Determined to serve his country during World War II, Kurt Chew-Een Lee joined the Marine Corps in 1944 at the age of 18. He expected to ship out to the Pacific Theater following boot camp, but was instead assigned to a stateside Japanese language school. Following World War II, Lee was disappointed to have missed the chance to serve in combat, and opted to pursue a career in the military. Becoming the first Asian-American to serve as a regular officer in the United States Marine Corps, he further distinguished himself through his heroism on the battlefield during the Korean War: while leading a platoon at Inchon, Lee’s unit was attacked by Chinese forces. Directing his men to establish a defensive line, he advanced alone in order to provoke the enemy to open fire and reveal their positions. Taking fire from nearby Chinese forces, he called out to them in Mandarin, “Don’t shoot! I’m Chinese!” His American accent gave him away, and the attack continued. Lee was wounded, but his actions saved his men, and he was awarded the Navy Cross for his extraordinary heroism.

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3 years ago