US passes bill giving over 200,000 WW2 Filipino veterans Gold Medal

From Update.Ph (Dec 1): US passes bill giving over 200,000 WW2 Filipino veterans Gold Medal

United States of America House of Representatives on November 30 unanimously passed the Filipino Veterans of World War II Congressional Gold Medal Act (S.1555). It was sponsored by Senator Mazie K. Hirono and Representative Tulsi Gabbard. US Senate unanimously passed the bill in July.

The bill recognizes Filipino soldiers who fought under US command during World War II. A Congressional Gold Medal is an award bestowed by the United States Congress; the Congressional Gold Medal and the Presidential Medal of Freedom are the highest civilian awards in the United States.

“Today, the United States Congress took an historic step forward in honoring the more than 200,000 Filipino and Filipino-American soldiers that served our country during World War II. With unanimous support from the United State Congress, our bill now heads to the President’s desk,” said Representative Gabbard.

“Our Filipino WWII veterans have waited decades for this recognition alongside units like the Tuskegee Airmen and Hawaii’s own 442nd/100th Infantry Battalion with the Congressional Gold Medal—our nation’s highest civilian honor. With just 18,000 of these Filipino World War II veterans still alive today, we cannot afford to wait any longer. I urge the President to sign this bill into law before the year’s end, and honor our veterans with this long-overdue recognition,” she explained.

The bill which will be known as the Filipino Veterans of World War II Congressional Gold Medal Act, awards the medal collectively to the over 260,000 Filipino and Filipino-American soldiers who responded to President Roosevelt’s call-to-duty and fought under the American flag during World War II.

The bill now heads to President Barack Obama for his signature.

http://www.update.ph/2016/12/us-passes-bill-giving-over-200000-ww2-filipino-veterans-gold-medal/11553