Lawmakers renew push for Congressional Gold Medal for Filipino veterans

FOLLOWING the introduction of a bipartisan bill that would award more than 260,000 Filipino and Filipino-American soldiers who fought for the United States during World War II, Rep. Mike Honda (D-Calif.) announced his support for the legislation.

“The bill will honor the selflessness of so many Filipinos who fought to ensure an American victory during WWII,” Honda said in a statement issued on Thursday, June 25. “These veterans made the ultimate sacrifice to protect our nation even though they were citizens of another country.”

The measure, The Filipino Veterans of World War II Congressional Gold Medal Act of 2015 (HR 2737/S 1555), was introduced on June 11 by a bipartisan and bicameral group of legislators that expressed appreciation for the Filipino-American community and for Filipinos who served during World War II.

HR 2737 is supported by 16 members of Congress, including: Sens. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Dean Heller (R-Nev.), Harry Reid (D-Nev.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) and US Reps. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii), Mark Takai (D-Hawaii), Joe Heck (R-Nev.), Mike Thompson (D-Calif.), Jackie Speier (D-Calif.) and Juan Vargas (D-Calif.)

Reid said in a statement that he was pleased to be a lead sponsor of the legislation.

“Throughout my career I have been a fierce advocate for the Filipino community, which is why I made sure the Recovery Act of 2009 created a compensation fund for Filipino veterans who fought in World War II but have been denied the benefits they deserve,” he said.

Honda, in a statement, said that because of their service during the war, he fought to secure benefits and recognition for Filipino World War II veterans during his seven years as chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC).

“I led CAPAC’s efforts to include compensation for Filipino WWII veterans as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act that was signed into law,” he said.

Of the nearly quarter-million Filipino World War II veterans, only about 40,000 remain alive, most of whom are in their 90s.

“Time is running out for the diminishing number of Filipino World War II veterans who fought and sacrificed alongside American servicemen. We as a nation made a promise to these veterans that must be kept,” Hirono said in a statement.

Takai said in a statement he was pleased to witness Filipino veterans of World War II receive the recognition they deserve.

“It is the moral obligation of the United States to provide recognition to the Philippine Army veterans who served alongside our troops in the Pacific,” he said.

Among those who also called for the gold medal is Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Tony Taguba, a Filipino American who is best known for releasing “The Taguba Report,” which documented the torture and abuse that took place at the Abu Ghraib prison.

“For over 70 years, the Filipino [World War II soldiers] have sought recognition for their courageous actions and selfless service in defending the United States and Philippines,” Taguba said, according to a news release. “Despite having their benefits rescinded by the [US] Congress in 1946, they maintained their unwavering loyalty to the US We are eternally grateful for their faithful and dedicated service. They have earned national recognition from the [US] Congress proven by the thousands of lives lost in combat, and for those wounded for life.”

Arturo Garcia, national coordinator of Justice for Filipino American Veterans (JFAV), said the organization supports the awarding of a gold medal to Filipino veterans. The organization previously did not back the medal, as it would have been given only to those who fought in Bataan.

“We didn’t want to support something that was very exclusive. It was very exclusive because they were only giving [the medal] to the Bataan survivors. Out of the almost 460,000 Filipino soldiers that fought during [World War II], only 70,000 fought in Bataan. Now that they made it inclusive, we are for it now,” Garcia said.

Although JFAV is now in support of the proposed recognition, he said Filipino veterans deserve more than what he called ‘paper glory,’ as issuing a Congressional Gold Medal generally costs $30,000.

“It’s a one-day announcement of glory. After 70 years, we are not chasing after ‘paper glory,’ we want the real thing,” he said, referring to compensation for Filipino veterans.

Reid said it is impossible to fully repay the debt owed to Filipino World War II veterans, but that the medal is a step toward correcting past wrongs.

“This medal will stand as a testament to the sacrifice of these heroes and to the patriotism of their community,” he said.

Recipients of the Congressional Gold Medal are persons “who have performed an achievement that has an impact on American history and culture that is likely to be recognized as a major achievement in the recipient’s field long after the achievement.”

“Awarding these Filipino WWII veterans with Congressional Gold Medals is the least we can do to recognize the often-forgotten bravery of these service members,” Honda said.

A measure to award Filipino World War II veterans a Congressional Gold Medal was previously introduced in January 2013 by then Rep. Colleen Hanabusa (D-Hawaii). The bill was referred to the Committee on Financial Services, House Financial Services and House Administration but was not enacted. (with reports from GMA News, NBC News and The Hill)