The Congressional Gold Medal

The US Congress awards the Congressional Gold Medal and it is one of the highest civilian awards in the United States. This award began during the Revolutionary War. The Chinese-American Citizens Alliance is determined to identify, honor, and recognize all Chinese-Americans who served as WWII U.S. armed service members.

On November 6, 2021, Chinese-American WWII veterans were awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor in Philadelphia. Maj. Gen. Garrett Sung Yee, US Army stated that many Chinese-Americans who served during WWII have passed and that this was long overdue. There were a few veterans as well as over 40 families receiving medals on behalf of their family members.

One side of the medal’s design depicts Chinese-American servicemen and a nurse, representing all U.S. service branches in WWII and highlighting that they fought in every theater with honor. The other side of the medal’s design features an Iowa-class battleship, an M4 Sharman tank, and P-40 Warhawk from the Flying Tigers 14th Air Force showcased fronting a WWII-era American Flag.