MANILA, Philippines — Filipino veterans of World War II were collectively given a Congressional Gold Medal by the United States Congress on Wednesday at the Capitol in Washington D.C., the American Legislature’s highest expression of national appreciation for distinguished achievements and contributions.
“We are here to immortalize the legacy of these great liberators who have paved the way for generations to follow,” said U.S. Speaker of the House Paul Ryan.
“On behalf of all of us, to the family members and the veterans, thank you, thank you, thank you for being here today,” Ryan told the veterans and their families present during the awarding ceremony on Wednesday.
The award was bestowed on the Filipinos after the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives enacted Public Law 114-265 or the Filipino Veterans of World War II Congressional Gold Medal Act.
Six veterans, including 100-year-old Celestino Almeda, and their next of kin accepted the medal on behalf of the Filipino veterans.
“Many have passed away, waiting for 75 years for this time to come,” Almeda said, who received a standing ovation from the audience when he disclosed his age.
“After the war, thousands of us felt under-appreciated and unrecognized for fighting for our country. I wondered why and what else we could have done in defeating the enemy, in defending the United States of America and bringing victory during a long war in the Philippines. But we stand loyal to our country, relied on our faith and prayer, we thanked the Lord for watching over us throughout this long ordeal,” he said.
Almeda continued, “To my fellow soldiers, present and many who could not be here, to our families, thank you for sharing this glorious day. As the saying goes, old soldiers never die, they just fade away!”
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said the medal recognizes the 250,000 veterans’ “extraordinary heroism” and honors their “fierce devotion to freedom and their noble sacrifice.”
“They are now in the pantheon of heroes as freedom fighters and defenders of democracy,” she said.
“For centuries, Filipinos have enriched our nation and made America more American with their courage, their determination, (and) their optimism for the future,” added Pelosi.
Senator Mazie Hirono recounted the Filipino veterans’ long journey to reap the benefits and citizenship they were promised in exchange for risking their lives.
According to her, the U.S. Congress reneged on this promise in 1946, and “their service was practically erased from American records.”
But the veterans organized and fought for what they earned, and in 1990, the U.S. Congress finally awarded them American citizenship.
Their struggle didn’t end there, she said. Many of them were impoverished because they didn’t have the benefits they were promised.
“After another long fight,” Hirono said, the late Senator Daniel Inouye pushed for the Philippine Veterans Equity Compensation Fund, allotting thousands of dollars for living veterans.
However, many veterans couldn’t access this because they didn’t have the proper documentation.
Hirono was proud to say they were able to pass new legislation that would make it easier for the veterans to prove their service and receive their benefits.
According to her, only 18,000 Filipino veterans are living today.
Hawaii Representative Tulsi Gabbard said of the “loyal and courageous soldiers” that, “for far too long, their service and sacrifice have gone unrecognized in the United States.”
“Thank you so much for your service and sacrifice,” she said.
For his part, California Representative Ed Royce recalled visiting the Philippines with the United States Agency for International Development after Super Typhoon Yolanda struck in 2013, where he found a “reminder of the battlefields” in Corregidor and Bataan.
He said this was a reminder that when the “world needed it most,” these young Filipino volunteers came forward, even as nearly one in four would perish in the war.