FIL-AM COMMUNITY MARKS U.S. VETERANS DAY WITH U.S. CONGRESSIONAL GOLD MEDAL CEREMONY FOR FILIPINO WORLD WAR II VETS
Philippine Consul General in San Francisco Neil Ferrer with, from left to right: Vice Consul Adrian Baccay; U.S. Army Reserve Brigadier General Steven McLaughlin; and Bayanihan Equity Center Executive Director, and Filipino Veterans Recognition and Education Program California Regional Director Luisa Antonio. (San Francisco PCG photo)
SAN FRANCISCO, USA – Families of 11 Filipino World War II veterans received bronze replicas of the United States Congressional Gold Medal Award, the highest award the U.S. government confers on civilians, in a solemn ceremony at the Marines’ Memorial Club and Hotel on 15 November 2024.
Consul General Neil Ferrer joined the ceremony organized by the Bayanihan Equity Center (BEC) and the Filipino Veterans Recognition and Education Program (FilVetREP)—in commemoration of U.S. Veterans Day.
In his remarks, Consul General Ferrer cited the recent commissioning in Seattle of the USCGC Florence Finch, the newest fast response cutter of the U.S. Coast Guard named after Filipino American World War II veteran, U.S. Medal of Freedom awardee, and U.S. Congressional Gold Medal honoree Florence Ebersole Smith Finch.
“Finch used her Filipino heritage to disguise her American connections and worked with the Philippine underground, diverting fuel to the resistance and smuggling vital supplies to American prisoners of war… USCGC Florence Finch was commisioned by the U.S. Coast Guard last October in Seattle, and is currently homeported in Astoria, Oregon,” Consul General Ferrer shared.
Consul General Ferrer also highlighted the importance of this year’s commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Leyte Gulf during the Second World War in the Philippines-U.S. alliance.
“The significance of the Battle of Leyte Gulf extends beyond the victory of the Allied Forces itself. It forged an enduring partnership between the Philippines and the United States. The Philippines is America’s oldest treaty ally in Asia… It remains robust and benefits from the continuing positive momentum in security & defense cooperation and economic cooperation,” said Consul General Ferrer.
“Indeed, the most enduring legacy of our Filipino veterans is the strong Philippines-U.S. relations that we enjoy today,” Consul General Ferrer added.
The Philippine Consul General congratulated the BEC for its acquisition of a new center at 616 Minna Street in San Francisco’s SOMA Pilipinas Filipino Cultural Heritage District, which is expected to serve the public in early 2025.
The 11 latest honorees of the U.S. Congressional Gold Medal were: Obedegio Alforque; Quirino Correa; Daniel Dangaran; Melquiades Eusebio; Felix Exevea; Marcelino Laureta; Ambrosio Loyola; Raymundo Padua; Vicente Regacho; Genne Roger; and Jesus Tejada.
Consul General Ferrer echoed the call of BEC Executive Director and FilVetRep California Regional Director Luisa Antonio for living Filipino War War II veterans as well as the surviving kin of those who have already passed on, to receive the bronze replicas of the medal.
Public Law No. 114-265, signed by U.S. President Barack Obama on 16 December 2016, legislated the conferment of the U.S. Congressional Gold Medal to Filipino World War II veterans. The original medal, made of pure gold by the U.S. Mint, is currently housed at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C.
Since the first U.S. Congressional Gold Medal awarding ceremony in 2017, bronze replicas of the original medal have been received by mostly descendants of the Filipino veterans. To date, 43 U.S. Congressional Gold Medal ceremonies have been held in the State of California, with 660 Filipino veterans honored with the award in the state. It is estimated that around 260,000 Filipino men and women fought during the Second World War. END
Philippine Consul General in San Francisco Neil Ferrer delivers his remarks at the 2024 U.S. Congressional Gold Medal awarding ceremony in San Francisco, California on 15 November 2024. (San Francisco PCG photo)