April 20, 2004
Embassy honors former POWS
United States Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission Morton
Holbrook (right) presents to World War II veteran Federico Velo a plaque
and a medal in recognition of his being a prisoner of war (POW) in 1942.
A member of the Philippine Scouts, Mr. Velo was captured in Corregidor
on May 6, 1942 and was held prisoner at Camp O’Donnel until September
18, 1942. The Embassy honored former POWs in a ceremony on April 19,
2004.
Mr. Barry Barker (left), Director of the U.S. Department
Veterans Affairs (USDVA) regional office in Manila, welcomes former
POWs during the April 9 ceremony in the Embassy. He noted that while
more than 21,000 former POWs receive compensation and benefits from
the USDA based on their wartime service and incarceration by the enemy,
thousands more might be eligible for VA benefits but have not applied
for them. The USDVA has launched an information campaign to inform them
of the potential entitlement to the benefits.
Embassy Acting Deputy Chief of Mission Morton Holbrook
and USDVA-Manila Director Baker pose for a photo with former POWs who
attended the April 19 Embassy ceremony honoring them.
Among those who attended the April 9 event was retired
Col. Rafael Estrada (right), who fought in Bataan and survived the Death
March. With him in the photo is Mr. Kenneth J. McQuown, Coach of the
Rating Board and Appeals Team, USDVA-Manila.
Among Embassy officials who honored the veterans was
U.S. Embassy Human Resources Officer Richard Pruett (second, left),
who posed for a photo with former POWs (l - r: ) Domingo de Guzman,
Miguel Balmes, and Hans Kasten. Mr. De Guzman and Mr. Balmes were with
troops that defended Bataan and Corregidor. Kasten, who was a POW in
Germany, was captured at the Battle of the Bulge and held at Buchenwald
and Berga POW camps.
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