104-year-old Filipino American veteran leader dies

A 2nd Lieutenant who fought under General Douglas MacArthur in World War II and who lead the fight for benefits for Filipino American veterans is dead at the age of 104.

Celestino Gonzales Almeda died in Gaithersburg, MD where he lived with his son and is survived by his daughter, Evelyn Campbell, and his sons, Roberto Almeda and Reynaldo Almeda, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, according to an obituary.

His contributions have been recognized by one of the highest-ranking Filipino Americans in the military.

“He is the embodiment of patriotism. He survived the battles in WWII. He and his fellow veterans want to be remembered simply for the honor and privilege to serve for their duty to country,” General Antonio Taguba once said.

Born on June 8, 1917 in Biñan, Laguna, Philippines, Almeda fought against the Japanese occupation of the Philippines in 1941. The Inquirer reports he is one of 260,000 Filipinos and Americans who fought for the United States from 1941 to 1945.

In 1946, the Rescission Acts passed by Congress rescinded the promised benefits to 200,000 Filipino World War II soldiers. Almeda lead the struggle for recognition of these soldiers and recognition of their benefits.

He lived to see only a partial victory.

In 2009, President Obama provided one-time payments to veterans, amounting to $226 million awarded to more than 22,000 people, American Homefront reports. In 2017, Congress awarded Filipino veterans the Congressional Gold Medal.

The fight continues for recognition and benefits for all the veterans and their survivors, AsAmNews reported last September.

A Graveside Service will take place on Thursday, April 7, 2022 at 11:00 a.m. at Quantico National Cemetery, 18424 Joplin Rd, Triangle, Virginia 22172.

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