The Lasting Legacy of the Subic Bay Sailors

ARABIAN GULF

05.01.2019

Story by Petty Officer 2nd Class Ryre Arciaga 

USS Kearsarge (LHD 3)

There are a significant number of Filipinos serving in the U.S. Navy. If you talk to them you’ll discover a lot of them have emigrated from the Philippines before enlisting or have a relative who was in the Navy. Why do so many Filipinos decide to join the Navy and what started the trend?
Filipinos have served in the U.S. Armed Forces since 1901, when President William McKinley authorized up to 500 Filipinos to join the U.S. Insular Force, for the purpose of operating in their local areas as guides to assist gunboat commanders through hazardous waters, as well as serve as mess attendants, musicians and engineers. Their recruitment into the Navy began under the U.S.-Philippine Military Bases Agreement of 1947. Filipinos were allowed to enlist through the U.S. Navy Philippine Enlistment Program (PEP) at Naval Station Subic Bay, Philippines, without the requirement of U.S. immigrant credentials. By the time the program ended in 1992, approximately 35,000 Filipinos had enlisted in the Navy. One of the last to join through this unique program was Chief Warrant Officer Alfredo Bitor Jr.
“I wanted the opportunity to have a better life,” said Bitor, the aircraft crash and salvage officer on board the Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge (LHD 3) and a native of Olongapo City, Philippines. “It’s not that life was bad in the Philippines, but I knew that if I joined the Navy I would be able to progress and grow, both financially and professionally, much faster than I would have if I had continued to work as a licensed electronics communication engineer.”
Before enlisting, Bitor had to go through a lengthy and competitive selection process. Applicants were eligible as early as high school graduation but would have to wait years before they found out if they were accepted, since the age requirement for enlistment was 21.
“I had just graduated high school at the age of 16,” Bitor said. “My mom actually helped me to submit a photo with my name, date of birth and signature. But there was no guarantee I was even going to be accepted. It wasn’t until four years later before I hit the age of 21 that I received a calling card from the recruiting center saying that I was being requested to appear for an enlisted aptitude exam.”
From there Bitor had to make a choice, either continue the process of enlistment or pursue his education as an engineer.
“I had made it my goal to have a profession as an engineer,” Bitor said. “I was attending Mapua Institute of Technology, which was the top engineering school in the Philippines during that time. But as a young kid growing up in Olongapo City, I saw the Sailors who came off the ships for liberty and I knew the opportunity I would have financially if I was able to join. Even though I was worried about what was going to happen with my education, I decided to go and take the test and see if I would be accepted.”
After making the two-hour trip from Manila, his mother dropped him off at the main gate of the base on her way to work at 5 a.m. There he waited with 300 other potential recruits to be picked up on a bus that would take them to the testing facility.
“I was nervous, but also focused on making sure I passed the exam,” Bitor said. “So I came in and took the test, which had questions like basic math and word knowledge. After, they split us into two groups for interviews where they assessed how well we were able to communicate. I remember being asked by the chief how I was doing and I replied, ‘Doing well, sir’. He said that I was tall for a Filipino, to which I said, ‘Sir, I guess I am! You must be short for an American man.’ That got him to laugh and it went very smoothly after that. Out of the 300 initial people, I was one of three who passed the exam and the interview.”
In June 1991, the eruption of Mount Pinatubo, an active volcano in the region, caused the evacuation of Naval Station Subic Bay and delayed Bitor’s application process. In September, the Philippine Senate decided not to renew the lease on Naval Station Subic Bay to the United States. Bitor was uncertain if he would ever have the chance to enlist.
“When I heard they decided to close the base I thought the program was over,” Bitor said. “I was a little disappointed, because by that time I had already completed the rest of the process of taking the ASVAB test. I passed the physical exam and I had turned in all of the required paper work. But we were convened on Jan. 2 and they told us we would be the last groups leaving that year before the base closed.”
All Bitor needed to do was wait to receive his itinerary and social security number before getting assigned a date when he would take the oath of enlistment and leave for boot camp.
“I remember I was called in during Valentine’s Day to give the oath of enlistment,” Bitor recalled. “I was excited to leave, because at that point it was now a reality and it was something new. I would be the first in my family to leave home and live by myself.”
