14th Air Service Group Memorial Day Parade 1943, Springfield, IL
By Raymond Douglas Chong, AsAmNews Staff Writer
Since 2017, retired U.S. Army Major General William Chen, with other leaders and advisors, has promoted the national campaign to honor and recognize Chinese American World War II veterans.
Congress officially unveiled and presented the Chinese American World War II Veterans Congressional Gold Medal, on Wednesday, Dec. 9. Chen was involved in the program.
AsAmNews chatted with the retired 81-year-old general about the campaign and the historical significance of Chinese American soldiers fighting in World War II.
About the Campaign
The Chinese American Citizens Alliance, in San Francisco, California, spearheaded the Chinese American WWII Veterans Recognition Project. The national campaign aims to identify, honor and recognize the efforts and accomplishments of all Chinese Americans who served in the United States Armed Services during World War II.
The mission of the Chinese American WWII Veterans Recognition Project is to recognize, honor and celebrate the military service of Chinese Americans who fought in the Second World War through advocacy, education, and preservation. Our work is to ensure that the achievements and contributions of the ‘greatest generation’ will never be forgotten.
The United States Mint said:
During World War II, Chinese Americans served in all branches of the military and fought in every theater of operation. They served with distinction, earning many military honors for their service and heroism. The number of Chinese nationals and Chinese Americans living in the U.S. at the start of World War II was limited because of discriminatory policies. Despite their small number, however, approximately 20,000 served in the Armed Forces, and of these, approximately 40 percent were not U.S. citizens.
Our Nation is forever indebted to these veterans for their bravery, valor, dedication, commitment, and sacrifice, particularly in the face of discrimination.
Chen’s Background
Born on November 11, 1939 in Shanghai, China, during the Second Sino-Japanese War, Chen is a China-born American. After graduating from the University of Michigan, he entered the U.S. Army as Second Lieutenant in 1961. His worked primarily with missile defense systems. Chen retired as the first Chinese American U.S. Army Major General, two-star rank, in 1993.
Chen’s grandfather, Lee Chan, was a railroad worker on the Second Transcontinental Railroad, from Yuma, Arizona, to Deming, New Mexico, and then to El Paso, Texas, from 1878 to 1881.
U.S. Army Air Forces Captain Moon Chen
Moon Chen, Chen’s father, was a pilot for China National Aviation Corporation and the Central Aviation Manufacturing Company. During World War II, Moon served as a Captain in the U.S. Army Air Forces. He was assigned to the China Air Task Force and 14th Air Force, commanded by General Claire Chennault.
Captain Moon Chen was assigned to the China Air Task Force, and later the 14th Air Force, under Gen. Claire Chennault in the China Burma India Theater. He flew the Hump and also transported personnel, supplies and VIP’s within the theater. Later, he served as Chennault’s personal representative and liaison officer to the Chinese Air Force in Chungking. Prior to joining the China Air Task Force, Moon was a pilot for China National Aviation Corporation and later a pilot for the Central Aircraft Manufacturing Company (CAMCO), headed by William Pawley, the Curtiss Wright Corporation (manufacturer of P-40 aircraft) representative in China. CAMCO was the company of record for Claire Chennault’s American Volunteer Group (AVG), which became known as the Flying Tigers. Moon helped to establish the CAMCO factory at Loiwing on the China-Burma border for repair of the AVG P-40s. Post-World War II, Moon continued working for Gen. Chennault in the airline, Civil Air Transport, co-founded by Chennault, culminating as VP for Sales & Marketing. Later on, he worked for Northrop Aircraft Company as a manager on F-5E coproduction.
Interview
RAYMOND DOUGLAS CHONG: Tell me about your involvement with the Congressional Gold Medal Act. How and why you got involved.
WILLIAM CHEN: I got involved with the Congressional Gold Medal in the spring of 2017 when I learned of the bills being drafted in the Senate and House of Representatives for the award of the Congressional Gold Medal to Chinese American World War II Veterans. The Chinese American Citizens Alliance was leading the advocacy effort to get Members of Congress to cosponsor the respective Senate and House bills.
I was asked to serve as an advisor and also help in the advocacy effort. According to the process, the committees that handled the bills would not send the bills for a vote by members unless the bills had two-thirds of its members as cosponsors. This meant getting 67 cosponsors for the Senate and 290 cosponsors for the House.
