WW II Veteran Bert Pumento celebrates 100th birthday
The Filipino Veterans Recognition & Education Project (FilVetREP) wishes Bert Pumento a happy 100th birthday! The veteran centenarian celebrated his special day on July 12 with his children, grandchildren and great grandchildren at a tourist resort in Lipa, Batangas province.
He has been living with one of his children in San Francisco.
Pumento served with Filipino guerrillas during WWII in Leyte. He later joined the Philippine Scouts (U.S. Army). On October 25, 2017, he was among dozens of Filipino World War II veterans who were honored at the U.S. Capitol’s Emancipation Hall when Congress awarded the Congressional Gold Medal to over 250,000 Filipino and Filipino-American veterans who fought alongside American troops in World War II.
Pumento’s granddaughter, Christine Garcia Pabico (currently president of the Philippine Nurses Association of DC) was at the ceremony with her daughter, Lauren.
“It was a priceless gift to hear him share his stories,” she said. “It made me realize how there is so much about his past we did not know. I am more in awe of him now, hearing what he and his comrades went through at such a young age. The Congressional Gold Medal ceremony was an enduring lesson about sacrifice, courage, resilience, triumph, and fruits of perseverance.”
The veteran centenarian’s birthday is a weeklong celebration and a family reunion of four generations, replete with dinner parties, dancing and excursions.
“Grandpa Bert is still so full of energy,” Christine said.
After the war, Pumento worked for the Veterans Administration, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the Peace Corps, and the University of Hawaii where he retired after 23 years of service. During his retirement, he was active with the Knights of Rizal and various Philippine causes and organizations.
FilVetREP Chairman Maj. Antonio Taguba (Ret) said Pumento’s heroism and service and that of his comrades inspired “Duty to Country,” https://dutytocountry.org/, an
online educational project produced by FilVetREP.org. The project provides compelling historical accounts, oral histories and stories, primary sources, lesson plans and teaching activities, and artifacts depicting the legacy of the Filipinos and Americans who fought in World War II in the Philippines.
In 2017, Filipino Veterans of World War II received the Congressional Gold Medal in recognition of their service during the war. The “Duty to Country” project was started in 2019 to educate the public about the story of Filipinos and American veterans of WWII and the decades-long civil rights struggle to gain recognition and benefits for Filipino veterans denied them after the war.
“We don’t want memories of World War II to disappear from living history,” Taguba said. “Mr. Pumento is a living memory and we congratulate him for his resilience in reaching this milestone in his life. To have served his family, community and country is a fitting tribute to his valor and selfless sacrifice.”
