Prudencio Costales, World War II veteran, was awarded the Congressional Gold Medal on Thursday. His award was received by his wife Lily as Costales passed away four months ago after living in Seattle for over 25 years.
Costales served in the U.S. Military for the Philippine Scouts, a military organization of the U.S. Army. He was awarded a Purple Heart for injuries sustained during combat.
Born in Santa Maria, Ilocos Sur in the Phillipines, Costales was denied the same benefits as soldiers from the mainland since he was Filipino.
Now, 72 years after the end of WWII, Costales is being recognized for his brave service. In 2009, President Obama signed an order that allowed over 400 Filipino veterans to be recognized for their efforts in WWII.
The medal was presented by Senator Patty Murray's office.Sen. Murray lobbied on behalf of Fillipino veterans to make sure that their contributions during WWII would be recognized fairly.