Although I am not a historian, as I looked at the major contributions of Chinese in America, the first major contribution of Chinese in America was building the transcontinental railroad. The second major contribution of Chinese in America and Chinese Americans was their deeds and accomplishments in World War II, where Chinese American Veterans made known to the American people who Chinese Americans were, whereas pre-World War II Chinese Americans were largely isolated in the Chinatowns across the country or in rural areas. Chinese American veterans demonstrated their skills, competencies, loyalty, and patriotism – and opened up opportunities for all Chinese Americans to be a part of Mainstream America post-World War II and enabled follow-on generations to live the American Dream.
There are some parallels between Chinese railroad workers and our Chinese American World War II Veterans. Both groups were largely ignored and forgotten – both Unsung Heroes of their time. It was not until the 150th Anniversary of the Transcontinental Railroad that Chinese railroad workers were given final recognition of their deeds and accomplishments. Likewise, the Speaker of the House December 9, 2020 Award of the Congressional Gold Medal Ceremony gives final recognition to Chinese American World War II Veterans, some 75 years-plus after the official end of World War II.
I volunteered and got involved in this Congressional Gold Medal advocacy effort, not only because my father and uncles were World War II veterans, but for the larger objective of giving the Chinese American World War II Veterans the recognition and honor they deserve for Proudly Serving as Americans at a time when the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act was in-place, not repealed until December 1943.
RAYMOND DOUGLAS CHONG: What is the importance of the Congressional Gold Medal to you personally?
WILLIAM CHEN: Having participated as a volunteer involved as an advisor and also visited congressional offices to get cosponsors for bill passage. After bill passage, I then served the Chinese American World War II Veterans Recognition Project in the registration and verification of eligibility of veterans, and I also served on the Project’s committee for design of the Congressional Gold Medal. It certainly has been personally rewarding to see our efforts culminate in the official award of the Congressional Gold Medal to Chinese American World War II Veterans. This has been an overall team effort under the leadership of C.A.C.A.
Overcoming anti-Chinese sentiment in today’s pandemic environment is not an easy task. It is a recurring, educational process. Every opportunity should be taken to educate the general public. The Speaker of House’s Congressional Gold Medal Award Ceremony for Chinese American World War II Veterans certainly is an event that has given national recognition and honor to these veterans. But did it receive coverage by the national press? If the Speaker’s Congressional Gold Medal Award Ceremony was covered by the Washington Post or New York Times, I have not seen it.
RAYMOND DOUGLAS CHONG: How does it feel for Chinese American World War II veterans like your father to finally receive honor and recognition for their service?
WILLIAM CHEN: I can only give a perspective of what I think my father’s views would be. He was a modest, humble person. He was not one who sought acclaim or publicity. He was proud of his service in the U.S. Army Forces as a captain and pilot in the 14th Air Force under Gen. Claire Chennault, whom he continued to work for post-World War II in the airline Chennault co-founded, Civil Air Transport. I believe my father would say that having served in the 14th Air Force under the legendary leader of the Flying Tigers was in itself an invaluable experience. That gave him gratification for his service and had a significant impact on his life. He had already received gratification and honor for his service. He died in 2009, nine years before passage of the Chinese American World War II Veterans Congressional Gold Medal Act. Had he lived to see the Act passed I know it would have given him further gratification.
RAYMOND DOUGLAS CHONG: How do you hope awards and forms of recognition like this Congressional Gold Medal can impact your community or the Asian American community as a whole?
WILLIAM CHEN: Unfortunately, I would say that the general public probably does not have a good understanding of the significance and meaning of receiving the Congressional Gold Medal. Newspaper and TV broadcasts of Chinese American World War II Veterans receiving the Congressional Gold Medal needs widespread coverage, but in this isolated COVID-environment, I have not seen national coverage.
Close
Retired U.S. Army Major General Chen successfully accomplished his cause-the award of the Congressional Gold Medal to Chinese American World War II Veterans. It’s a final honor and recognition to these women and men, including his father, U.S. Army Air Forces Captain Moon Chen.
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What a great article and as a veteran it gives me and other veterans great pride in sharing this fantastic article of these great men .