Obituary: Maj. Kurt Chew-Een Lee, 88, was Korean War hero
By Robert D. Dávila, The Sacramento Bee | |
McClatchy-Tribune Information Services |
He was found dead Monday in his home in
Standing only 5-foot-6, he was nevertheless an imposing figure with a wiry, muscular build and an intimidating gaze. He demanded that subordinates who did not respect him must nevertheless respect his rank.
"His legacy will always be that he broke down barriers," said
To spur his men to fight, he took off in the darkness on a one-man raid and exposed himself to fire to pinpoint enemy positions for attack. Shouting in Mandarin to sow confusion, he hurled grenades and shot at Chinese troops, who fled. Wounded in the knee, he was shot the next day by a sniper and treated at an
Unwilling to be sent to
Guided only by a compass in pitch-black darkness, he led 500 men through a nighttime blizzard over mountainous terrain at 20 degrees below zero. Pinned under intense enemy fire, he ordered his men to fire while advancing up a steep hill and shot two enemy soldiers along the way with his right arm still in a cast from his sniper wound. The ferocity of the Marine attack broke the resistance of enemy troops, who fled down the reverse slope.
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"His combat actions were unbelievable, and many of us believe he should have gotten the Medal of Honor for
Born
He was the eldest of three
After the Korean War, Lee served at
The story of his gallantry in
He was active in veteran organizations and attended military reunions. He traveled widely speaking to students, civic groups and Chinese American organizations about his military service. He participated in recent Chinese
"He was very formal," his niece said. "He was a really, really nice guy. But he was really proud to be a Marine. He was a Marine to the very end."
Information about a service is pending.
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