U.S. Senator Dean Heller (R-NV) today honored Filipino and
Filipino-American World War II veterans for their service to our country in a speech at the
Congressional Gold Medal Ceremony at the U.S. Capitol. Heller specifically recognized and thanked
Sergeant Regalado Baldonado of Las Vegas, who was just 15 years old when he joined the Fil-American Army
in 1942. Sergeant Baldonado traveled more than 2,500 miles to attend the ceremony and is one of more
than 138,000 Filipino-Americans living in Nevada and just one of four recognized Filipino-American
veterans who reside in Nevada.
“Today is a very special day for the Filipino and Filipino-American veteran community, and I’m
incredibly humbled to be here as Nevada’s own Sergeant Regalado Baldonado and the entire Filipino
veteran community receive the Congressional Gold Medal for answering America’s call to service. Our
country has a responsibility to recognize those who put their lives on the line, and this Congressional
Gold Medal is a symbol of our gratitude,” said Heller. “I am proud to see these brave individuals
finally rewarded for their military service. This medal ensures that their place in history is not
forgotten. Nevada is also home to ‘The Mighty Five’ Filipino-American veterans who have yet to be
recognized by the U.S. government for their service, and I will continue fighting to ensure they are
able to prove their service and are afforded the respect and recognition they deserve.”
Heller is a longtime advocate for Filipino and Filipino-American veterans, including the many individuals who have been denied their Filipino veteran status by the U.S. government. That is why, since his first days in the Senate, Heller has championed the bipartisan Filipino Veterans Promise Act (S. 111), legislation that would establish a process for Filipino veterans to prove their service to the United States during World War II and receive the recognition they have earned.
