WASHINGTON, DC — The Honorable Paul Ryan, Speaker of the House, announced that the U.S. Congress will bestow the Congressional Gold Medal (CGM) to Filipino World War II veterans in honor of their wartime service. The ceremony will be held at the Emancipation Hall in the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday, October 25, 2017.
The Speaker’s announcement can be found at: http://spkrryan.us/2y1kaz2.
The long-awaited event will be a formal presentation recognizing the tremendous service and sacrifice of Filipino WWII veterans during the war from July 26, 1941 to December 31, 1946. Some of the families of the surviving veterans and representatives of those who have passed on are also expected to attend the event.
The Filipino Veterans Recognition and Education Project (FilVetREP) spearheaded the national campaign to secure the Congressional Gold Medal for these Veterans. FilVetRep is also the officially-designated liaison to the U.S. Mint, which handles the design and minting of the Congressional Gold Medal.
In the afternoon, Bronze replicas by the U.S. Mint will be distributed to the Veterans in an awards presentation at 4:00 p.m., followed by a gala dinner event at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Tysons Corner, McLean, VA. Media interested to attend the CGM Capitol Hill event need to contact their respective press gallery for credentials. For the private gala event at the Ritz Carlton, please send your request to process media credentials to Margaret Lacson-Ecarma, margaret.lacsonecarma@gmail.com.
Download documents, files, and info below:
- CGM Oct 25 Press Release
- Gala Media Advisory
- Hirono Gabbard Nievera
- FILVETREP Outreach Brochure
- Press Packet ABOUT FILVETREP
- Bio – LTG Seamands
- Press Packet Gala Dinner Program
- Press Packet Schedule of Events
- Press Packet MAJOR GENERAL TONY TAGUBA WELCOME MESSAGE
- Press Packet CGM Design
- Gala Media Advisory Updated 10/24/2017
###
The Filipino Veterans Recognition and Education Project (FilVetREP), is a nonpartisan, 501(c)(3) tax-exempt, community-based, all-volunteer national initiative whose mission is to obtain national recognition of Filipino and American WW11 soldiers across the United States and the Philippines for their wartime service to the U.S. and the Philippines from July 26, 1941 to December 31, 1946. For more information about Filipino WWII veterans and how to get involved, visit our website at www.filvetrep.org or find us on Facebook or Twitter.