Young-Oak Kim | |
|---|---|
 Kim in 1961 | |
| Born | January 29, 1919[1] Los Angeles County, California, U.S. |
| Died | December 29, 2005 (aged 86) Los Angeles County, California, U.S. |
| Place of burial | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Service |  United States Army |
| Years of service | 1941–1946 1950–1972 |
| Rank |  Colonel[2] |
| Commands | 1st Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment |
| Battles / wars | World War II Korean War |
| Awards | Distinguished Service Cross Silver Star (2) Legion of Merit (2) Bronze Star (2) Purple Heart (3) Bronze Medal of Military Valor (Italy) Légion d'honneur Croix de Guerre Taeguk Cordon of the Order of Military Merit (Korea) |
| Korean name | |
| Hangul | 김영옥 |
| Revised Romanization | Gim Yeongok |
| McCune–Reischauer | Kim Yŏngok |
Young-Oak Kim (Korean: 김영옥; 1919 – December 29, 2005) was a United States Army officer during World War II and the Korean War and a civic leader and humanitarian. He was a member of the U.S. 100th Infantry Battalion and 442nd Regimental Combat Team, and a combat leader in Italy and France during World War II. He was awarded 19 medals, including the Distinguished Service Cross, two Silver Stars, two Bronze Stars, three Purple Hearts, a Bronze Medal of Military Valor, a Légion d'honneur, a Croix de Guerre, and (posthumously) the Korean Taeguk Cordon of the Order of Military Merit. After his military career, Kim dedicated his life to public service and was an active founder and leader of several non-profit organizations for underserved communities throughout Southern California. He died of cancer at the age of 86.[3][4][5] In May 2016, members of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus held a press conference, organized by the Council of Korean Americans, to call on President Barack Obama to posthumously award Kim the nation's highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom.[6]
- ^ "Young Oak Kim Academy | Monica Garcia – Board Member President". Archived from the original on 2014-04-20. Retrieved 2013-05-17.
- ^ "Heroes of the Korean War: COL Young-oak Kim". ROKdrop.com. November 11, 2008. Archived from the original on September 17, 2016. Retrieved November 22, 2009.
- ^ Kakesako, Gregg K. (January 4, 2006). "Soldier embodied bravery of 100th Battalion vets". Star Bulletin. Honolulu, Hawaii. Retrieved December 4, 2008.
- ^ "YOUNG OAK KIM, 86; WW II & Korean War Hero, Uniter of LA Asian Communities" (PDF). Quarterly Chapter Newsletter. Torrance, California: The South Bay Chapter of the Japanese American Citizens League. January 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 28, 2011. Retrieved December 4, 2008. adapted from Myrna Oliver, LA Times. Jan 4, 2006, page B8 obituaries
- ^ Linda Ong (8 October 2010). "Daily Dose: 10/08/10". AsianWeek. Archived from the original on 3 May 2014. Retrieved 1 September 2012.
- ^ "U.S. lawmakers call for awarding Medal of Freedom to late Korean-American war hero". Yonhap News Agency.