Pinoy Stewards in the U.S. Sea Services: Seizing Marginal Opportunity

By Ray L. Burdeos

This book shares personal and compelling stories of a unique group of Americans with a glimpse into the lives of men who left their home seeking opportunity was compelling.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Sep 23, 2010
• ISBN: 9781452066783

Ray L. Burdeos

Ray Legaspi Burdeos, born in Butuan, in the province of Agusan, Philippines, was a college student at Mapua Institute of Technology when he enlisted in the U.S. Coast Guard on October 10, 1955, at Sangley Point, Cavite, Philippines. Upon retirement after twenty-three years of active-duty service, he was a recipient of the Coast Guard Achievement Medal, the Commandant Letter of Commendation, the National Defense Medal and five Good Conduct Medals.   Ray earned a Bachelor of Sciences degree in Health Care Sciences, with a major in Health Care Administration from the University of Texas in Galveston, Texas. He was formerly the manager of the Department of Defense Outpatient Clinic at St. Mary’s Hospital in Galveston, Texas.  

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Table of Contents

Acknowledgement

Prologue

What is a steward?

About the Philippines

Memorable Journey

Coming to America

Rogelio L. Reyes,

QMCM, USCG (Ret)

Mariano Montilla,

PNC, USN (Ret)

Dan Q. Ibanez,

EMCM, USCG (Ret)

Nestor P. Enriquez,

SKC, USN (Ret)

Mario Gamboa,

SKC, USN (Ret)

Licerio C. Lagda,

HMCM, USN (Ret)

Jeff Colet,

HMC, USN (Ret)

Manuel A. Arive,

HMC, USN (Ret)

Rogelio P. Valencia,

ETC, USCG (Ret)

Rudy Palustre,

SKCM, USCG (Ret)

Ted Garcia,

MU1, USN (Ret)

Jesse Jose,

JOC, USN (Ret)

Mario Sibayan,

SKC, USN (Ret)

Ausberto Cruz,

HMCM, USCG (Ret)

Zacarias S. Chavez, Jr.,

Commander, USCG, (Ret)

Gregory P. Alabado,

CWO3, USN (Ret)

Victor Sarmiento,

CWO4, USCG (Ret)

Carlos D. Andaya,

LT, USN (Ret)

David C. Orolfo,

CWO4, USCG (Ret)

Filomeno E. Servino,

CWO4, USCG (Ret)

Honorio B. Alvarez,

CWO4, USN (Ret)

Ramon L. Burdeos,

HMC, USCG (Ret)

Epilogue

About the Author

Prologue

Filipino sailors who served and fought for Uncle Sam from 1952 to 1992, during Korean War, Vietnam War and other conflicts were beneficiaries of the exodus of African-American enlisted men away from the steward branch in the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard. The two sea services had difficulty recruiting white Americans and African Americans to work in the steward rate as it was once known for blacks only. The Filipinos from the Philippines were the only immediate replacements for the blacks.

It happened when President Harry S. Truman signed an Executive Order No. 9981 in July 26, 1948. It was landmark decision – to correct the injustice toward African-Americans when they were restricted to the steward rate since time immemorial, by lifting the restriction and integrating the military.

President Truman, who grew up from a segregated society in Missouri, served as an officer in a segregated Army during World War I, was a surprise innovator of attitude towards African-Americans when he ordered the integration of the military.

The executive order was written in simplest terms: It is hereby declared to be the policy of the president that there shall be equality of treatment and opportunity for all persons in the armed services without regard to race, color, religion, or national origin.

The policy of strict segregation of Caucasians and non-Caucasians in the military existed from the time the five branches of the armed services began: Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard were created. It particularly restricted the African-Americans, Filipinos and other nonwhites to enlist as stewards only in the Navy and Coast Guard.

It was not expected that, after the independence of the Philippines, the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard would resume recruiting Filipinos at U.S. Naval Station, Sangley Point, Cavite in the Philippines in 1952.

The recruitment of Filipinos started during the term of President McKinley in 1901 when he authorized the Navy to recruit 500 Filipino stewards. Recruitment continued during the time Philippines was a colony, then commonwealth, and ended in 1946 when the Philippines became a sovereign state.

