[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 11]
[House]
[Page 16542]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                                FILVETS

  (Ms. GABBARD asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Ms. GABBARD. Mr. Speaker, our country is forever grateful for the 
service and sacrifice of the over 200,000 Filipino and Filipino-
American soldiers who bravely served our country during World War II, 
heroes like Sixto Tabay, the last living Filipino World War II veteran 
on the Island of Kauai, whom I had the good fortune to meet with 
recently, people like him who fought bravely and sacrificed greatly.
  So many made the ultimate sacrifice alongside our American troops in 
that war, yet their service for decades has gone unrecognized by our 
country.
  Because of legislation that we passed, today, a very special day, 
these warriors were finally receiving the recognition that they earned 
and deserve, joining the heroic ranks of the likes of the Tuskegee 
Airmen and Hawaii's own 442nd 100th Infantry Battalion, as we honored 
them in the U.S. Capitol with the Congressional Gold Medal, our 
Nation's highest civilian honor.
  To Major General Antonio Taguba, the Filipino Veterans Recognition 
and Education Project, and all of our World War II Filipino veterans 
and their families who worked so hard and were so patient in making 
today a reality, ``thank you very much to all of you,'' ``maraming 
salamat sa inyong lahat.''

                          ____________________