Our Veterans
Robert Wai - Army
Robert McBride Hite Wai (“Bob” as he was known) was drafted in January 1941 during his final semester at UCLA. He immediately returned to Hawaii and worked as a pay master for the Army Corps of Engineers. After his tenure with the Army Corps, Bob officially entered the Army in April 1943, was assigned to the 24th Division, and shipped off for training in the jungles of Good Enough Islands, just off of the coast of Australia. Following jungle training, Bob went right into the battles of Dutch New Guinea and Leyte, Mindoro and Mindanao in the Philippines. During those fierce battles, he learned that his older brother, Capt. Francis B. Wai, was killed in the battle of Leyte (Captain Wai received the Congressional Medal of Honor for his bravery). Later, in September 1945, Bob went to Shikoku, Japan, as part of the occupation force. After 26 months of combat, that involved four bitter South Pacific campaigns and the occupation of Japan, Bob was honorably discharged as Master Sergeant in November 1945. Bob earned 3 Bronze Stars for the Asian Pacific battles, 1 Bronze Star for the Philippines conflicts, Good Conduct Medal, and WWII Victory Medal.
Bob was an outstanding athlete, along with brothers Francis, Conkling, and Lambert. He was a college friend of Jackie Robinson, as they played on the same football and baseball teams at UCLA. He married Lily Padeken and has two sons, Robert Jr. and Van, nine grandchildren, and seventeen great grandchildren.
Chin Wai Chun - Army
Chin Wai Chun was born in Toishan, China on December 2, 1926. He arrived in the United States in late 1935 with only his father, leaving his mother and five sisters behind, who he would not see for another 30 years. He and his father settled in Harlem, New York City and one of Dad’s classmates was Harry Belafonte. At the age of 13, his father passed away from tuberculosis and Dad was left on his own. He started working after school in a local laundry and at age of 18, he quit his senior year in high school to enlist in the U.S. Army in April 1945. He was in the 11th Airborne Division, Company F, 188 Parachute Infantry, and was Private First Class. He was the sole Asian American in his infantry unit. He was stationed in Japan as part of the post-war Occupation. In December 1946, he received an Honorable Discharge from the US Army. He was proud of serving his beloved country, the United States of America. He passed away on January 22, 2013.
Yu Quon Mahr (aka Gim L. Woo) - Army
Yu Quon Mahr (aka Gim L. Woo) was born January 26, 1913, in Toishan, Guangdong Province, China. In 1928, at age 15, he immigrated to the United States as a “paper son” to attend school. In 1936, he went back to China to get married to Tin Uey Lee and start a family. Just before their first son was born in 1938, Yu Quon returned alone to the U.S. In July 1942, he was inducted into the U.S. Army at Fort Jay, New York. While in the Army, he proudly served in the 795th Military Police Battalion unit at Camp Blanding, Florida – where he was a “Machine Gunner” specialist. He was honorably discharged from the Army in October 1943. Yu Quon then worked for General Motors in Linden, New Jersey. Following the passage of the War Brides Act of 1945, he went back to China in 1947. And in March 1948, he returned to the U.S., along with his wife and then 9-year old son. Two more sons would then follow – one born in San Francisco in 1948 and the other in New York City in 1949. And with his growing family, Yu Quon and his wife started a Chinese laundry business in the Lower East Side of Manhattan in New York City. They then moved in 1958 to Elizabeth, New Jersey, where they had another successful laundry business for 33+ years until their retirement. Through hard work, long hours, and dedication in the laundry business, they were able to provide a better life for their 3 sons – all of whom eventually married and have children of their own. At the same time, both Yu Quon and his wife became naturalized citizens of the U.S. as well. And, in 1973, they were able to purchase a home as part of the “American dream”. Among the many blessings, Yu Quon would fondly recall his service days in the U.S. Army and the friends that he made there. Sadly, Yu Quon passed away at age 84 in 1997 - survived then by his wife, three sons and their wives, and seven grandchildren.