Campaign underway to get Navy ship named after Filipino veteran

Cecila Gaerlan of the USS Trinidad Telesforo Campaign joined Sonseeahray to talk about how we can get the first Navy ship named after a Filipino American servicemember.

PACIFIC AMERICAN HERITAGEMONTH AND ONE ORGANIZATION ISTRYING TO PRESERVE AND PROMOTETHE RICH HISTORY BETWEENUNITED STATES AND THEPHILIPPINES AND THEY'RE HOPINGTO DO THAT.BUT GETTING IN NAVY SHIPNAMED AFTER FILIPINO VETERANFOR MORE NOW CECELIA GARYLANDFROM THE U.S. HAS TELL US FARTRINIDAD CAMPAIGN IS JOININGUS LIVE TO TELL US HOW ALL THEREST OF US CAN HELP MAKE THISHAPPEN.

GOOD MORNING TO YOU.MORNING THANK YOU FORHAVING ME DEFINITELY WILL TELLUS THE HERO'S STORY, A FIREMANSECOND-CLASS TELL US TRINIDAD.FIREMEN SECOND-CLASS FOR AHONOR IN 1915 FOR HIS HEROICDEEDS ABOARD THE USS SANDIEGO.WHILE ON A TRAININGEXERCISE IN THE GULF OFFCALIFORNIA AND MEXICO.

INJANUARY OF 1915.

HE COLLEAGUESDURING 2 BOILER EXPLOSIONS ANDFOR THAT HE WAS AWARDED THEHIGHEST SERVICEMAN OFF THEU.S. ARMED FORCES CAN RECEIVETHE MEDAL OF HONOR.JUST AN AMAZING FEAT WEKNOW HE'S BEEN POINTED TO ASAND SHIP MAY FIRST BEFORESOUTH AND THIS INCIDENT ALSOPOINTING OUT THAT MANY HEROICTHINGS CAN HAPPEN IN PEACETIME VERSUS WARTIME BECAUSETHIS WAS A BOILER EXPLOSION.

IWAS ALMOST GOING TO SAY JUST ABOILER EXPLOSION BUT CLEARLYBEING IN THE MIDDLE OF ADISASTER LIKE THAT.

IT'S NOTANYTHING SMALL.

NO NAVY SHIPHAS BEEN NAMED AFTER AFILIPINO WHY IT'S IMPORTANTFOR THE MILITARY TO TAKE THISSTEP.OF FILIPINOS 10'S OFTHOUSANDS OF FILIPINOS HAVESINCE 19 OH ONE WHEN PRESIDENTWILLIAM MCKINLEY SIGNED ANEXECUTIVE ORDER RECRUITINGPHILIPPINE EVEN AFTERINDEPENDENCE OFF THEPHILIPPINES FROM THE FROM THEUNITED STATES.

THIS PROGRAMABOUT 35,000 FILIPINOS WHERERECRUIT THAT BETWEEN 1952 IN1992 UNDER THE PHILIPPINESAND IN ADDITION.THOUSANDS OF AMERICANS TOFILIPINO DESCENT HAVE SERVEDIN THE U.S. NAVY, SO IT'S BEENA 120 YEARS SINCE FILIPINOSAND FILIPINO AMERICANS HAVESERVED FAITHFULLY AND LOYALLYIN THE U.S. NAVY, SO IT'SABOUT TIME THAT SHIP BEINGMEAN A FILIPINO OR AN AMERICANFILIPINO DESCENT, SO HONORTHIS YEARS OF SERVICE AND BYTHE WAY AND THUS FAR ATTORNEYTHAT HOLDS THE DISTINCTIONBEING THE ONLY ASIAN AMERICANNAVY WHO HAVE RECEIVED THEMEDAL OF HONOR.JUST AN AMAZING FEAT THATHE ACCOMPLISHED BEFORE YOU RUNOUT OF TIME.

HOW CAN THE RESTOF US HELP YOU MAKE THISHAPPEN WHAT WE NEED TO DO.YES, YOU CAN WRITE TOREPRESENTATIVES IN CONGRESSAND THE SENATE TO SUPPORT THENAMING OF THE FIRST SHIP AFTERA FILIPINO OR AN AMERICANNATIONAL OF FILIPINO DESCENT.THEY ARE SOUTHALL THEM PLATESON THE WEBSITE US S P T C DOTORG.

SO POLICE MAKE THISHAPPEN THIS WILL BE AMOMENTOUS AND HISTORIC EVENT.WELL THANK YOU SO MUCH FORCOMING IN TO TELL THE STORY OFTHIS AMERICAN HERO AND OF THISPARTICULAR CAMPAIGN WEAPPRECIATE YOU.

THANK YOU SOMUCH SHOOTING.

WELL 20