Hawai‘i Island Resident Earns Congressional Gold Medal

Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (Hawai‘i-02), announced that North Kohala resident Alfred Estoche has earned a congressional gold medal.

Rep. Gabbard said:

House Speaker Paul Ryan, Sen. Mazie Hirono, Rep. Tulsi Gabbard and Congressional leaders present the Congressional Gold Medal to Alfred Estoche Lim of North Kohala.

“Alfred Estoche Lim of North Kohala is one of more than 260,000 Filipino and Filipino Americans that served under the U.S. flag in World War II. He served in the U.S. Army First Filipino Infantry Regiment during the war, and despite deep-seated racial segregation in the U.S. military, he volunteered for deployment in support of U.S.-led missions in the Philippines working with the local resistance movement, tracking enemy troop movements and employing his demolition skills.

“At 106, Alfred is among the oldest surviving U.S. Armed Forces Veterans of World War II, and I’m honored to have led the effort in Congress to award him and his fellow Filipino WWII veterans the Congressional Gold Medal—Congress’ highest civilian honor. Mahalo nui loa Alfred for your legacy of service.”