The recent recruitment was based on a signed agreement between the United States and the Philippines in a 1947 treaty. In that agreement the U.S. was allowed to recruit Filipinos for the U.S. military but no specific details or guarantees were provided on how they would be recruited. Would they be issued an immigrant visa since they would be enlisting and serving in the Armed Forces of the United States of America?

The U.S. policy was very clear that only American citizens and those who were legal immigrants were allowed to join to any of the five branches of the armed services.

missing image file

(Courtesy of Burdeos)

Immigration & Naturalization

Service Form (I-94c)

When the Filipinos were recruited, they were not issued immigrant visas by the U.S. Embassy in Manila to enter a U.S. port. And the Philippine government never issued the Filipinos with passports to travel to America. What they had as a travel document to enter a U.S. port was a U.S. Navy or Coast Guard identification card. But the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) made it very clear that a Filipino steward recruit’s entry to the United States was classified not legally admitted for permanent resident. To prove that this was true, they were ordered to report to the nearest INS to register a few months after boot camp. They were issued Immigration and Naturalization Service Form (I-94c) for Visitor showing the date they entered a U.S. port and the name of the vessel that brought them to America. That was all the INS did by issuing a Visitor’s ID to the Filipinos. It was more like for record purposes only that they arrived on a certain date and at a certain port of entry. There was no expiration date given. It was good as long as the Filipino was still serving one of the sea services. The moment the Filipino is no longer in the service, the visitor’s permit expires and the Filipino must return to the Philippines.

The Filipino recruits were not told about the INS’s policy before they enlisted. They found out the sad reality when they applied for citizenship after serving three years on active duty, which normally gives an alien citizenship. They were denied as per INS policy. Filipinos could not qualify for U.S. citizenship regardless how long they had served Uncle Sam’s Navy or Coast Guard. The U.S. law was very clear that only legal immigrants were entitled to citizenship. Filipinos could not show evidence that they were legally admitted for permanent residence to the United States. It was true that it was a Navy vessel that brought them freely to the United States. It was also true that the Immigration Service did not stop them at Port of Entry at Fort Mason outside San Francisco, California even though they had no travel documents such as Philippine passport and U.S. visa to legally enter.

Filipinos were recruited for only one role in U.S. Navy and Coast Guard, the role of steward. Despite the restriction, many were eager to see a Navy recruiter to apply for enlistment. They were lining up outside the gate at Sangley Point waiting to be called to enter.

Those who were accepted, were excited and thankful to Uncle Sam that they were allowed to enlist in the most powerful armed forces in the world that would offer them financial security for life if they stayed for a minimum of twenty years. Almost all stayed to qualify for retirement benefits and the majority remained in the United States and became U.S. citizens when the President of the United States signed an executive order to allow Filipinos who served during war time to become citizens.

What is a steward?

The steward is an enlisted man in the steward branch in the Navy and Coast Guard.

The chief (from pay grade E-7 to E-9) assigned on large base or ship, is in charge of the operation of the officers’ wardroom mess and officers’ quarters.

The junior steward (SD) is in charge on small unit or a cook and baker on a large unit. The steward’s mate (TN) cleans living quarters and serves meals in the wardroom mess.

The chief steward and steward’s mates also work at Admiral’s Quarters, One Observatory Circle for the Vice President and at the While House for the President.

A few select group of stewards, who work directly for admirals, Vice president and the President have to be outstanding stewards, scrutinized and investigated for security clearance before they are assigned. They tend to have that special and unique steward/boss working relationship in a subtle way. The steward gets extra special respect, recognition and privileges that come along commensurate to the rank of his boss.

They are advanced in rating from steward apprentice to master chief petty officer. All chiefs are eligible to be promoted to warrant officer upon recommendation of the commanding officer and passing the written examination. A first class petty officer is eligible only if that enlisted man is in the list for chief for advancement.

There are great stories about the working relationships between Filipino stewards and the great admirals of our time like Halsey, Nimitz, Zumwalt, Burke, and the father and grandfather of Senator John McCain.

