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Major Kurt Chew-Een Lee retired from the USMC in 1968. He holds the distinction of being the 1st Asian-American to hold a regular commission in Marine Corps history. Following his retirement, Maj. Lee worked for the New York Life Insurance Company for seven years. In 1975 he began working as a Regulatory Compliance Coordinator for the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association. He held that position for nearly twenty years. He is now completely retired and living in Arlington, VA.
Other Comments:
In 2000, the California Military Museum mounted describing the bravery and military service of the three Lee brothers. In a 2002 speech about the Chosin Reservoir battle, General Ray Davis said that Maj. Lee was the bravest Marine he ever knew.
The story of Lee's bravery in the Korean War was the subject of a documentary produced by the Smithsonian Channel. The documentary, titled "Uncommon Courage: Breakout at Chosin", was broadcast on Memorial Day, May 31, 2010.
Major Lee's superior officers criticized him for his aggressive "chip-on-shoulder" attitude. Lee responded to his critics by saying that the chip "is my teaching tool to dispel ignorance". The Major had experienced a lot of attitudes that held Chinese-Americans" as very timid.
Operation Beleaguer (China)
From Month/Year
September / 1945
To Month/Year
October / 1949
Description Operation Beleaguer was a major United States military operation that took place in northeastern China's Hopeh and Shantung Provinces between 1945 and 1949. The main objectives of the operation were the repatriation of more than 600,000 Japanese and Koreans, who remained in China after the end of World War II, and the protection of American lives and property. During the course of nearly four years, American forces engaged in several small battles with the Communists, and they were successful in repatriating and evacuating thousands of foreign nationals. The United States government also attempted to mediate a peace treaty with the opposing Nationalist and Communist forces, but the effort was unsuccessful.
