Welcome!

 

This site houses the Wah Lee letters. These letters were written to Wah Lee, Chinese American, throughout his service in the American Army Air Corps, including during World War II. A collection of these communications dating from 1945-1955 are now part of the Asian American Comparative Collection (AACC), housed at the University of Idaho’s Alfred W. Bowers Laboratory of Anthropology in Moscow, Idaho.

 

In a project funded by the University of Idaho’s Office of Community Partnerships, Wah Lee’s individual history is being studied, and this online research tool, for those unable to access the AACC due to physical, geographical, or socioeconomic constraints, has also been produced. The letters were purchased on eBay in June of 2004 and are currently the property of the Asian American Comparative Collection, housed in Moscow, Idaho.

 

Our hope is that this site will allow both researchers and the public a chance to see and learn from a remarkable man who lived during an important time in history.

 

The photograph seen on the main banner came from the miscellaneous photos in the 1943-1944 box. The below photos come from the collection and Wah Lee’s obituary (see the Additional Information page for the link). The others come specifically from the box containing materials from 1943 through 1944. Although they are not labeled, they are presumed to be Wah Lee.