Difference between revisions of "Bataan News"

→ → Go back HOME to Zamboanga: the Portal to the Philippines.

Bataan News (view source)

Revision as of 13:19, 9 October 2011

9,676 bytes added , 13:19, 9 October 2011

no edit summary

Jesz143

43,102

edits

@@ Line 4: / Line 4: @@
 <center>[[Bataan Province, Philippines|<font size=4>'''Province of Bataan'''</font>]] - [[Bataan Archived News|<font size=4 color=green>'''Archived News'''</font>]]</center>
 ----
+==Longtime legislator Foy dies at 96==
+*Source: http://www.lcsun-news.com/las_cruces-news/ci_19074153
+*By: Carlos Silva Jr. and Christine Steele
+*''October 09, 2011
+SILVER CITY - The Grant County area lost a piece of history Saturday.
+Thomas P. Foy, a survivor of the Bataan Death March in World War II, and former state legislator, died at age 96.
+Family members said he died of natural causes at his home in Bayard.
+Foy was born is Silver City, and lived in Bayard, Santa Clara, Hurley and the Mining District area for his entire life. He received a Bachelor of Science in Commerce and a Juris Doctorate from Notre Dame University in South Bend, Ind. in 1938 and 1939 respectively.
+Foy lived by the words and philosophy, "Get a good education, work hard, have a good moral compass to guide you, and serve your fellow man. Accept responsibility for the good that you do as well as the mistakes that you make. Enjoy life," his family said.
+In 1940, Foy joined the 200th Coast Artillery Battery of the New Mexico National Guard and was assigned to the Philippines in 1941. The men of the 200th and 515th Coastal Artillery units held out against Japanese forces from December 1941 until April 1942 when Major Gen. Edward P. King Jr. surrendered his troops on the small island of Bataan in the Philippine Islands.
+"He saw the writing on the wall," Foy said of King in a 2008 interview with the Sun-News. "He was ordered not to surrender. It was hopeless to try and defend Bataan."
+Foy, a first lieutenant at the time of the surrender, said the mixed United States and Filipino forces were out of food, out of ammo and "were just about played out" when King made the decision to surrender on April 9, 1942.
+Survival was a long shot.
+Beginning the day of surrender, some 70,000 Filipino and United States soldiers began forced marches across country nearly 60 miles to prison camp O'Donnell.
+The march lasted nearly a week, during which time Foy said soldiers were denied food, water and were forced to sit in the middle of rice paddies for hours in the scorching heat.
+Troops who couldn't walk were bayoneted to death and beaten and run over by tanks or other transport equipment.
+"There were Japs in front of us, Japs behind us, Japs beside us and bayonets all around. If you couldn't walk you were bayoneted to death," Foy said in a 2006 interview with the Sun-News.
+When the captives were finally marched into camp O'Donnell there was insufficient food or water for the captives.
+On June 6, 1942, the Filipino soldiers were granted amnesty and released, while the American prisoners were moved to camp Cabanatuan. In January 1945, 512 prisoners at Cabanatuan were rescued in a military effort known as the Great Raid.
+Many prisoners from Cabanatuan were sent to prison camps in Japan, Korea and Manchuria.
+Foy was part of a group of some 3,000 U.S. troops, along with 24 other officers, sent to Japan. Of the 25 officers in Foy's group, only 13 survived to be rescued in September 1945 shortly after the war ended.
+Foy was honorably discharged from the Army on Oct. 14, 1946. He received the decorated Bronze Star, Purple Heart, the Asian Pacific Ribbon and the New Mexico Distinguished Service Medal. Foy also received an outstanding service award from the Disabled American Veterans. He was a life member of Veterans of Foreign War Post #3347. A member of the American Ex-POW's and an avid supporter of all military and veterans causes.
+After returning from the Philippines, Foy opened his own law practice in Bayard in 1946. In 1948, he married the love of his life, Joan Carney. They had five children and raised and educated them in Bayard in the Cobre Consolidated School District.
+In 1948, he decided to run for District Attorney of the Sixth Judicial District, and beat the incumbent and spent eight years - 1949 to 1956 - in that office.
+After serving as district attorney, he returned to the private practice of law in 1957 and served as a board member and then vice-president of the New Mexico Board of Bar Commissioners.
+In 1970 he decided to run for the state legislature, and represented District 39 from 1970 to 1998.
+"He was a true blue democrat," said former legislator Murray Ryan who served with Foy in the House of Representatives and has known him all his life.
+"His first loyalty was to the Catholic church, then to the Democratic Party," Ryan said.
+While the two didn't always see eye to eye, Ryan said they always remained friends.
+"We got along beautifully and cooperated very well," he said.
