‘Hoo-ahs’ for General Taguba
September 24, 2004
“So when you see a soldier, greet him or her, and say, ‘Hoo-ah’ with pride and enthusiasm.”
MAJOR GENERAL ANTONIO M. TAGUBA
Birth date: October 31, 1950
Birthplace: Sampaloc, Manila, in the Philippines
Parents: Father, Tomas; Mother, Maria. Married 57 years.
Childhood: Raised in Cagayan, a province north of Manila. Moved to Hawai‘i at age 11
High school: Leilehua High School, 1968.
Education: B.A., Idaho State Universty 1972, History.
Master’s Degree, Webster University, Public Administration.
Master’s Degree, Salve Regina College, International Relations.
Master’s Degree, Naval War College, National Security and Strategic Studies.
Family: Wife, Debbie. Children, Lindsay, 22, and Sean, 19.
Decorations:
Distinguished Service Medal
Legion of Merit with three oak leaf clusters
Meritorious Service Medal with six oak leaf clusters
Army Commendation Medal with two oak leaf clusters
Army Achievement Medal with one oak leaf cluster
Army General Staff identification badge
Notable: The second Filipino American to achieve the rank of U.S. Army general
The public got its first look at Maj. Gen. Antonio M. Taguba when he testified before a U.S. Senate committee hearing earlier this year about the abuse of Iraqi prisoners at Abu Ghraib. Lawmakers questioned Taguba about his 53-page report that revealed a wide range of blatant abuses committed by soldiers with the 372nd Military Police Company and also by members of the American intelligence community.
Two weeks ago, the general spoke to his own community before the National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFAA) convention in Chicago. Here he told stories about brave soldiers like Pfc. Christopher Hernandez, who felt a rush of empowerment as he defended his unit from an enemy ambush. There was an anonymous captain in Afghanistan who took the offensive against the Taliban even while his unit’s supplies and ammunition were running low.
“We in the Army have a word that has many meanings and is very empowering. The word is ‘hoo-ah’,” Taguba told NaFAA.
“With your indulgence, I want all of us to raise the roof and yell out, ‘Hoo-ah!’”
The general praised the organization for its foresight and achievements in gaining “a foothold in every sector — be it politics, education, corporate enterprise, science, medicine, sports and entertainment, community development, and other disciplines.”
Taguba was promoted to general in 1997, becoming the second highest-ranking Filipino American after Lt. Gen. Edward Soriano, commanding general of 1st Corps at Fort Lewis. Taguba’s background is in the armored division; he commanded a tank company in Germany in the early 1980s. In 2000, he headed the Army’s Community and Family Support Center, a Virginia social services operation for Army families stationed around the world. During the war in Iraq, Taguba has been the deputy commanding general of the Third U.S. Army, now based in Kuwait.
In making his military career choices, Taguba followed in the footsteps of his father. Tomas Taguba fought under Gen. Douglas MacArthur in World War II when the Philippines was a U.S. territory. The elder Taguba survived the Bataan Death March, escaped from the Japanese and joined the underground. After the war, he remained a member of the Army.
On the pronounciation of his last name: “My sister-in-law counted the 17 ways my last name was pronounced or mispronounced when I appeared before Congress in May.”
On his support of House Resolution 677, the Filipino Veterans Equity Act: “There is no statute of limitations in giving recognition to our Filipino American veterans.”
On viewing Abu Ghraib: “It’s hard to understand why they would do something like that, knowingly and without discipline.”
On community leadership: “Leaders like yourselves often have to step up to the plate and tackle issues that matters most regardless of the consequences.”
On racial discrimination: “I can remember several [occasions] when I was a second lieutenant, being called different names. Or my report did not reflect what I thought my performance should be. Or, where I sought to command a unit, or units, that I had to do things twice. Or look for other ways. And it was the hardest thing for a Filipino American, at least from my perspective, to gain a mentor because you have to seek one, and one that would at least have confidence in your abilities. So those memories are engrained in my mind, and I’ve always said that should I ever be in a position to do something a little better, that I was going to do it.”
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