Updated November 16, 2018
The Return of the Bells of Balangiga to the Republic of the
Philippines, in Context
Background on the Balangiga Massacre
Prohibition on the Return of Veterans
On September 28, 1901, during the Philippine-American
Memorial Objects
War (1899-1902), Filipino guerrillas reportedly rang the
Federal law (10 U.S.C. §2572(e)) prohibits the transfer by
bells of the Catholic Church at Balangiga, a small town on
the United States of any “veterans memorial object” to a
the eastern island of Samar, to signal an attack on U.S.
foreign country or entity controlled by a foreign
troops who were occupying the town. The guerillas
government or to any person or entity for the purpose of an
ambushed soldiers of Company C, 9th Infantry Regiment
ultimate transfer to a foreign government or entity. The law
outside the army barracks. An estimated 44 to 48 American
defines a veteran’s memorial object as any object or
soldiers were killed and dozens more were wounded.
physical structure that:
Brigadier General Jacob F. Smith launched a retaliatory
 Is located at a National Cemetery, war memorial, or
campaign, ordering the 11th Infantry Regiment to burn
military installation in the United States;
Balangiga, to turn Eastern Samar into a “howling
wilderness,” and to shoot any Filipino male above 10 years
 Is dedicated to or otherwise recognizes the death in
of age. Thousands of Filipinos, including non-combatants,
combat or combat-related duties of members of the
were killed. Smith was court-martialed for his brutality and
armed forces; and
forced to retire. The 11th Infantry seized all three church
bells—some refer to them as “war trophies.” One bell was
 Was brought to the United States from abroad before
given to the 9th Infantry. The 11th Infantry took two bells
1907 as a memorial of combat abroad.
and returned with them to Fort D.A. Russell (now F.E.
Warren Air Force Base) in Cheyenne, Wyoming, in 1904.
The prohibition on the transfer of veterans memorial objects
In 1967, the two bells from Fort D.A. Russell were placed
expires on September 30, 2022.
in a curved red brick wall constructed as a memorial at
Warren AFB with a bronze plaque between the bells
NDAA Provisions in FY2000, FY2006 and FY2013
recounting the massacre at Balangiga. See Figure 1.
The first moratorium on returning the bells was attached to
the FY2000 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA)
The bells remained at the fort while the 9th Infantry kept its
(P.L. 106-65, Section 1051) enacted on October 5,
bell and has it on display at the U.S. Army’s Camp Red
1999. This provision was a response to the Clinton
Cloud, Uijeongbu, South Korea.
Administration’s willingness to return one of the bells to
the Philippines, in cooperation with then President of the
Figure 1. Two of the Bells of Balangiga on Display in
Philippines Fidel Ramos’ efforts to obtain the bells during
Wyoming
the 1990s. Ramos proposed a compromise for the United
States and the Philippines to share the two bells in
Wyoming. The bells would be recast and duplicates made
with both the United States and the Philippines receiving an
original and a duplicate bell. The Philippine government
expressed willingness to absorb the costs involved.
However, U.S. veterans groups, including the Veterans of
Foreign Wars, and the Wyoming congressional delegation
opposed the bells return. In the 2000s, then governor of
Wyoming, Dave Freudenthal, also opposed their return.
Opposition in the United States centered on the “dangerous
precedent” of destroying the veterans memorial at Warren
Air Force Base if the bells were removed according to
members of the Wyoming congressional delegation.
Continuing opposition by several veterans groups and

politicians in the United States over the years halted any
Source: Wyoming State Historical Society website at
further discussion. Subsequently, Congress passed the
https://www.wyohistory.org/encyclopedia/bel s-balangiga
FY2006 NDAA (P.L. 109-163, Section 1061) on January 6,

2006, which extended the moratorium through FY2010.
This provision was again extended to September 30, 2017,
in the FY2013 NDAA (P.L. 112-239, Section 355), enacted

