There were 51 Medal of Honor recipients who earned the distinction defending and liberating the Philippines in WWII. Of these, thirty-one (31) were awarded posthumously. Because Japanese collaborators retained power even after WWII, few Filipinos and even Americans know about the heroism and sacrifices of these men. 1st Lt. Alexander R. Nininger, Jr. “A” Co. 57th Infantry, Philippine Scouts, US Army, was the first American soldier to win the Congressional Medal of Honor in WWII but his name and exploits is virtually unknown in the U.S. and in the Philippines.
Seventy years after the end of WWII, on 26 Aug. 2015, Forbes Magazine listed the 50 richest “Filipinos” whose combined net worth totaled $73.1 billion. Yet none of them has been credited with any invention, development or discovery with which they could associate their wealth. Remember after WWII everyone in the Philippines was poor.