The Congressional Gold Medal

In 2009, after more than 60 years of activism, Congress included Filipino veterans benefits in the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. At long last, some material benefits were achieved for the relatively few remaining veterans still alive. The law provided a one-time lump sum payment to eligible surviving veterans in the U.S. or the Philippines; $14,000 for U.S. citizens and $9,000 for non-citizens. The law also recognized that service in USAFFE was, indeed, service “in” the U.S. armed forces. Though the process was arduous, more than 48,000 veterans filed claims before the 2010 deadline. About 18,000 were awarded–less than ten percent of the 200,000 Filipinos who had served.

But that was not the end of the story. From the beginning, the Filipino veterans movement was about both the restoration of material benefits as well as the less tangible but equally important goal of honoring veterans’ service and dignity. With the WWII generation passing away and some benefits finally restored, the activist movement identified new goals to recognize veterans. These included 1) increasing awareness of Filipino veterans’ story by ensuring it was taught in U.S. history classrooms; and 2) awarding Filipino veterans with the Congressional Gold Medal.

The Congressional Gold Medal (CGM) is the nation’s highest civilian honor bestowed by Congress. It was first awarded by George Washington in 1776. The CGM campaign, which kicked off in 2014, was not about winning citizenship rights or veterans benefits. It was about recognition. The medal would establish beyond a doubt something that many Americans denied or did not fully understand: the crucial role that Filipino servicemembers–without regard to race, nationality, or duty status–had played in the history of the United States. The Filipino Veterans Recognition and Education Project (FilVetRep) was formed to move these goals over the finish line.

Awarding the CGM requires an act of Congress. It requires two-thirds of the House (290) and Senate (67) to co-sponsor the bill. The medal itself is designed and produced by the U.S. Mint. The FilVetRep team selected the final designs from among 43 proposals.

Experienced activists were able to rally bipartisan support relatively quickly. Congress passed the law on November 30, 2016; in one of his last acts as president, Barack Obama signed it into law on December 14, 2016. The CGM was officially awarded on October 25, 2017, at a ceremony in the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. Since then, more than 70 CGM ceremonies have been held around the U.S. and in the Philippines, recognizing more than 2,500 veterans or their survivors.