Chinese Experience

Chinese American D-Day/Experience Summary

Delbert Wong, a Los Angeles judge, one day sat down on his couch in Silver Lake. He was watching a NBA finals game. On his coffee table nearby his couch, there was a model of a B-17 Flying Fortress bomber, which was like the one he flew as a navigator in the 401 Bomb Group ofthe 8th Air Force during World War II. He’s very thankful that he survived 30 missions in Germany and Berlin.

82 year old Jack Wong, remembers the many bodies on Omaha Beach and his own close calls with the German snipers during the war. He says that the war meant a lot to him and that he was drafted to protect the liberty and freedom. He also says that when he went to boot camp, he met a lot of new people. Wong was with the 12th Army group, where they went to the tip of England. There, their goal was to intercept the radio signals and then take control of them. So they could find where the Germans armored divisions were employed and what they were up to. He also states that all Americans should appreciate the sacrifices that the Chinese Americans did for World War II.

San Francisco resident Woodrow Chan (now age 85), said he tried to think that his war experience was like a holiday. When he was drafted at age 26, he felt not so good at that time. But he was also happy that he was being sent to China because he has never been to his mainland, even though he was Chinese. He thought even though there were a lot of hardships, he kind of thought of it as a vacation. Later on after the war, he took money from the GI Bill to attend college. The bill was granted by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to World War II veterans. The bill gave everyone $500 a year for college. Chan studied in business and later on opened up a restaurant.

One Chinese-American received the Distinguished Service Cross, Capt. Francis B. Wai. He was born in Hawaii, where his father was Chinese and his mother Native Hawaiian. After graduating from the Punahou School in Honolulu and the University of California at Los Angeles, Wai enlisted in the Hawaii National Guard and was called to active duty in 1940. He earned his commission through officers candidate school in 1941 and was assigned to the 34th Infantry, part of the 24th Infantry Division. On October 20, 1944, his unit landed at Leyte in the Philippines. He was killed in action while leading soldiers off the beach against accurate and concentrated enemy fire.

Source: McNaughton, James C. "Chinese Americans in World War II." U.S Army Center of Military History. 16 May. 2000. Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center. 14 Jul. 2005 <http://www.army.mil/cmh-pg/topics/apam/Chinese-Americans.htm>.

Wallace. “And Justice for All” 2005.<http://www.msu.edu/user/walla121/Essay2.htm>