Just want to share a pre-war story about our Grandfather

First of all, we're Filipinos. Only a handful of the those in the last three generations emigrated out. But a number of them went abroad to study.

Take the case of our mother's father. In the '20s he went to the US for college. I think he attended Washington State. He even worked at the Seattle canneries. He had the usual amusing stories to tell his grandchildren about his brief stay in the US, but that was it. He returned to the Philippines long before WW2 started, settled down, lived quietly in the province until he died in 1975. He had no participation on either side during the war. The only effect the war had on him was that the occupying Japanese forces banned him from speaking in public or participating in any public function, knowing he studied in America.

Sequi to 2012. Our mother was celebrating her 85th birthday. During the party our sister made a slide presentation in honor of our grandfather. Browsing the internet, and obtaining old files online for only a couple Dollars, she pieced together one fact: our Grandfather took the oath of allegiance (to the US flag?) She showed specimens of his signature in college, in the ship manifesto, and the list of Filipinos who swore allegiance. He was there.

He never told anyone about that particular fact about himself; not to his wife or his children, and definitely not his Grandchildren.