AFTER A LONG WAIT ‘Scouts’ recognized as war veterans

It was a wish granted 50 years late, but for Juan Camacho Cabrera it was the happiest day of his life.

“I am very happy. I have been waiting for this all my life,” he said after being recognized officially by the U.S. government for his military service during World War II.

Cabrera was among 50 Northern Marianas civilians who finally got their dues during a ceremony held yesterday at the Legislature. A dozen other survivors and families of those who are no longer here to see this day attended the event.

CNMI Representative to Washington Juan N. Babauta made the announcement of the official recognition of their military service by the U.S. Department of Defense, extolling their bravery.

Called “scout/guide” and “native policemen,” these men were enlisted in 1944 after the U.S. forces seized the islands to help in rounding up hundreds of Japanese soldiers who were attacking American soldiers stationed here.

They were trained by the Marine Corps to do combats and remained in active duty between June 1944 to September 1945. For years, however, they were never acknowledged as U.S. veterans.

“These men risked their lives in 1944 and 1945 in service with the U.S. military. They’ve waited over 50 years for their bravery to be acknowledged,” Babauta said in a speech. “I am glad they will finally have the honor they earned.”

With the recognition granted by the Air Force secretary on behalf of the Defense chief, these 50 men, upon their application, will be accepted as members of these groups now distinguished as U.S. veterans under federal law.

According to Babauta, his office, along with other CNMI leaders, are going to seek specific benefits that may be applicable for these scouts and native policemen.

“The next step is for each of these individuals to establish he is a member of the group. We will assist in the applications, if requested by the men or their families,” he told the men, their families as well as legislators and government officials.

The CNMI Veterans Office will work jointly with the Washington representative to find out these benefits through the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio, who also witnessed the event, vowed to help these local veterans get what they deserve. “We are still working on it. But there’s still one final form they have to fill in order to be recognized for their service in the armed forces,” he told reporters after the 30-minute ceremony.

Babauta formally petitioned the Air Force for veterans status in 1997 with a 100-page application relating their story when the Marine Corps recruited them after the 1944 invasion of Saipan.

It included affidavits collected from the surviving men as well as historical documents uncovered in military archives by his office — a difficult process that Babauta said was “worth all the effort.”

He added: “These men will finally receive the honor they deserve. They risked their lives. They made a commitment to the United States. They were an integral part of the historical chain of events… We salute them.”