Filipino Veterans of World War II Congressional Gold Medal
About the Filipino WWII Congressional Gold Medal
The Congressional Gold Medal is the highest award bestowed by the United States Congress to express national appreciation for distinguished achievements and contributions.
On December 14, 2016, former President Barack Obama signed into law the bill "to award a
Congressional Gold Medal, collectively, to Filipino veterans of World War II, in recognition of the dedicated service of the veterans during World War II”.
The gold medal will be given to the Smithsonian Institution and made available for display and research. Filipino WWII veterans will receive duplicates of the gold medal in bronze, and a direct family member will receive the medal on behalf of a deceased veteran.
Definition of “Filipino Veterans of World War II”
Individuals who served:
(1) honorably at any time during the period beginning on July 26, 1941, and ending on December 31, 1946;
(2) in an active-duty status under the command of the United States Armed Forces in the Far East; and
(3) (A) within the Philippine Commonwealth Army, the Philippine Scouts, the Philippine Constabulary, Recognized Guerrilla units, the New Philippine Scouts, the First Filipino Infantry Regiment, the Second Filipino Infantry Battalion (Separate), or the First Reconnaissance Battalion; or
(B) commanding or serving in a unit described in paragraph (3)(A) as a United States military officer or enlisted soldier; and
(b) the term “Secretary” means the Secretary of the Treasury.
Application Instructions
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Please Download the Filipino WWII Congressional Gold Medal Application by clicking the DOCX icon below.
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Completely fill out the Application
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Look on the page 2 and 3 to find the VETERANS (or Surviving NEXT of KIN) Regional Director Representative (Each Regional Director are broken out by US State and Us Territories). Please email directly to your Regional Director with attachment of the signed Application form.
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Once the Region Director receives your Application they will contact you and follow up to CERTIFY your documentation and/or eligibility (See below for Eligibility for the Medal). Never give any of your ORIGINAL Documents.
Download the Application Here
The Filipino Veterans Recognition and Education Project (FilVetREP) consists of local, regional, and national leaders coming from various backgrounds spanning from military, politics, business, and advocacy. The Bayanihan Equity Center’s Executive Director, Luisa Antonio, is the FilVetREP Regional Director Representative of California (Region 9).