Francis B. Wai
United States Army Medal of Honor recipient / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Francis Brown Wai (April 14, 1917 – October 20, 1944) was a captain in the United States Army. He received the Medal of Honor for actions during the recapture of the Philippines from Japan in 1944.
Francis Brown Wai | |
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Born | (1917-04-14)April 14, 1917 Honolulu, Hawaii |
Died | October 20, 1944(1944-10-20) (aged 27) Leyte, Philippines |
Place of burial | National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific Hawaii |
Allegiance | United States of America |
Service/branch | United States Army |
Years of service | 1940 – 1944 |
Rank | Captain |
Unit | 34th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division |
Battles/wars | World War II |
Awards | Medal of Honor Distinguished Service Cross[n 1] Purple Heart |
When he was young Wai liked to surf and he played several sports in high school and college. He graduated from college with a degree in finance. Although he started planning to work with his father he joined the Hawaii National Guard. He was commissioned a lieutenant. Wai was sent with his unit to fight in World War II. He was killed during the U.S. amphibious assault on Leyte, Philippines.
He was initially presented the Distinguished Service Cross. It is the United States' second highest decoration for valor. After an extensive review of awards in 2000, his medal was upgraded to the Medal of Honor.[1][2] To date[update], Wai is the only Chinese American and the first Asian-American officer to receive the medal.[3]