These letters were discovered on EBay and purchased for the Asian American Comparative Collection. They are significant because Wah Lee served as a soldier in the Army Air Force during World War Two. In addition, as a Chinese-American soldier, Wah Lee's letters give a look into the life of a Chinese American Airman during the war. While none of the letters he sent are available in this collection, all the replies that he received are.

 

These include letters from fellow soldiers, family members and friends, some of which include newspaper clippings from Madam Chiang's visit to San Francisco and the way that the people who wrote to him felt about that visit. Wah Lee was a Private, First Class in the Army Air Force during World War Two; by the time of his retirement he was a Sergeant. On the Veterans Page for the 39th Bomb Group is listed as a "Airplane Electrical Mechanic Specialist."

 

After the war, he returned to San Francisco and was involved in several companies as grand president, as well as being grand president of the Chinese Benevolent Association of San Francisco before his death in 2004. The goal of this collection and webpage is to make the letters received by Wah Lee between the years 1943 and 1955 available to both researchers and the public. Additional information is provided, as well as a list of books and websites that also provide additional information on this and similar topics.

 

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