Congressional Gold Medal Honor for Filipino World War II Veterans Set for October 25

Yesterday, Senator Mazie Hirono (D-HI)and Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) announced that Congress will finally honor Filipino World War II veterans with its highest civilian honor, the Congressional Gold Medal, at a ceremony in the U.S. Capitol on October 25th. The ceremony is a result of Hirono and Gabbard’s bill to honor the over 260,000 Filipino and Filipino American soldiers who fought on behalf of the U.S. in WWII. “The presentation of the Congressional Gold Medal to our Filipino World War II veterans is the culmination of decades of work to honor these veterans for their service to our country,” said Hirono. “These veterans and their families overcame many challenges in their fight for compensation, family reunification, and verification of wartime service.” Gabbard continued, “Their sacrifices were left untold in the United States for decades ... I am proud that we can correct the record today, and finally honor the service and sacrifice of these heroes and their families, and ensure they are never forgotten.” The ceremony will be livestreamed on speaker.gov/live. Filipino World War II veterans and their families who are interested in participating in the ceremony and receiving a bronze replica medal should register through the Filipino Veterans Recognition and Education Project at www.filvetrep.org/registry. More here.