Wah Kau Kong

United States Army Air Corps 2nd Lieutenant Wah Kau Kong (Chinese: 江華九; Pinyin: Jiāng Huájiǔ; born ca. 1919 in Honolulu, Hawaii; killed in action over Blomberg, Germany, February 22, 1944) was the first Chinese American fighter pilot. Kong graduated from McKinley High School and the University of Hawaii and was working towards his master's degree in chemistry when he volunteered for military duty. He recorded the highest national score in his entrance examination and was subsequently assigned to the 353rd Fighter Squadron, flying a P-51B Mustang, which he named "Chinaman's Chance". Kong was shot down over Blomberg Germany in the same month his first kill was reported in Time magazine. His childhood friend, Mun Charn Wong located his remains which were then re-buried in the Netherlands. After the war, Wau Kau Kong was re-buried in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, gravesite SECTION D SITE 453. His friend Wong initiated the Wah Kau Kong Memorial Award Scholarship at the University of Hawaii in his honor.

See also

Art Chin, Chinese-American ace fighter pilot

References

• Honolulu Star-Bulletin, "WWII pilot not forgotten", by Gregg K. Kakesako, August 20, 1999.
• Speech by United States Senator for Hawaii, Daniel Akaka, commemorating Kong, August 20, 1999
• Time, "Kong Gets a German", February 28, 1944.