The filmmakers of the documentary movie Forgotten Soldiers received the Freedom Award in Las Vegas this week for their depiction of the Philippine Scouts; an elite group of Filipino soldiers who bore the brunt of fighting during World War II. The Philippine Daily Inquirer reported on the award given at the Season of the Soldier event, held to draw attention to Filipino veterans who served in the U.S. Army during World War II.
During the beginning of World War II, the Scouts held out for months as other Allied strongholds in the Pacific fell to Japanese forces. Months went by without promised reinforcements, food or ammunition and the group was eventually surrounded by Japanese forces and subjected to the military atrocity known as the Bataan Death March.
Filmmakers Donald Plata, Lou Diamond Phillips and Chris Schaefer created the film to call attention to the little-known Filipino soldiers who served in this segment of U.S. Army.
You can read more about the film and other accolades its received n the Philippine Daily Inquirer,