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The Return of the Bells of Balangiga to the Republic of the Philippines, in Context
on January 2, 2013. That was the status until the FY2018
old bell to Japan, in a ceremony attended by then Secretary
provision was enacted on December 17, 2017.
of the Navy James H. Webb, Jr., on July 22, 1987, after
years of diplomatic wrangling. The Gokoku-ji Bell was
FY2018 NDAA Authorization of Return
transported to Okinawa at Japanese expense and remains on
of the Bells of Balangiga
display in the Okinawa Prefectural Museum. A replica was
While the memorial wall at Warren AFB, including the
made of the original bell and is on display at the Academy.
Bells of Balangiga, meets the definition of a veterans
memorial object, a provision in the NDAA for FY2018
Dai Sen Zen-ji Bell at the Virginia Military Institute
(P.L. 115-91) specifically authorizes the return of all three
During the Battle of Okinawa in June 1945, a 15th century
bells to the Republic of the Philippines if certain conditions
Buddhist bell, also known as the Daishozen-Ji Bell, was
are met. Section 2864(c) of the FY2018 NDAA authorizes
seized by the U.S. Sixth Marine Division, and presented as
the transfer of the Bells of Balangiga to the Republic of the
a gift to their commanding officer, Major General Lemuel
Philippines if the Secretary of Defense certifies to Congress
C. Shepherd Jr., on June 21, 1945. Shepherd later donated
that such transfer is in the national security interest of the
the bell to his alma mater the Virginia Military Institute
United States and that
(VMI) in 1955, where it was displayed next to the college
library. In September 1990, Oshiro Shinjun, then a member
appropriate steps have been taken to preserve the
of the Japanese Parliament, wrote to the superintendent at
history of the veterans associated with the object,
VMI, asking for the bell to be returned. VMI agreed. The
including consultation with associated veterans
bell was returned in June 1991.The cost of the bell’s return
organizations and government officials in the State
was paid by the nongovernmental Shuri Castle
of Wyoming, as appropriate.
Commission, the entity in charge of displaying the bell in
front of the ancient Shuri Castle in Naha, Okinawa.
The actual transfer of the Bells of Balangiga to the Republic
of the Philippines may not take place until at least 90 days
San Pedro Bell at the West Point Catholic Chapel
after this certification to Congress by the Secretary of
Similar to the Balangiga Bells, the San Pedro Bell dating
Defense. On August 9, 2018, Defense Secretary Mattis
from 1883, was removed by the U.S. Army from the
notified Congress regarding the return of the Bells in a
Catholic Church of St. Peter and Paul in Bauang, La Union,
confidential letter to members of the House and Senate
Philippines, during the Philippine-American War. In 1915,
Armed Services Committees. “We are aware that the Bells
Thomas H. Berry, then superintendent of West Point,
of Balangiga have deep significance for a number of
obtained the bell for the Holy Trinity Catholic Chapel on
people, both in the United States and in the Philippines,”
post but it was stored until 1959.
Mattis said in a statement.
During the 1980s, the bell was discovered and placed
On November 14, 2018, during a ceremony at F.E. Warren
outside of the chapel. In 2015, retired U.S. Navy rear
AFB in Cheyenne, Defense Secretary Mattis announced the
admiral and military historian, Dan McKinnon led the effort
return of the three Bells to the Philippines. Jose Manuel
to return the bell. He had served in the Philippines during
Romualdez, the Philippine Ambassador to the United
the Vietnam War and researched the Philippine-American
States, also attended the ceremony. These two bells will be
War when he uncovered the history of the bell while
shipped first to a facility in Philadelphia to make them
researching the Balangiga Bells. McKinnon worked with
ready for shipment to South Korea where the third bell
Filipino historians, U.S. veterans, and Reverend Ronald
resides. All three bells are then slated to be returned to the
Chan, of the Church of St. Peter and Paul, to advocate for
Philippines by the end of the year.
the bell’s return. Chan wrote to then West Point
Return of Bells Captured in War
Superintendent, Lieutenant General Robert Caslen, asking
for the San Pedro Bell to be returned like other cultural
The Balangiga Bells are not the only seized bells displayed
relics returned from wartime Asia. In January 2016, Caslen
by the U.S. military. During times of conflict, some experts
agreed as “a gesture of goodwill and recognition of
say, church and temple bells were taken not only as war
America and the Philippines’ enduring relationship.” The
souvenirs but also removed strategically to prevent them
bell was rung for the last time at West Point on April 29,
from being melted down to make weapons. At least three
2016. It was shipped to the Philippines and installed in front
other bells were also considered war relics at the time they
of St. Peter and Paul Church on May 23, 2016.
were taken, and later displayed at military institutions until
they were recently returned to their country of origin.
CRS Products
Gokoku-ji Bell at the U.S. Naval Academy
CRS In Focus IF10250, The Philippines, by Thomas Lum and
Commodore Matthew Perry brought this bronze bell dating
Ben Dolven
from 1465 back from Okinawa, Japan, in 1853.
Historically, it is unclear whether Perry’s men took the bell,
then located at the entrance to the harbor, or whether it was

given as a diplomatic gift. Nevertheless, Perry intended for
it to be placed inside the Washington Monument which was
Barbara Salazar Torreon, btorreon@crs.loc.gov, 7-8996
being constructed. However, after Perry’s death in 1858,
Scott D. Szymendera, sszymendera@crs.loc.gov, 7-0014
the bell was donated by his widow to the Naval Academy,
and placed in front of Bancroft Hall where officials rang the
IF10990
bell on special occasions. The Navy returned the 500-year-
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