About the Philippines

missing image file

Philippines

The Philippines (a.k.a. Philippine Islands, Las Islas Felipinas, or Pinas) is a chain of 7,107 islands in the South China Sea. The northern island of Luzon in the north is the largest in the archipelago. The southern island of Mindanao is the second largest. In the latter, Christians and Muslims live in a delicate balance of co-existence. About 2000 islands are inhabited, and many have white beaches, crystalline blue water, and breath-taking views of the horizon.

Thirty thousand years ago, during the Ice Age, the Negritos or Aetas (an Australo-Melanesian people with dark skin, curly brown hair and short in stature) were the first human beings to migrate the different islands (later christened Islas Felipinas by the Spaniards) when land bridges were connected to Borneo and mainland Asia. Later migration of different groups of people, mostly Malay (brown people) came by water.

missing image file

(Butuan Museum)

Gold Image of

Agusan, is now kept in

Chicago Museum

A Balangay, a wooden-hulled boat, was used by the natives of Butuan in northern Mindanao, to travel by sea to some of the neighboring countries in Southeast Asia. They developed domestic trade

with Asian neighbors dating back from 500 B.C. They traded with Java, Sumatra and China. The trading with China was extensive by the 10th century A.D. Contact with Arab traders brought Islam to the Philippines by 16th century from the islands of Indonesia. Muslim immigrants introduced political concepts of territorial states ruled by rajahs or sultans who exercised political control over datus (local chiefs).

In the year 1001 A.D., merchants of the Kingdom of Butuan set sail aboard a balangay to trade with the Kingdom of Champa in what is now South Vietnam. Butuan was a leading trading port in those days because of the gold nuggets, silver, parrots, wine, and other native products.

Ferdinand Magellan, a Portuguese national, who sailed under the Spanish flag, discovered Philippines in the year 1521. In the year 1543, Roy Lopez de Villabos gave the name of the archipelago Las Islas Felipinas after King Philip II of Spain and appointed Miguel Lopez de Legazpi, who arrived from Mexico (New Spain), as the first governor-general of the Philippines. De Legazpi chose Manila as the capital. Spain had the Philippines administered as province of Mexico. When Mexico gained its independence in 1821, the Philippines was ruled directly by Spain. During 300 years of Spanish rule of the Philippines, other European countries showed interest of the Philippines. The Dutch attempted to colonize the Philippines in 17th century but failed; British troops invaded and occupied Manila as a result of Spain’s entry into the Seven Years War, but in later years, the Treaty of Paris restored the Spanish rule. In 1764, the British left the Philippines after a two-year occupation of Manila.

missing image file

(Courtesy of R.O. Andaya)

Replica of Balangay Butuan Boat

The injustices of the Spanish rule inspired Dr. Jose Rizal, a Filipino, Chinese, Japanese and Spanish ancestry and a trained ophthalmologist at the universities in Manila, Madrid, Heidelberg and Paris, to seek Philippines independence by any means. Andres Bonifacio of Tondo was equally inspired and organized the Katipunan, a secret organization sworn to overthrow the Spanish colonial government.

missing image file

(USN Photo)

Battle of Manila Bay

In April of 1896, the Philippine revolution against Spain began. Consequently, Dr. Jose Rizal was arrested and executed for treason having inspired the revolution. The Katipunan was split into two groups, Madiwang led by Mariano Alvarez and Magdalo led by Emilio Aguinaldo. The conflict between Aguinaldo and Bonifacio ensued. Aguinaldo prevailed and became the leader of the Philippine revolutionary forces. General Aguinaldo signed a treaty with the Spanish government that he agreed to be exiled to Hong Kong that would give the Philippines self-rule after 3 years.

The Spanish American War broke out in Cuba. On May 1, 1898, at Manila Bay, Commodore George Dewey with his Pacific Fleet, including a U.S. Coast Guard Cutter McCulloch, battled the Spanish Navy Squadron commanded by Admiral Patricio Montajo y Pasaron. It was a quick battle; in a matter of hours, Commodore Dewey’s fleet defeated the Spanish squadron without losing a single life. Aguinaldo, who was exiled in Hong Kong, decided to return to the Philippines to be allied with the Americans fighting against the Spaniards on land.

