Korean American celebrated as American war hero

In a list compiled by MSN for Memorial Day, Col. Young-Oak Kim (1919-2005) was named as one of 16 greatest war heroes to have served the United States. Kim, honored for his service during World War II and the Korean War, was a second-generation Korean American born in Los Angeles in 1919, The Chosun Ilbo reports. The newspaper also noted that Kim served as a combat troop and eventually became the first Asian American battalion commander.

Kim was named alongside historical figures like George Washington, who fought in the Revolutionary War, and Robert E. Lee and Ulysses S. Grant for their service during the Civil War. Other major figures included Dwight Eisenhower and Douglas MacArthur, as well as Vietnam veterans like Senators John McCain and John Kerry.

[Photo: Newsis/Chosun Ilbo]