Rabid
Mar 5th, 2007, 12:57 AM
http://www.canada.com/windsorstar/news/story.html?id=74587b5e-548c-4c2b-9114-0a53508f95c0&k=40260
Asian-Canadian soldiers lauded
Dave Battagello
Windsor Star
Saturday, March 03, 2007
Two brothers from Windsor killed six months apart during the Second World War will soon be nominated for national recognition by the Chinese Canadian Military Museum.
Joseph Hong was a navigator in the Royal Canadian Air Force, while his brother George Hong was an army private.
Joseph died in action on May, 23, 1944, at the age of 20 and is buried at the Bretteville-sur-Laize Canadian War Cemetery in Calvados, France. He was an employee in the advertising department of The Windsor Star prior to joining the military.
His brother George was killed on Sept. 8, 1944, at the age of 18 and is buried at the Ancona War Cemetery in Italy.
Their mother June operated a lunch counter in the 1500 block of Ottawa Street during the 1930s and 1940s where the family lived upstairs.
The two men were among 600 to 800 Canadian-born Chinese who volunteered to serve in the Canadian military during the Second World War, even though they were not considered citizens and not allowed to vote.
DISALLOWED AT FIRST
The military at first disallowed soldiers of Chinese origin because the nation's leaders feared it would lead to claims being made upon their return for citizenship rights. But Canada agreed to recruit Chinese-Canadians for service in Southeast Asia in areas under Japanese control starting in 1944.
Thanks to the war efforts of soldiers such as the Hong brothers, citizenship rights were granted in 1947 to Chinese in Canada and they were no longer referred to as aliens.
This year marks the 60th anniversary of the landmark citizenship event which presented the perfect opportunity for the museum to nominate the Hong brothers as the ideal recipients to be recognized, said Judy Maxwell, chief researcher for the museum. The two men are being nominated for recognition by the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada, she said.
"There aren't any Chinese-Canadians nominated for a historic site (for military contribution) and they had a historic role," Maxwell said.
'GOOD TIMING'
"(The anniversary) is good timing to recognize people loyal to the country even though they didn't have the same rights.
"These weren't railroad workers, but Canadian citizens without having the citizenship.
"This is very important because following the war there was the potential for equality."
Asian-Canadian soldiers lauded
Dave Battagello
Windsor Star
Saturday, March 03, 2007
Two brothers from Windsor killed six months apart during the Second World War will soon be nominated for national recognition by the Chinese Canadian Military Museum.
Joseph Hong was a navigator in the Royal Canadian Air Force, while his brother George Hong was an army private.
Joseph died in action on May, 23, 1944, at the age of 20 and is buried at the Bretteville-sur-Laize Canadian War Cemetery in Calvados, France. He was an employee in the advertising department of The Windsor Star prior to joining the military.
His brother George was killed on Sept. 8, 1944, at the age of 18 and is buried at the Ancona War Cemetery in Italy.
Their mother June operated a lunch counter in the 1500 block of Ottawa Street during the 1930s and 1940s where the family lived upstairs.
The two men were among 600 to 800 Canadian-born Chinese who volunteered to serve in the Canadian military during the Second World War, even though they were not considered citizens and not allowed to vote.
DISALLOWED AT FIRST
The military at first disallowed soldiers of Chinese origin because the nation's leaders feared it would lead to claims being made upon their return for citizenship rights. But Canada agreed to recruit Chinese-Canadians for service in Southeast Asia in areas under Japanese control starting in 1944.
Thanks to the war efforts of soldiers such as the Hong brothers, citizenship rights were granted in 1947 to Chinese in Canada and they were no longer referred to as aliens.
This year marks the 60th anniversary of the landmark citizenship event which presented the perfect opportunity for the museum to nominate the Hong brothers as the ideal recipients to be recognized, said Judy Maxwell, chief researcher for the museum. The two men are being nominated for recognition by the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada, she said.
"There aren't any Chinese-Canadians nominated for a historic site (for military contribution) and they had a historic role," Maxwell said.
'GOOD TIMING'
"(The anniversary) is good timing to recognize people loyal to the country even though they didn't have the same rights.
"These weren't railroad workers, but Canadian citizens without having the citizenship.
"This is very important because following the war there was the potential for equality."