A Filipino war veteran, whose name appears on the World War II Wall of Honor at Oncenter Complex in Syracuse, New York, as the first Fil-Am veteran on the wall, died before being compensated for his service to the United States military, the Filipino Reporter has learned. Jose "Joe" Pagcaliwagan, 81, who spied on the Japanese for American forces when he was a teenager using bean cans connected with fiber, died on July 23 at Richmond University Medical Center on Staten Island, N.Y., with his application for vet compensation lost in red tape.

His wife of 48 years, Emma Pagcaliwagan, who resides in the Liverpool area since the early 60s, said she applied for the money in the spring, but said the government office that handles the applications in the Philippines lost the application. So, she said, she sent in another one but no one has replied so far.

Under the approved $787 billion economic stimulus package that contains $198 million to pay members of guerrilla forces who helped the U.S. Armed Forces during World War II, Pagcaliwagan was entitled to get $15,000 as a living Filipino veteran who became a U.S. citizen. Those who did not become U.S. citizen will get $9,000 each.

It is not yet clear if Pagcaliwagan's application would count, with his papers in limbo at the time of his death. But under the law, if the veteran died after applying, the Department of Veterans Affairs would award the money to his living spouse.

Mrs. Pagcaliwagan said if her husband's application gets recognized and she gets the money, she would donate it to charities in the Philippines.

R. Sonny Sampayan, a Fil-Am Vietnam veteran of the U.S. Air Force, told the Filipino Reporter he will look into the status of Pagcaliwagan's application.

"I am now working directly with the Department of the Veterans Affairs in Washington to find out the status of his case," Sampayan said.

Teen guerrilla

As a member of the Filipino guerrilla force, the teen spy used his native language to give away Japanese positions. He got caught once, but a high-ranking Japanese official let him go. He then met American Black Hawk forces and asked them to take him on a planned invasion of Tokyo. But with the attack of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the war ended and the invasion never occurred.

After the war, Pagcaliwagan enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1946 and was sent to San Francisco and then to Norfolk, Virginia. He was in the Navy for six years and spent three of them on the boxing team.

In 1952, shortly after being discharged, he enrolled at the University of Colorado at Boulder. There, he entered the engineering program despite low English scores. His math and science were excellent though, said his widow.

Pagcaliwagan graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering (with honors) and joined General Electric in Syracuse. He worked for the company for 35 years, creating proposals for anti-ballistic missiles and developing top secret programs for the U.S. Government. He also attended MIT, Boston University, Syracuse University, and Cornell University and received his Ph.D. in radar studies, ballistic missiles, and sonar and nuclear program through GE's ABC course.

He worked with NASA, Boeing, McDonald Douglas, Raytheon, and Teledyne and Texas Instruments, developing heavy defense systems for GE in Philadelphia and Los Angeles, California. He also worked for the VP of McDonald Douglas on a $900 million military contract.

Pagcaliwagan contributed to the design of the lithotripsy machine while at GE that was sold to Strong Memorial Hospital for $40,000, which now is worth $400 million and is being used around the world. He was also credited for contributing to the design of the lunar module as a consultant to NASA. He was a lecturer and professor of radar studies for GE.

According to an article in The Post-Standard, by Michelle Breidenbach, Pagcaliwagan served in the guerrilla service, a group that cooperated with the U.S. Armed Forces of the Far East (USAFFE). He joined the group in 1941, his wife said.

That year, U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt, through Gen. Douglas MacArthur, called the Filipino soldiers to serve with the USAFFE in the fight against the Japanese. Congress made a promise to the Filipino soldiers that they could become U.S. citizens and receive the health, pay and other benefits of U.S. soldiers. In 1945, President Harry Truman acknowledged the contributions of the Filipinos who fought in the USAFFE.

In 1946, however, Congress decided that Filipino service in the war was not deemed U.S. military service. The U.S. instead gave the Philippine Government grants to help the Veterans Memorial Medical Center in the Philippines to upgrade its equipment and plant.

The promise never left the minds of the Filipino people, Mrs. Pagcaliwagan said.

"They were hurt. They were disappointed, and they were frustrated," she said. Pagcaliwagan turned the broken promise into a personal mission. "My husband said, 'If I can't get what they promised, then I will go to America and I will make my own money,'" she said.

"He was always a student, observer, researcher and instructor," Mrs. Pagcaliwagan said. "He's a self-taught man, and he has great wisdom."

He joined the ranks of the other proud minority veterans who served during World War II and went on to live and work in the local community. At the time of his death, he was paralyzed from a stroke and suffered from recurring pneumonia and other infections, his widow said.

Pagcaliwagan also left behind a son, Joseph (Heather) Pagcaliwagan Jr.; a daughter, Dr. Lorene (Randy) Pagcaliwagan-Davies; and a granddaughter, Kaileie Pagcaliwagan. He was buried on Aug. 1 at Onondaga County Veterans Cemetery with military honors, following a mass at the Cathedral of Immaculate Conception.