Legacy of the Duty and Honor Project

At their annual dinner in 1994, the Chinese Historical Society of Southern California honored Chinese American veterans from World War II. Subsequently, veterans approached Chinese Historical Society of Southern California member, Marjorie Lee, to lead a project team to commemorate World War II Chinese American veterans

Lee organized weekly events to locate Chinese American veterans of World War II and collect associated materials shortly after the 1994 dinner. Lee and other members of the research team interviewed forty-four veterans and found or collected records for seven hundred fifty-five United States veterans. 

In order for the veteran to be featured in the final text, that veteran must have been in the armed forces for the United States during World War II, be Chinese American, have documented proof of enlistment, have a relationship to Southern California, and have approval by the veteran or the veteran's family if the veteran passed away.

The project team spent hundreds of hours collecting interview transcriptions, original verification documentation of veterans' documents, reference sheets on which other veterans they may know, and lists of common veteran affiliations. Their efforts culminated in the creation of the Duty and Honor commerative book!