Francis Brown Wai (April 14, 1917 - October 20, 1944) was a captain in the United States Army who received the Medal of Honor for actions during the recapture of the Philippines from Japan in 1944. He was initially awarded the Distinguished Service Cross (DSC), the United States' second highest decoration for valor. However after an extensive review, in 2000, his medal was upgraded to the Medal of Honor. To date, Wai is the only Chinese-American ...
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Francis Brown Wai (April 14, 1917 - October 20, 1944) was a captain in the United States Army who received the Medal of Honor for actions during the recapture of the Philippines from Japan in 1944. He was initially awarded the Distinguished Service Cross (DSC), the United States' second highest decoration for valor. However after an extensive review, in 2000, his medal was upgraded to the Medal of Honor. To date, Wai is the only Chinese-American and the first Asian-American officer to receive the medal.
Wai was the child of a Native Hawaiian mother and a Chinese father. Growing up, he often surfed with Duke Kahanamoku, regarded as the father of the sport of surfing, and Buster Crabbe, who later become an actor. He attended the Punahou School in Honolulu and went to college at the Sacramento Junior College before transferring to UCLA. While at UCLA, he was a four sport athlete. Wai graduated in 1939 with a Bachelor's Degree in Banking and Finance. He intended to work alongside his...
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