On the recordOctober 25, 2017
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.'' ____________________
