Filipino WWII veterans awarded Congressional Gold Medal

WASHINGTON — Celestino Almeda joined the Philippine Commonwealth Army in 1941, fought alongside US soldiers during World War II and for nearly a decade has been seeking money the federal government had promised.

On Wednesday, the 100-yearold veteran got his recognition and finally his money, too.

Almeda received the Congressional Gold Medal, the nation's highest civilian honor. Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin also announced at a Capitol ceremony that Almeda was getting a check, 72 years after the war ended.

Shulkin's announcement drew gasps from some of the hundreds in attendance at the Gold Medal ceremony, which House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., acknowledged was "long, long overdue."

Almeda, dressed in his military cap, told the crowd he was glad to be able to accept the medal, noting that "many have passed away waiting for 75 years for this time to come."

Almeda said he and other Filipino veterans have long "felt unrecognized for fighting for our country," adding, "I wondered why" since he and his fellow soldiers had brought "victory during a long war in the Philippines."

The gold medal signified that his service — and that of thousands of other Filipino veterans — is recognized, Almeda said, calling himself a warrior who "will never quit."

Almeda was a 24-yearold teacher when he joined the Philippine Commonwealth Army in 1941. After the war, he resumed his career as a teacher and was granted US citizenship in the 1990s. In 2003, he began receiving medical benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs under a law aimed at Filipino veterans.

But Almeda, now 100 and living outside Washington, has been fighting for nearly a decade to receive a $15,000 lump-sum payment promised to Filipino veterans under the 2009 economic stimulus law.