You will not be forgotten

PERCEPTIONS

- ARIEL NEPOMUCENO

We are free and enjoying the privileges of a democratic nation because of the idealism, patriotism, and bravery of our heroes. The willingness to die in the battlefield, far from their loved ones and bereft of any fanfare nor chance to say their last farewell, is possibly the hardest sacrifice that any person can give to the motherland.

Every year, during Philippine Veterans Week from April 5 to 11, we have the chance to express our gratitude to the men and women who fought for our freedom. Thousands of them fell during the vicious and bloody battles — from the 1896 Philippine Revolution against the more than 300 years of Spanish colonial rule, Filipino-American War of 1899-1902, World War II against the Japanese invaders, up to our modern and recent history of military campaigns against the communist insurgency and religious extremists.

We also sent our soldiers to help defend South Korea from falling to the communist aggressors from the north. There, in a foreign battleground, 116 out of more than 7,000 Filipino warriors from the Philippine Expeditionary Forces to Korea (PEFTOK) gallantly died in the Battle of Yultong alone. Even not fully equipped with winter gear to wage a war in this hostile climate, our soldiers successfully defended their strategic positions alongside our allies.

Now, we have the rare chance to spiritually embrace and offer our deepest gratitude to the fallen heroes, and the veterans who are with us. They still live and cherish the independence that we enjoy today.