PVAO TURNS OVER US CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR TO NISPEROS FAMILY
Zf924. Finally, the US Medal of Honor has been officially turned over to the family of Private Jose B. Nisperos on 22 July 2021 in San Fernando, La Union. Representatives from PVAO and the Field Service Extension Office (FSEO) in La Union met with the Nisperos Family at the City Hall. This is a PVAO image.
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The pictures and story have been copied from this PVAO Webpage, click here:
This is the text:
The US Congressional Medal of Honor is the highest and most prestigious military decoration presented by the United States government to a member of its armed forces. The recipient must have distinguished himself at the risk of his own life above and beyond the call of duty in action against an enemy of the United States. Due to the nature of this medal, it is commonly presented posthumously.
Private Jose B. Nisperos served under the 34th Company of the Philippine Scouts during the Moro Rebellion at the time of the Philippine-American War. Despite having been unable to stand after receiving several spear wounds in the body resulting to a broken and lacerated left arm, Private Nisperos continued to fire his rifle with one hand until the enemy was repulsed. This heroic act aided materially in preventing the annihilation of his party and the mutilation of their bodies.
Private Nisperos was awarded the Medal of Honor (MOH) on 3 February 1913, marking him as the first Asian to be awarded the US Medal of Honor for his bravery during the Filipino American-War.
Unfortunately, the original MOH was sold to an antique collector back in April 2011, but was returned to the family in June 2012. After its unveiling at the City Veteran’s Wall at the San Fernando, La Union City Hall on 20 March 2015, the MOH went missing as it was presumably stolen.
After going through a lengthy quest to retrieve the missing medal, the great granddaughter of Private Nisperos, Mrs. Maria Delilah Gregorio V. Turzar, wrote to the US Army Human Resource Command (HRC) on 15 September 2020 to ask for a replacement.
With the assistance of MGen Antonio Taguba, a retired US Army officer, the replacement was finally issued and was then sent to the Philippine Veterans Affairs Office (PVAO) through Commo Elson K. Aguilar, then Chief of the Office of the Veterans Affairs in Washington DC. Unable to hold a formal turn-over ceremony because of the pandemic, PVAO opted to have the medal personally delivered to the family in San Fernando, La Union.
Finally, the US Medal of Honor has been officially turned over to the family of Private Jose B. Nisperos on 22 July 2021 in San Fernando, La Union. Representatives from PVAO and the Field Service Extension Office (FSEO) in La Union met with the Nisperos Family at the City Hall of San Fernando to hold a simple turn-over ceremony in the presence of City Mayor Hermenegildo Andaya Gualberto, City Administrator Atty. Nancy Dilaoen, and PMaj Lawrence Ganuelas.
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Zf924. Finally, the US Medal of Honor has been officially turned over to the family of Private Jose B. Nisperos on 22 July 2021 in San Fernando, La Union. Representatives from PVAO and the Field Service Extension Office (FSEO) in La Union met with the Nisperos Family at the City Hall of San Fernando to hold a simple turn-over ceremony in the presence of City Mayor Hermenegildo Andaya Gualberto, City Administrator Atty. Nancy Dilaoen, and PMaj Lawrence Ganuelas. This is a PVAO image.
Zf925. Finally, the US Medal of Honor has been officially turned over to the family of Private Jose B. Nisperos on 22 July 2021 in San Fernando, La Union. Representatives from PVAO and the Field Service Extension Office (FSEO) in La Union met with the Nisperos Family at the City Hall of San Fernando to hold a simple turn-over ceremony in the presence of City Mayor Hermenegildo Andaya Gualberto, City Administrator Atty. Nancy Dilaoen, and PMaj Lawrence Ganuelas. This is a PVAO image.
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From Wikipedia, click here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jos%C3%A9_B._N%C3%ADsperos
Zf926.
Medal of Honor citation
- Nisperos, Jose B.
- Rank and organization:Private, 34th Company, Philippine Scouts.
- Place and date:Lapurap, Basilan, Philippine Islands, September 24, 1911.
- Entered service at:San Fernandos Union, Philippine Islands
- Born:San Fernandos Union, Philippine Islands
- Citation:
Having been badly wounded (his left arm was broken and lacerated and he had received several spear wounds in the body so that he could not stand) continued to fire his rifle with one hand until the enemy was repulsed, thereby aiding materially in preventing the annihilation of his party and the mutilation of their bodies
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Zf927. Jose Nisperos, First Asian MOH Recipient, was born in 1887, and in 1907 enlisted in the Scouts in his hometown of San Fernando, La Union. Nisperos was honorably discharged and served as a local policeman until his death in 1922.
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An emotional report of the MOH being presented to Private Jose B. Nisperos
It happened on a sunny afternoon 5pm Monday the 3rd Feb. 1913 at one of the holiest (historic) squares in the Philippines, the Luneta Square.
Major General J, Franklin Bell, commanding officer of the Philippines division in the name of the United States of America and in uniform of his rank, stepped forward fifty feet across the soft sward of the Luneta and presented to a Filipino private the soldier’s Medal of Honor.
There were 5 thousand spectators; including left and right, on the terraces and windows of the Manila Hotel and the Army and Navy Club.
A full regiment of his countrymen in three battalions sides on this hallow square were formed up in parade formation.
Zf929. 1914 4 5 FORT LEAVENWORTH KANSAS NEWS PVT Jose B Nispero receives MOH, cropped. This news article was sent to me by the researcher of the writing team of the new book “Relentless Hope: A True Story of War and Survival, by David L. Britt”.
The team is on my mailing list and got aware of this Filipino Hero, John Duresky sent this article and wrote this:
Thanks Karl. I’m always interested to learn of these heroes. I wanted to see if I could find about him in Newspapers.com and located the attached article which writes about his actions and the original medal presentation ceremony in detail. I see in the first link below in the upper LH photo it looks like someone is holding an old newspaper with some damage on it. If you like, maybe you can get this to some family member who might like to read the article if they haven’t already. Attached are the full page and just the part about Pvt. Nispero.
John
Note from Karl, he is talking about the below picture displayed and which can be found in this PVAO URL, click here:
I will try to do that with the help of the San Fernando City, La Union.
Zf924. Finally, the US Medal of Honor has been officially turned over to the family of Private Jose B. Nisperos on 22 July 2021 in San Fernando, La Union. Representatives from PVAO and the Field Service Extension Office (FSEO) in La Union met with the Nisperos Family at the City Hall of San Fernando to hold a simple turn-over ceremony in the presence of City Mayor Hermenegildo Andaya Gualberto, City Administrator Atty. Nancy Dilaoen, and PMaj Lawrence Ganuelas. This is a PVAO image.
The complete article and the cropped article can be downloaded from these URLs in my Flickr account:
Flickr URL complete article, click here:
Flickr cropped article, click here:
Flickr High Resolution album #3, click here: