ManilaMailDC.Net - McCain, Hillary in film premiere

McCain, Hillary in film premiere

WASHINGTON -Former First Lady and now Senator Hillary Clinton, Democrat from New York and Senator John McCain, Republican from Arizona, were the special guests at the July 28 Miramax premiere here of “The Great Raid,” a World War II movie.
The movie is based on “The Great Raid in Cabanatuan” by historian William Breuer and partly on the best-selling “The Ghost Soldiers” by Hampton Sides.
The setting is apt. The 2008 elections is shaping up to be a battle between celebrity with gravitas (Hillary) and a decorated Vietnam War hero and media darling (McCain). Unless Republican Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, younger brother of current President George W. Bush, listens to his dad and changes his mind.
Top Philippine star Cesar Montano will join Benjamin Bratt of the “Law and Order” TV fame and Julia Robert’s ex-boyfriend, at the Hollywood-style, red carpet premiere of “The Great Raid.” Other stars are Joseph Fiennes, star of “Shakespeare in Love” and “Spiderman” co-star James Franco.
The 7 p.m. premiere is sponsored by Miramax Film and Eastman Kodak at Loews Uptown theater on Connecticut Avenue. The movie opens nationwide on Aug. 12.
Montano plays the role of Capt. Juan Pajota of the U.S. Army Forces in the Far East (USAFFE). Pajota led Filipino guerrillas who helped the U.S. Sixth Ranger Battalion carry out one of the most daring and successful missions in American history. The battalion was under the command of Lt.Col. Henry Mucci, played by Bratt.

Pfc. Vernon Abbott, was a member of the Sixth Rangers battalion which rescued over five hundred American POW's in Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija, Philippines.

The January 1945 mission rescued over 500 American and other Allied Prisoners of War (POWs) from a camp in Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija, located north of Manila.
Earlier on July 24, the community held a successful veterans’ benefit screening at the George Washington University, which drew over 200, including some who came from Baltimore. The event sponsors were: The National Capital Region of the National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA), the American Coalition for Filipino Veterans, the Philippine American Foundation for Charities, Inc, and the Philippine Cultural Society at GWU.
Aside from the actual rescue, Filipino guerrillas acted as spies and runners (intelligence couriers). They provided crucial information on camp lay-out and Japanese positions, and also Japanese troop movements in the area before the raid.
Retired U.S. Army Col. Melvin H. Rosen was an able-bodied camp “slave labor” POW moved to Inchon, Korea before the raid. He said, “The rescue would not have been successful without the Filipinos.”
Rosen and retired Private 1st Class Vernon Abbott, 82, were guests at a special screening here July 24. Abbott showed a photo of himself carrying sickly POW Charles Mortimer in the book “The Ghost Soldiers.” POWs too sick to walk were put on waiting carabao sleds after the raid. Many brought copies to the event, including history buff Froilan Tiglao, who asked him to autograph the page.
“I don’t consider myself a hero,” Abbott said in an interview. “They told us the mission was to rescue the POWs, and that’s what we did.” Abbott, then age 21, was near the camp’s front gate, shooting at the searchlights. Daughter Beverly came from North Carolina to accompany him. Event patron Mel Odilao told Abbott: “You’re a hero, let’s give credit where credit is due.”
Bronze Star recipient Lorenzo Hipolito, who was part of the guerrilla roadblock team during the raid, was not present. A former Maryland resident, he’s now in the Philippines. Retired Sgt. First Class Guillermo O. Rumingan, Philippine Scouts, of Virginia, was vacationing in the Philippines. Rumingan was a trusted Pajota intelligence courier during the planning of the raid.
Other guests honored at the program veterans from this area and from New Jersey. They were: Retired US Air Force Maj. Jesse Baltazar, Celestino Almeda, Alberto Bacani, all from Virginia, and Tomas Culanag and Joaquin Tejada of this capital. From New Jersey: Jose Genito, Alfredo Diaz, Ananias Dapa, Vic Martin and Nick Casino. The following week, they went to lobby in Congress.
PAFC board member Maurese O. Owens interviewed Rosen and Abbott at a post-screening program. NaFFAA National Region Chair Bing Branigin enlisted patrons to the event. Former PAFC board member Mitzi Pickard announced the list of patrons and sponsors. PCS president Christine de la Rosa was honored to join the fundraising for the lobbying efforts of the veterans. ACFV Executive Director Eric Lachica thanked Miramax “for generously providing a copy of the film for the screening.”

By Jennie L. Ilustre