A LONG OVERDUE RECOGNITION FOR CHINESE AMERICAN WORLD WAR II VETERANS By Jim McCoy, Pacific Historic Parks
T
hey faced decades of discrimination dating back to the Civil War. That didn’t stop 20,000 Chinese Americans to step up and serve in World War II.
Four years ago, Congress awarded them the Congressional Gold Medal, a rare honor that expresses national appreciation for their service. The COVID pandemic triggered delays in the formal ceremonies. For Hawaii-based Chinese American veterans, it finally happened in a packed ballroom in Waikiki on February 6. "It was long overdue recognition for these World War II veterans. They had to fight to join in order to fight, and they did,” said retired Army Major General Robert Lee, co-chair of the Hawaii Congressional Gold Medal Committee.
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REMEMBRANCE SPRING 2022
At the luncheon, 173 medals were awarded to Chinese American World War II veterans from Hawaii. Twenty living veterans accepted in person, the rest went to family members of veterans, many of them deceased. Speaker after speaker congratulated the veterans and their families. The families posed for photos beaming with pride. “Very unexpected,” was the reaction of 96-year-old Fred Aleong Wong, who served in China as a radar technician in the Army Air Corps. After the war he had a successful career at the FAA installing and maintaining guidance systems.