On May 19, 1898, Aguinaldo organized his army and fought the Spaniards. In a matter of months, his army defeated nearly all Spanish-held ground, with the exception of Manila surrounded by Aguinaldo’s army of 12,000 men. On June 12, 1898, Aguinaldo declared the independence of the Philippines while Manila was still held by the Spaniards. The Spanish-held command in Manila knew that the end was near; the Spanish offered to surrender Manila to the Americans only, not to Aguinaldo’s army. The American command agreed and immediately ordered the Filipino army to stay away from Manila.

On August 13, 1898, the Spaniards surrendered Manila to the Americans. General, now the president of the Republic of the Philippines, was not happy after helping American troops to defeat the Spaniards.

In the meantime, the Treaty of Paris was signed by the defeated Spain and by the victorious United States of America. The Republic of the Philippines was not included in the negotiations. The treaty ceded the Philippines by Spain to the United States of America.

The Republic of the Philippines did not accept nor recognize the provision of the treaty to annex Philippines to the United States. Thus it instigated the Philippine American War.

Back in the United States, the famous author and anti-imperialist, Mark Twain, launched a strong campaign against war with the Philippines. The war not only is a tragedy for the Filipinos but also a threat to America’s democratic and anti-colonial political traditions, he said.

The First Philippine Republic, led by President Emilio Aguinaldo, fought against U.S. occupation (1899-1913). The American troops overpowered the poorly equipped Filipinos in combat, but they were a formidable enemy in guerrilla warfare. More than 4,000 out of 126,000 American soldiers died; 16,000 Filipino soldiers lost their life. Civilian deaths were estimated to be 250,000 to 1,000,000 largely because of famine and other diseases. Atrocities committed by both sides were evident.

Aguinaldo was captured brought to Manila on March 23, 1901, and was later exiled to the island of Guam.

When the Philippines became a colony of the United States, some Filipinos started to immigrate to there and caused immediate concerns by Caucasian Americans that the brown brothers from the Philippine Islands were getting too close for comfort in their neighborhoods. To stop the influx of the Filipinos (a.k.a., pinoy, flip, brown brother), in 1902, the Continental Congress passed the Cooper Act that made it illegal for Filipinos to own property, operate a business, live on American residential neighborhood, hold public office, vote and to become a naturalized American citizen.

missing image file

(M.Elumba)

Caridad Elumba with husband Hilarion Elumba

The Cooper Act was not the only American law antagonistic toward Filipinos. Two years before the Spanish American War, the United States Supreme Court legitimized the Jim Crow system of racial segregation that was also used later against Filipinos after the Philippine American War. It defined the social organization of the American Society with the rules regarding a relationship between a white and nonwhite person.

In 1919, despite of how Filipinos were poorly treated at that time in the United States, the Philippine Government started a scholarship program for promising Filipino students for further studies at U.S. colleges and universities. Princess Tarhata of Jolo and Caridad Trillo Elumba of Butuan from Mindanao were among the first batch of pensionados selected. Elumba enrolled at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio and later transferred to Columbia University in New York City, where she received a High School Teacher’s Diploma.

Princess Tarhata, one of the heirs of the island of Sabah (North Borneo) which the sultan of Sulu had leased to the British but which the British never returned, enrolled and finished studies at the University of Illinois.

In the year 1926, California’s Anti-Miscegenation Law, was amended to include Filipinos as among those who could not marry a white person.

missing image file

(USN Photo)

US Navy ships, Pearl Harbor,

Dec. 7, 1941

In 1932, to slow down the inevitable migration of Filipinos to United States mainland, U.S. Congress passed a law limiting to 50 per year the number of immigrants from the Philippines.

A year later, the U.S. Congress passed the Philippine Independence Act over President Herbert Hoover’s veto. At the same time, the patriot and Filipino statesman Manuel L. Quezon, head of the Philippine government disapproved the Act because of its provision leaving the United States in control of the naval bases in the Philippines.

The following year, the Act was revised to establish Commonwealth of the Philippines that in ten years would lead to its independence.

On December 7, 1941, Japanese forces attacked U.S. military bases in Hawaii and then followed with an attack of the U.S. military bases in the Philippines. Manila was declared open city to avoid destruction of the historical metropolis.

General MacArthur’s army command relocated