit july battalion elevated regiment california grounds california regiment battalions consisting headquarters company infantry companies regiment separate regimental headquarters company service company anti tank company medical detachment band regiment continued train grow leading activation 2nd filipino infantry regiment fort november assigned camp 1st camp eventually soldiers assigned camp mass ceremony soldiers regiment members armed forces able citizens filipino americans barred determined aliens time nationals november los_angeles influential filipino author america heart witness members regiment faced discrimination period anti laws california meant soldiers banned marrying non filipino women soldiers wished marry way transported new_mexico new_mexico repealed anti law civil war soldiers regiment faced discrimination visiting neighboring camp local businesses refused serve later regiment commander informed failing cooperate army point changed business practices instances discrimination soldiers regiment reported sacramento san_francisco mistaken japanese americans deployment april regiment departed california aboard uss general bay new_guinea way new_guinea regiment spent june australia arriving bay assigned 31st provide area security continue training soldiers assigned example second lieutenant future vice chief staff philippines led team soldiers filipino infantry regiments smaller authorized response 2nd filipino infantry regiment disbanded bring 1st filipino infantry regiment standard allocated size remaining soldiers 2nd filipino infantry regiment join regiment formed 2nd separate time bay regiment reinforced hawaii men able enlist army successfully argued labor needed sugar industry february regiment sent assigned later reassigned 8th army finally philippines conducted operations islands islands group addition companies regiment provided security 8th army general headquarters far east air force seventh fleet headquarters soldiers participate fighting recapture regiment awarded formal campaign participation individual actions post combat august operations came close japanese emperor decision end war following bombings hiroshima nagasaki soldiers regiment detached units reassigned period close operations return united_states fight men regiment clashed soldiers differences pay culture local women married women war act allowed adopted children united_states military personnel enter newly married couples tent city established colonel succeeded commander younger soldiers connected culture previously distant relationship learning language customs practiced united_states soldiers regiment qualify return having insufficient service points ineligible chose remain philippines transferred separate returning united_states aboard uss general april rest regiment sent near pittsburgh california april legacy war efforts filipino american defenders widely covered press actions 100th war efforts continued lauded film broke portraying endeavors contrast activities sister units largely documentaries significant visual media covered history regiment association veterans regiment erected marker honor unit war act subsequent continued apply end allowing veterans regiment filipino american veterans return philippines bring wives children years following war sixteen thousand entered united_states war new filipino american families formed second generation filipino americans significantly expanding filipino american community
1st Filipino Infantry Regiment