Chinese American Dream

By Frances Armstrong Wood

Enjoy reading about Harry Lee, a Chinese born immigrant to America that courageously fought in World War II. After his service in the United States Air Force he worked in his own businesses to obtain property and overcame all obstacles to fulfill the proverbial American Dream.

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Dec 9, 2014
• ISBN: 9781491754375

Frances Armstrong Wood

Frances Armstrong Wood, a retired author has been educated in journalism by working for three large newspapers. She has previously published five books, Four Years of Track Life, Twenty Years in Korea, Legend of Pigeon Road, Julia's Impeccable Man and Trackwoman Number Two. She has one son living in Rohnert Park, California and she resides in Barstow, California. She is a member of the Barstow Museum and has been inspired by Cliff Walker, who is a Creative Writing teacher at the Barstow College.

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Copyright © 2014 Frances Armstrong Wood.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

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ISBN: 978-1-4917-5436-8 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4917-5437-5 (e)

iUniverse rev. date: 12/03/2014

CONTENTS

Dedication 

Acknowledgements

Chapter One   San Francisco

Chapter Two   Village In China

Chapter Three   Back In California

Chapter Four   Air Force Enlistment

Chapter Five   Search For A Zero

Chapter Six   The Burma Road

Chapter Seven   Life In Peiking

Chapter Eight   A New Assignment

Chapter Nine   Return To The States

Chapter Ten   Life In Los Angeles

Chapter Eleven   Hermosa Beach Home

Chapter Twelve   The Ranch In Simi Vally

Chapter Thirteen   Visit To Yermo

Chapter Fourteen   Harry’s Retirement

Chapter Fifteen   Helen’s Story

Chapter Sixteen   Bad News

Chapter Seventeen   Rose Lee And Harry

Chapter Eighteen   After World War II

Chapter Nineteen   Well Done Faithful Servant

Chapter Twenty   Back To Harry

Bibliography

DEDICATION

My story is about a Chinese born man that lived a life that few [people live on this planet. He left this world on December in the year of 2012. My dedication therefore is to Harry Gang Lee and his family. Special dedication goes to Harry Gang Lee, Jr. the son of Harry Gang Lee, Sr. and his son’s wife Rose, who were my contacts while writing this book.

In addition to that I wish to dedicate and thank my son, Robert, for the help that he gave me in the preparation and the writing of this book. I am grateful to my publisher as well for the assistance in the publishing and also for the printing of this book.

Last but certainly not least, I am grateful for all the literature, tapes and magazine articles that were presented to me by Harry Gang Lee, Sr. for whom this book is written. There were other written letters from Helen Lee Shirakawa and Rose Lee, his relatives that helped to complete this biography.

It was Rose Lee that wanted me to write this for her father in law, because he wanted his story told before he passed on. I wish to thank all those who helped in any way to make this book possible.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The Chinese American dream that Harry Gang Lee’s father had while he was in China became a reality after Harry was brought to America at the age of six.

The Lee family is very exceptional. Sometimes at reunions there can be maybe five hundred relatives that attend a revival. There are many Chinese born natives named Lee, but not all are related. They knew if they were really related.

You will read in this book about how Harry Senior was careful to pick a Chinese born woman to be his wife. He also sent one of his daughters back to China to stay until she was married to a Chinese husband. Another daughter, Dinah married an American Chinese man she met while working at the Hughes Corporation in Fullerton, California. This may sound a little bit clannish, but it was Harry Senior’s way to keep his bloodline straight.

I would like to point out the fact that Sterling Wood, my husband was Harry Senior’s lifelong friend. Sterling, my late husband told me many stories about his friend.

Harry and Sterling were like brothers from about eight years old, and all through Junior High School. Their relationship lasted for the rest of their lives. No matter where they were they still kept in touch with each another. They traded their senior class rings. Harry’s life had hardship but he overcame all of it, and did live an enjoyable life in spite of all of the good and bad times of his life. Sterling had a good life with loving parents and his father had financial backing from the bank of Japan in San Francisco. His father died in 1934 from lung fever caused by the gold dust in the gold mines in Korea. He was therefore, untouched by the Great Depression of the thirties. His family never faced starvation like so many people did in those days.

CHAPTER ONE

San Francisco

Harry Gang Lee, a six year old boy who was born in China, stood on the deck of an ocean liner and looked out as far as he could see, across the Pacific Ocean. He had never seen so much water before in his entire life.

All he knew for sure was that he and his cousin, Richard, were going to San Francisco. That was America! It was so much fun on the ship and he found friends in the galley who gave him food. Harry’s father was busy keeping track of his son throughout the entire trip on the ship. He had to deliver Harry and his cousin to his older son, who resided in the small desert town of Yermo, California. Harry’s father feared that six year old Harry might fall overboard.

Once they arrived in San Francisco they stayed in Chinatown and the nest morning they went to the United States Immigration and Customs Station. It took