Obama signs law that honors Filipino WWII veterans
STAR-ADVERTISER / AUG. 2015
Filipino veteran Lucio Sanico, second from right, of VFW Post 1572, listened to U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard speak during an informational briefing for Filipino veterans on Aug. 8, 2015 at the Oahu Veterans Center in Moanalua.
President Barack Obama has signed a measure into law that honors Filipino and Filipino-American World War II veterans with the Congressional Gold Medal.
“By signing our bill into law, President Obama recognized these veterans’ courage and perseverance, both during the war and in the decades of battles for benefits that followed,” said U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono in a news release.
“This day is only possible thanks to the commitment of veterans, families and advocates in Hawaii and across the country who worked tirelessly to see this effort through Congress. While this recognition is long-overdue, the Congressional Gold Medal is a fitting tribute to the sacrifice that these veterans made for our country,” she said.
Hirono and U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard introduced companion bills, pushing for the much-deserved recognition of Filipino soldiers.
Gabbard said: “These loyal and courageous soldiers, suffered, fought, with many giving up their lives alongside their American counterparts throughout the war.”
“Though less than 18,000 of our Filipino WWII veterans are still alive today, this recognition is a testament to each and every one of our Filipino WWII veterans who earned and deserve their place amongst our greatest generation,” she said in the release.
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Obama signed the bill into law Wednesday before he is scheduled to depart for Honolulu Friday for his last Hawaii holiday vacation as president.
The congressional gold medal is the nation’s highest civilian award by Congress, recognizing more than 260,000 Filipino and Filipino-American soldiers who fought alongside the U.S. in WWII.
They were promised U.S. citizenship and health and pension benefits but Congress revoked that promise in 1946. Over the past decades, Hawaii’s congressional leaders have been pushing to restore benefits for Filipino veterans.
Today, there are fewer than 10 surviving Filipinos of the war in Hawaii, all who are in their 90s.
In the news release, retired Maj. Gen. Antonio Taguba, a 1968 Leilehua High School graduate who heads the Filipino Veterans Recognition and Education Project, said, “After enduring 75 years of injustice and humiliation, our Filipino World War II veterans regained their honor and dignity when Congress passed the Congressional Gold Medal Award — a historic bill President Obama signed into law today.
“With deep gratitude, our nation has now come to fully recognize the service and sacrifice of our brave heroes who fought valiantly under the American flag,” he added.
10 responses to “Obama signs law that honors Filipino WWII veterans”
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So many died and so many saved 1000’s of Americans lives. About time.
It is good to honor them but why pay them for defending their own country? Never made any sense.
Do we not pay Americans to defend their own country? All they want is what was promised them.
Allie’s an idiot.
OK edit, she’s a numbnut.
Fshnpoi, it may interest you to know that U.S. military retirees were once promised free medical care for life for themselves and their dependents. That promise was in effect when I retired in 1987. Unfortunately, it was just that, a promise, and not a benefit provided by law. Congress revoked the promise because it was costing too much money and created a new military retiree health care benefit for which I now pay more than $400 a month. So much for free. Since the government did not live up to the promises it made to me and other military retirees, I want to be recognized with a Congressional Gold Medal.
Long overdo. They are deserving of the Gold Medal. Obama gives so many of these away to move stars and others who have made little or no contribution to
America but this time he recognized these true hero’s .
Could this not have been signed into law 8 years ago?
Better do it now before Trump deports them.
This is political pandering by our Congressional delegation. The Congressional Gold Medal originally was established to recognize and honor individuals for distinguished service to the country, and that is the way it was until modern times when politicians discovered they could garner votes by introducing resolutions to recognize entire groups consisting of hundreds or even thousands of individuals, as in the case the Filipino and Filipino-American World War II veterans. Most of the groups that received the Congressional Gold Medal for their war time service have been ethnic minorities. The Navajo and other Native American Code Takers got theirs; the black Tuskegee Airmen got theirs; the Women Airforce Service pilots got theirs; Japanese-American members of the 100th Battalion, 442nd Infantry Regiment got theirs; the all-Hispanic 65th Infantry Regiment got theirs and the Filipinos and Filipino-Americans who fought in World War II will get theirs. What about the millions of other Americans, mostly Caucasians, who fought and died in World War II and in other wars? Why are they being ignored and minorities being recognized?