Skyline College/North San Mateo County Oral History Archives, Skyline College Library
Student project for LSCI 110 – Digital Oral Research Project, Skyline College

 


Elpidio S. Dorotheo

 

 

Click here to read to read the research essay, “Too Little, Too Late.--Elpidio S. Dorotheo, WWII Filipino Veteran”,
by Marijoy D. Angeles

 

Click on the links below to hear audio segments from an April 2009 interview by Marijoy D. Angeles with Elpidio S. Dorotheo, who shared the piece of history he experienced during World War II with fighting alongside the Americans.

 

Mr. Elpidio S. Dorotheo and family at their house in Fremont, CA

 

 

 

 

 

Table of Contents:


1.Segment 1: Introduction
2. Segment 2: Fighting With the Americans

3. Segment 3: High Position In WWII

4. Segment 4: American Treatment

5. Segment 5: Reason In Joining the Forces

6. Segment 6: Dorotheo’s Journey Into Joining the U.S. Armed Forces

7. Segment 7: Obligations

8. Segment 8: The Benefits Dorotheo Received In the War

9. Segment 9: Specified Duties

10. Segment 10: Ratio of American Soldiers to Filipino Soldiers In Each Regiment

11. Segment 11: Benefits Americans Received that Filipinos Did Not Receive

12. Segment 12: Reason Why Dorotheo Believes There Is An Equality Between Veteran Benefits

13. Segment 13: “It Should Be the Same”

14. Segment 14: Did Not Experience Or Hear About the Recission Act of 1946

15. Segment 15: The Importance of Physical Fitness To the Dorotheo’s

16. Segment 16: “Much Delayed And Too, Too Little”

17. Segment 17: No Regrets

18. Segment 18: Welcome And Support

19. Segment 19: Rightful Benefits

20. Segment 20: Last Messages From Mr. Elpidio S. Dorotheo—Physical Fitness

 

 

 

 

 

 

Segment 1

Segment 1: Introduction (0:00-0:16)
Interviewer, Marijoy D. Angeles, introduces self and interviewee, Elpidio S. Dorotheo, introduces himself as well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Back to Table of Contents

 

 

 

 

 

 

Segment 2
Segment 2: Fighting with the Americans
(0:16-1:00)
Dorotheo tells his stories about fighting alongside the U.S. soldiers (Americans) against the Japanese.

 

 

 



Back to Table of Contents

 

 

 

 

 

Segment 3
Segment 3: High position in WWII
(1:00-1:17)
Dorotheo talks about his position in WWII, as Deputy Minister in Youth and Sports.

 

 

 
    

 

Back to Table of Contents

 

 

 

 

 

Segment 4
Segment 4: American treatment (1:21-1:41)
Dorotheo narrates how well the American soldiers treated him and his fellow soldiers.

 

 



 

Back to Table of Contents

 

 

 

 

 

Segment 5

Segment 5: Reason in joining U.S. Forces/War (1:42-2:19)
Dorotheo explains about his reasons in leaving to join the U.S. Forces to proudly represent the Filipinos.

 

 



 

Back to Table of Contents

 

 

 

 

 

Segment 6
Segment 6: Elpidio’s journey into joining the U.S. Armed Forces (2:19-16:19)
Dorotheo narrates about his exciting venture to independently  leave to join the U.S. Armed Forces.  Although he was under the age of legal military entry, he was too determined to be part of the war resulting into having to hide his age.

 

 

 

 

 

Back to Table of Contents

 

 

 

 

 

Segment 7

Segment 7: Obligations (16:20-17:10)
Dorotheo listed the obligations he had for himself and his family, while serving in the forces.
 

 

 

 

 

Back to Table of Contents

 

 

 

 

 

Segment 8
Segment 8: The benefits Dorotheo received in the war
(17:11-17:33)
Dorotheo gratefully mention how the most valuable benefit he received for serving in the war was the education he was given.

 

 

 

 

 

Back to Table of Contents

 

 

 

 

 

Segment 9
Segment 9: Specified Duties
(17:34-18:20)
Dorotheo describes specific duties he was assigned to, specifically within the signal platoon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mr. and Mrs. Elpidio S. Dorotheo practicing their Catholic faith

 

 

 

 

 

 

Back to Table of Contents

 

 

 

 

 

Segment 10

Segment 10: Ratio of American soldiers to Filipino soldiers in each regiment (18:21-19:05)
Dorotheo recalled the accurate ratio of American soldiers to Filipino soldiers in each platoon and regiments.
 

