Oral Histories

Alex Fabros

Son of Veteran, Historian, Retired Army officer

Alex Fabros is a retired Army Major, a historian, and the son of a WWII veteran and grandson of a WWI veteran. In his interview, he shares the history of Filipinos working on plantations in the U.S. and goes into detail about military tactics and stories from WWII. He discusses why he believes this history is important to be shared and how it is his mission to get people aware of the truth.

HIGHLIGHT CLIPS

A lot of Filipinos started saying, we need to get more money. We want to make what they’re making in the on the mainland.”

– (02:49) in full interview

We’re not looking for a handout. We’re looking for a hand up.”

– (10:36) in full interview

They wanted to be able to change that law so that they could join the military, go back to the Philippines to liberate their country.”

– (15:34) in full interview

Once they heard that this Japanese colonel had the key to all of the maps and information in a cabinet, they needed to get it.”

– (22:06) in full interview

Explore the Chapter

The Crucible of War: Guerrillas

At that point I decided I was going to become a historian, I was going to dig up the facts and not the myths of what happened to Filipinos in America.”

– (31:12) in full interview