+Foy was responsible for the designation of millions of dollars in southern New Mexico counties for local public infrastructure. Some projects include monies for a veteran's nursing center in Truth or Consequenses, a veteran's housing unit at Fort Bayard Medical Center, the construction of Bataan Veterans Park in Santa Clara, the Santa Clara Municipal Building, the Bayard municipal and police and fire buildings, as well as many other helpful construction projects for the betterment of the Grant County Mining District and all of Hidalgo County.
+Raymond G. Sanchez, former New Mexico speaker of the House, also served with Foy and said there was no one more respected than "Tommy."
+"He was a beloved and respected member in the New Mexico House of Representatives," Sanchez said. "When he gave his word, it was always good. When someone needed something, Tommy was there."
+"He was also big help in getting additional funding for the university," Ryan said. "And he was widely respected by the Democrats statewide."
+Foy was a member of the New Mexico Bar Association for 70 years, received numerous awards related to the practice of law. From 1997 to present Foy was appointed as a National Commissioner from New Mexico on the Uniform State Laws Commission. As a result of his lifetime of service and the achievements he made, Foy received a Doctor of Humane Letters also known as an Honorary Doctorate from Western New Mexico University in 2004.
+"After his unbelievable service to this country and the sacrifices he made, and the terrible, terrible persecution and torture that he endured, for him to rise up and be able to accomplish all that he accomplished, I'm pretty sure that was divine ordination," Ryan said.
+Foy was dedicated to God, family, country, community, the law, and Notre Dame football.
+He was a communicant of the Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church in Bayard, and a member of the Knights of Columbus and the Knights of the Holy Sepulercure.
+He founded of the Grant County State Bank to give ordinary folks access to loans and capital to purchase homes, cars and businesses. He served on the bank's board of directors for decades and as its chairman for 14 years. The bank later became Sunwest Bank and is now a branch of Bank of America.
+He helped to subdivide parts of Bayard, and was integral in the development of Bayard and the Cobre Consolidated School District.
+In 1965, the Silver City-Grant County Chamber of Commerce named Foy "Citizen of the Year."
+Foy was also very involved in the Bayard Lions Club and was selected as a Melvin Jones Fellow having been a member for more than 70 years. He served as a past district governor for Lions in southern New Mexico, and was previously the state commander for the VFW, Ryan said.
+He was a current member of Silver City Moose Lodge #1718 and a life member of the Silver City Elks Lodge.
+Last summer, Foy was interviewed by students in Sarah Pineda's art class at Cobre High School for a mural at Bataan Park memorializing veterans like Foy for their sacrifice and service.
+Sanchez felt that Foy lived a good life.
+"I'm glad he went peacefully, but I just thought he was going to live forever," he said. "We were so fortunate to have him for so long."
+Foy was preceded in death by his wife Joan, his son Tom Foy Jr., and his sister Rosemary Stewart. He is survived by two daughters Celia Foy Castillo (and her husband Alvino) and Muffet Foy Cuddy, both of Santa Fe, his sons Carney (and his wife Creta) and Jim (and his wife Valvina) both of Silver City, daughter in-law Suzanne Jollensten of Albuquerque, and nine grandchildren: Celita Castillo of Santa Fe; Felisa Boatwright (and her husband Clark) of Los Lunas; Loren Suzanne Jollensten Foy of Santa Fe; Erin Cuddy of Albuquerque; Reese Cuddy of Albuquerque; Carston Foy of Amarillo, Texas; Caytlyn Foy of Dallas; and Valerie Horton and John Horton (and his companion Marisa) of Albuquerque. Foy also has two great-grandchildren Eleanor Boatwright and Jonathan Horton, and is survived by one sister, Winfred Momsen of Bayard, and one brother J. Franey Foy of Boulder City, Nev.
+Foy was a man of honor and integrity who lived his life to the fullest and always had a smile on his face, his family said.
+Funeral services are pending at Baca's Funeral Chapels of Silver City. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Thomas P. Foy Scholarship Fund, P.O. Box 266 Bayard, NM 88023.
+The fund is just starting, Jim Foy said, and will be used to provide college scholarships to one or two recipients, depending on funding.
+The family has historically set up scholarship funds in lieu of flowers in times of death, Jim Foy said. A scholarship fund was set up by the family when Joan Foy passed away and the fund has awarded a $500 scholarship annually for the last 15 years.
+When Tom Foy Jr. passed away, the family started the Tom Foy Jr., memorial scholarship fund and that has awarded a roughly $1,000 scholarship per year for the past 25 years.
+"Historically my father has helped fund both the above mentioned scholarships, we just thought it was time he had his own," Jim said.
 ==Bataan gov asks SolGen, DENR to probe 300 families' eviction==
 *Source: http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/337047/bataan-gov-asks-solgen-denr-probe-300-families-eviction