José B. Nísperos Explained
José Balitón Nísperos (December 30, 1887 - September 1, 1922) was a member of the Philippine Scouts who received the Medal of Honor during the Moro Rebellion.[4] He was the first Asian to be awarded the medal.[5] On September 24, 1911, at Lapurap, Basilan, Philippines, Nísperos, a member of the U.S. Army's 34th Company of the Philippine Scouts, defended his unit's position against natives armed with spears despite being severely wounded.[6] Nísperos became the first Filipino and Asian to receive the Medal of Honor; the medal was presented by Brigadier General Bell in February 1913.[7] [8]
Nisperos joined the Philippine Scouts in December 1907. Due to wounds suffered in his MOH action, he was discharged at the rank of corporal for disability in June 1912.[9]
Medal of Honor 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.[10]
See also
References
External links
- Web site: Jose B. Nisperos . . The Hall of Valor Project . Sightline Media Group .
Notes and References
- News: After 100 years, Pinoy hero reburied with military honors . Jun Elias . ABS CBN News . 3 April 2012 . 16 November 2012.
- Web site: Jose Nisperos, First Asian MOH Winner. Jose Nisperos was born in 1887, and in 1907 enlisted in the Scouts in his hometown of San Fernando. Nisperos was honorably discharged and served as a local policeman until his death in 1922.. 25 November 2011.
- News: Forgotten hero to be reburied in Clark . Ding Cervantes . Philippine Star . 2 November 2011 . 18 February 2013 . There's no Halloween story over the unpainted, unnamed tomb of Pvt. Jose Nisperos of the Philippine Scouts in a public cemetery in Barangay Lingsat, San Fernando, La Union..
- News: Sotelo . Yolanda . 11 June 2012 . Missing US medal of honor returned to heirs of Filipino soldier . Philippine Daily Inquirer . 6 May 2018 .
- Book: James R. Arnold. The Moro War: How America Battled a Muslim Insurgency in the Philippine Jungle, 1902-1913. 26 July 2011. Bloomsbury USA. 978-1-60819-024-9. 190–191.
Book: Carina A. Del Rosario. Wing Luke Asian Museum (Seattle, Wash.). A different battle: stories of Asian Pacific American veterans. 1999. Wing Luke Asian Museum. 9780295979199.
- Web site: Jose B. Nisperos . Military Times . Army Times Publishing Company . 2009-06-07.
- News: After 90 years, US Medal of Honor returned to heirs of Filipino soldier . Yolanda Sotelo . . Asia News Network . 14 June 2012 . 17 June 2012 . 25 December 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20121225221732/http://www.stripes.com/news/us/after-90-years-us-medal-of-honor-returned-to-heirs-of-filipino-soldier-1.180338 . dead .
- Web site: After 90 years of searching, missing medal for valor of Filipino hero returned . 14 June 2012 . San Fernando City . Republic of the Philippines . 17 November 2012 . 11 March 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140311021112/http://www.sanfernandocity.gov.ph/news/news251.php . dead .
Book: Philippine Magazine. 1911. 1.
- Register of Enlistments in the US Army, 1798-1914
- Web site: 2007-11-24 . José B. Nísperos, Medal of Honor recipient . Philippine Insurrection . . 2007-12-14 . https://web.archive.org/web/20071214025517/http://www.history.army.mil/html/moh/philippine.html . dead .
