The history of Asian American and Pacific Islanders service to the United States stretches back to the 19th century, beginning with the Navy’s presence in East Asia in the 1830s to protect interests during maritime trading wars. Many ships that patrolled the region included sailors of Chinese descent who protected American vessels and ambassadors in the region. Corporal Joseph Pierce, a soldier in the Union Army who fought in both the Battle of Antietam and Gettysburg as a member of the 14th Connecticut Infantry, was one of the more than 50 Chinese- Americans who enlisted du
The history of Asian American and Pacific Islanders service to the United States stretches back to the 19th century, beginning with the Navy’s presence in East Asia in the 1830s to protect interests during maritime trading wars. Many ships that patrolled the region included sailors of Chinese descent who protected American vessels and ambassadors in the region. Corporal Joseph Pierce, a soldier in the Union Army who fought in both the Battle of Antietam and Gettysburg as a member of the 14th Connecticut Infantry, was one of the more than 50 Chinese- Americans who enlisted during the American Civil War. Fire Controlman Second Class Telesforo Trinidad of Filipino descent, became the first Asian American to receive the Medal of Honor after rescuing two ship mates when an explosion occurred aboard the armored cruiser USS San Diego (ACR 6) in 1915. 31 Asian American and Pacific Islander service members have earned 31 Medals of Honor since Telesforo’s heroic actions. Many Asian Americans also distinguished themselves through service during World War II. One of the more than 200,000 Chinese-Americans to join was Cmdr. Gordon Chung-hoon. A Naval Academy graduate, Chung-hoo was commanding officer of the USS Sigsbee (DDG- 502) and received the Navy Cross for his leadership during a kamikaze attack aboard the destroyer in April 1945. In 2009 the guided missile destroyer USS Chung- Hoon (DDG 93) was named in his honor. Through the Navy’s female reserve program Asian American women supported the war effort as as linguists and nurses. Lt. Susan Ahn Cuddy blazed a trail when she became one of the first Asian American women to join the Navy alongside her brothers in 1942. The daughter of Korean immigrants, Cuddy would go on to become a code breaker and the first female Navy gunnery officer. Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders observations began as an annual week-long celebration after President Jimmy Carter signed a Joint Resolution in October
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