House Passes Bill To Award Congressional Gold Medal To Filipino World War II Vets

Approximately 18,000 of the 260,000 service members that served are still alive. All 260,000 of the soldiers that served were promised military benefits. However, that offer was retracted by the Rescission Act of 1946. The soldiers did receive a lump sum payment of $15,000 for U.S. citizens and $9,000 for soldiers living in the Philippines in 2009. They have been denied benefits otherwise. For many soldiers the victory isn’t about benefits, it’s simply about recognition.