After five years, with nothing but the clothes that were issued to him and 20 dollars in his pocket, Bitor began his naval career.
Today, Naval Station Subic Bay and the PEP have been closed for nearly three decades. The Filipino Sailors who enlisted alongside Bitor are now retired or hold senior positions in the Navy.
“I stayed in the Navy because I wanted to,” Bitor said. “I enjoy my job and I am still physically capable of doing it. Once I can’t do my job anymore then it is time to go. But until that time comes, I will continue to serve. There are only a few of us left who were recruited from Naval Station Subic Bay. From my recruitment group, there are about 10 of us who are still serving as chief warrant officers, master chiefs, lieutenant commanders and one commander.”
There are approximately 5.9 million Filipino Americans and Filipinos in the U.S., of which many are a result of the Filipino tradition of U.S. naval service. Filipinos who join the Navy today are either immigrants with a resident status or naturalized U.S. citizens and have a relative or friend that informed or encouraged them to pursue the opportunities the Navy provides. But they enlist with the same dreams of making a better life for themselves and their families as those who came before them.
“I came from a middle class family that lived in an area that wasn’t the best place to live, but we managed,” said Seaman Elijah Mulles, a Quezon City, Philippines native. “I was 19 years old when my family started the immigration process. It wasn’t cheap to send a family of 11 from the Philippines to America and my Dad went into a lot of debt in order to move our family. We left at different times and we had to deal with spending years apart from each other before we were all finally reunited after 18 years.”
Mulles’ family started a new life in Asheboro, North Carolina. From there he made the choice to enlist.
“My cousin, who was in the Air Force, inspired me to join the military,” Mulles said. “He was the one who told me of all the opportunities I would have and that I could do so much more. I wanted to do something with my life and finish my education so I decided I would join the Navy. It took three years for me to be able to go to boot camp because I had to wait for my paperwork to come in from the Philippines. I also had to go through a background check and get a security clearance. When I went to take the oath of enlistment I couldn’t believe it. I was actually about to be in the Navy.”
The contributions made by the Subic Bay Sailors helped pave the way for Filipinos who came after them. They provided a network and a community that would help future generations transition to their new life in the Navy.
“When I came aboard the Kearsarge I was received and welcomed by Filipinos from all around the ship,” said Ship’s Serviceman Seaman Charmaine Joy Napila, a San Diego native. “They helped make ship life easier for me. I was able to make plenty of friends and find mentors who motivated me and helped me get the qualifications I needed. But most importantly they made the ship feel like a home away from home.”
Additionally, these pioneers added to the diversity of the Navy by sharing their culture and values with their Shipmates.
“The PEP established a Filipino culture and identity in the Navy and gave rise to a legacy of Sailors who are family and culture oriented, proud, hardworking and naturally friendly,” Bitor said. “The impact my generation made in the Navy is seen in the Sailors who have inherited our military life and take our success stories as inspiration, motivation and standard for service in the Navy.”
As the last of the Subic Bay Sailors gradually turn over and are relieved by a newer generation, they leave behind a foundation for future Sailors to build upon.
“The Navy allows for different cultures to thrive, succeed and become part of its long history and rich traditions,” Bitor said. “The military is one way you can serve our country, receive valuable life experiences and benefits conducive to stability. I challenge the new generation to take advantage of the opportunity, excel to be the best in your field and represent our culture proudly.”
May is the month the Navy joins the nation in celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. During this month the Navy will recognize the contributions and challenges that the AAPI community faces to help promote an inclusive and diverse environment.
For more information about AAPI Heritage Month, and to learn more about Asian American and Pacific Islanders’ legacy of service in the Navy, visit https://www.history.navy.mil/browse-by-topic/diversity/asian-americans-pacific-islanders-in-the-navy.html
For more news from USS Kearsarge (LHD 3), visit http://www.navy.mil/local/lhd3/ and “Like” https://www.facebook.com/kearsarge.

• Date Taken: 05.01.2019
• Date Posted: 05.03.2019 14:05
• Story ID: 320650
• Location: ARABIAN GULF