The President
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. Washington, DC 20500
Re: Request to Name a US Navy Warship after Fireman Second Class Telesforo Trinidad, Medal of Honor Recipient, 1915
Dear Mr. President,
As a born and raised American of Filipino descent, I am honored to represent as Chair of the National Federation of Filipino-American Associations (NaFFAA).
On behalf of Filipino Americans, we respectfully request your Administration’s support to name the first US Navy Warship after a sailor of Filipino descent, Fireman Second Class Telesforo Trinidad. The Secretary of the Navy, who is the naming authority, is aware of our Campaign. More than ninety (90) members of Congress support our aim.
Trinidad holds the distinction of being the first and only Asian American (and first Filipino) in the U.S. Navy to receive a Medal of Honor, in accordance with General Order Number 142 signed by Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels on April 1, 1915. We are working in concert with the USS Telesforo Trinidad Campaign (USSTTC) that is spearheading this effort, other national advocacy groups, and veterans service organizations such as the VFW towards the end of recognizing the contribution of Filipino Americans to U.S. national security by naming a combatant ship after Telesforo Trinidad.
The U.S. and the Philippines have maintained uninterrupted economic, cultural and military ties since 1901, when President William McKinley signed an Executive order allowing the recruitment of 500 Filipinos in the US Navy as part of the Insular Force. Tens of thousands of Filipinos enlisted in the U.S. Navy between WWI and WWII. After the Philippines obtained its independence from the United States in 1946, over 35,000 Filipinos were recruited into the U.S. Navy from 1952 to 1992 under a provision of the Republic of the Philippines-United States Military Bases Agreement. In addition, thousands of Americans of Filipino descent enlisted during this same 40-year period and continue to do so until today.
The naming of a United States Navy combatant ship after Trinidad will resonate strongly not only to several generations of Filipino Americans who have served in the U.S. Navy since 1901 but also to more than four million Filipino Americans who are looking for validation of the seminal contributions of Filipinos to U.S. history. It will recognize as well the shared history and values of two allies, forged in war and peace.
We appreciate your kind consideration and support for this effort. Very respectfully,
Brendan Flores
National Chair and President
Since 1997, the National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA) has been the standard-bearer for promoting the welfare and well-being of the four million Filipinos and Filipino Americans throughout the United States. NaFFAA is the largest non-partisan, non-profit organization and national affiliation of Filipino American institutions, umbrella organizations, and individuals. Its fourteen-member regions cover the continental United States, Alaska, Hawaii, and the Pacific Islands.
