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Filipino WWII veterans' kin receive Congressional Gold Medal

The families of the veterans received the U.S. Congressional Gold Medal at a commemoration of the Bataan Death March in San Francisco.

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<div><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/uvlwKdTNW68?&amp;ab_channel=ABS-CBNNews&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe> </div>Eight families of Filipino World War 2 veterans recently received the U.S. Congressional Gold Medal at a ceremony in San Francisco, California.The event also recognized the bravery and the sacrifice of Filipino and American forces who endured the Bataan Death March of 1942.Present in the commemoration at the San Francisco National Cemetery were representatives from the U.S. Armed Forces, the Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco, as well as from veteran groups.“Filipinos and Americans fought side by side in the trenches of the Philippines during World War 2,&quot; said the retired Fil-Am lieutenant general Edward Soriano. &quot;The relationship between the United States and the Philippines was forged [in] blood.”Families received the nation’s highest civilian award that was conferred on Filipino veterans in a public law signed by then-U.S. President Barack Obama in 2016.This marked the 105th awarding ceremony in the U.S., which coincides with the 82nd anniversary of the Bataan Death March.&quot;We salute those who survived captivity,&quot; said Vice Admiral Andrew Tiongson, commander of the Pacific Area and Defense Force West. &quot;We salute those resilient service members who built their internal hope. Step by step. Mile by mile and day by day.&quot;The death march saw some 80,000 Filipino and American prisoners of war walking the 70-mile route from Bataan province to Tarlac.It is considered one of the worst atrocities on the Pacific Front during the war, with the death toll pegged at 20,000.Said Philippine Consul General Neil Ferrer: “What transpired in Bataan led to our most important triumph: Filipinos never lost hope, and showed bravery and resilience under the most dire circumstances. The enemy failed to break the indomitable spirit of the fighting Filipino.”The ceremony was hosted by the Bataan Legacy Historical Society led by Cecilia Gaerlan, the daughter of a Bataan Death March survivor.“As descendants of World War Two veterans, we have a sacred duty, a moral obligation to ensure that their legacy will live on in future generations,&quot; she said.The organization has helped implement major commemorations of World War 2 in the Philippines, as part of the U.S. history curriculum in schools in California.

The families of the veterans received the U.S. Congressional Gold Medal at a commemoration of the Bataan Death March in San Francisco.

Filipino WWII veterans' kin receive Congressional Gold Medal

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Filipino WWII veterans' kin receive Congressional Gold Medal

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Rommel Conclara | TFC News San Francisco

Published Apr 24, 2024 09:54 PM PHT

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United States

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