By Staff
NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY
The Chinese American Citizens Alliance (CACA) of Seattle is working to identify and locate local Chinese American World War II veterans, or their next of kin.
On Dec. 20, 2018, the Chinese American WWII Veterans Congressional Gold Medal Act was signed into law. CACA, in collaboration with Cathay Post #186, Dorrienne Chinn, Sue Mar, June Wong, and Tina Young, hope to register as many veterans as possible to receive the Congressional Gold Medal.
If any local veterans want to travel to Washington, D.C. for the first medal ceremony, CACA Seattle will fundraise for their travel. The national CACA is also fundraising so that no veteran will have to pay for their medal.
If our region registers a sufficient number of veterans (living or next of kin), CACA says it may schedule a local/regional ceremony in early 2020.
The U.S. Mint and the Chinese American WWII Veterans Recognition Project are working together to design the final medal. The estimated completion is around Veterans Day 2019.
If you or your relative was a WWII veteran, please register at caww2.org. Once you submit your information, it will take 4 to 6 weeks for the committee to review. You will receive notification via email as to the status.
For more information or questions, contact CACA Seattle President Cathy Lee at info@cacaseattle.org.
Meryl Rice says
My father George Hen Gai Lee of San Francisco, CA served in WWII under Gen. Douglas MacArthur. He was part of the force that occupied Japan after the war.
He died In 1998. I would love for him to be honored, but not by the current occupant of the White House. Perhaps my mother Chang Jok Lee, currently living in SF, feels differently.