 

 

 

 

 

Back to Table of Contents

 

 

 

 

 

 

Segment 11
Segment 11: Benefits Americans received that Filipinos did not receive
(19:08-21:15)
Dorotheo tells his disappointment at how Americans received benefits that most, if not all, Filipino soldiers received.  “Too late, and too little”—regarding the recent legislation passed for Filipino WWII Veterans, after 64 years after the war.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Back to Table of Contents

 

 

 

 

 

 

Segment 12
Segment 12: Reason why Dorotheo believes there was an inequality between veteran benefits
(21:16-23:27)
Dorotheo shared his thoughts that maybe we would have been treated more equally if we fought for the enemies, but it seemed as though the enemies were treated better than the Filipino comrades/soldiers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Back to Table of Contents

 

 

 

 

 

 

Segment 13
Segment 13: “It should be the same”
(23:28-23:52)
Elpidio Dorotheo talks about the compensation award difference for the Filipino Veterans; the recent Filipino WWII Veterans compensation legislation has been passed for those veterans who are still alive.  $15,000 compensation for those that are U.S. Citizens, and $9,000 compensation for those that are Non-U.S. Citizen.  He expresses his disappointment in the inequality between the compensations that are dependent on citizenship.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Back to Table of Contents

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Segment 14
Segment 14: Did not experience or hear about the Recission Act of 1946 (23:53-24:14)
Interviewer, Angeles, asked Dorotheo if he know about the Recission Act of 1946, where the U.S. Government/Congress went against their promise to give Filipino soldiers all the same benefits a U.S. soldier was given, along with taking away their U.S. citizenship.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Back to Table of Contents

 

 

 

 

 

 

Segment 15

Segment 15: The importance of physical fitness to the Dorotheo’s (24:15-26:10)
Since Dorotheo was a young child, he and his family has always believed that physical fitness is an important factor to living life stress-free and to the fullest.  Dorotheo, at eighty-one years of age, he feels thirty years younger than his age.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Back to Table of Contents

 

 

 

 

 

 

Segment 16
Segment 16: “Much delayed and too, too little”
(26:11-27:30)
There is a lack of recognition regarding the veteran compensation.  He stresses that the legislation is “much delayed and too, too little.”  He elaborates about his disappointment in the inequality, mentioning that many Filipino war veterans have already passed on, that this is an incredible injustice.  Even the compensation amount does not suffice what they should have received.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Back to Table of Contents

 

 

 

 

 

 

Segment 17

Segment 17: No Regrets (27:33-29:01)
Dorotheo had no regrets with joining the forces.  Although there were inequalities for the Filipino Veterans, he did not regret the experience with joining the forces and being part of the world war; he used to sing the United States National Anthem loud and proud.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Back to Table of Contents

 

 

 

 

 

 

Segment 18
Segment 18: Welcome And Support
(29:05-30:48)
Dorotheo’s family, friends, and neighbors welcomed him back home and supported him through his involvement in the war.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Back to Table of Contents

 

 

 

 

 

 

Segment 19
Segment 19: Rightful Benefits
(30:49-31:48)
Other benefits that Dorotheo thought Filipino Veterans should have received that they did not.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Back to Table of Contents

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Segment 20
Segment 20: Last messages from Mr. Elpidio S. Dorotheo—Physical Fitness
(31:49-35:20)
Mr. Elpidio S. Dorotheo shared a few wise advice for living life long and stress-free.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Mr. Elpidio S. Dorotheo celebrating a birthday with his wife, big family, and friends

 

 

 

 

 

 

Back to Table of Contents

 

 

 

 

 

El fin.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*These audio files may be played with Windows Media Player or Real Player.
To download a free copy of Windows Media Player, click here.
To download a free copy of Real Player, click here.

 

 

last revised: 5-26-09
by Eric Brenner, Skyline College, San Bruno, CA
These materials may be used for educational purposes. 
Please inform and credit the author and cite the source as: North San Mateo County Oral History Archives, Skyline College Library.
All commercial rights are reserved. To contact the coordinator, or send comments or suggestions, email: Eric Brenner at
brenner@smccd.edu