Monday is Memorial Day ““ a time to remember those who have
fought, struggled and fallen. This year in particular, the day has
taken on new meaning in the sports world.
Pat Tillman, a former NFL player, died in April serving his
country in Afghanistan, after his patrol came under attack. He will
undoubtedly have his name etched into the memories of Americans for
the rest of their lives.
UCLA also boasts a rich history of athletes who have served in
the armed forces, including Jackie Robinson. Robinson was a
multi-sport athlete and was in the Ã…rmy during World War II,
before breaking the race barrier in Major League Baseball. April 15
was recently declared Jackie Robinson Day in his honor.
I’m certainly not taking anything away from either of
these heroes, but I’ll bet you’ve never heard of the
guy who not only played multiple sports at UCLA, but also died
fighting in a war on a foreign land.
He happens to be an Asian American named Francis Wai.
Wai, born to a Chinese father and a Hawaiian mother, went to
UCLA for two years, graduated with a bachelor’s degree in
banking and finance in 1938, just one year before Robinson first
set foot in Westwood. He was the quarterback for a fully integrated
football team on which his brother, Conkling, also played, and
additionally lettered in track.
But his exploits on the battlefield are what should have made
him a legend.
The UCLA degree Wai earned allowed him to rise to the rank of
captain ““ rare for an Asian American, or any minority, for
that matter.
He served in the 34th Regiment of the 24th Infantry Division
under General Douglas MacArthur, and was involved in numerous
battles throughout the Pacific theater.
On Oct. 20, 1944, Wai voluntarily led an assault on a beach at
Leyte in a campaign to liberate the Philippines.
Heavy machine gun fire cut through the waves of U.S. soldiers,
but Wai took charge amid the chaos, issuing orders and continuing
the advance through the rice paddies without cover.
Inspired by Wai’s example, his fellow soldiers rose up to
follow him, eventually capturing the well-hidden Japanese
positions.
Wai was killed, the last remaining pillbox. He was 27.
Wai was posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor,
but not until 2000, after Congress had ordered a review of the war
records of Asian American soldiers during WWII.
Robinson and the black community were not the only ones who had
to deal with racism in the past.
At the time of Wai’s service, the Chinese Exclusion Act of
1882 was still being enforced as the first major law restricting
the immigration of a specific group of people.
It has been almost 60 years since Wai’s death, and now,
being Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, let’s celebrate
someone for a community that lacks recognizable heroic figures.
Ichiro Suzuki, Dat Nguyen and Yao Ming, the foreign-born faces
of the modern Asian American male, have enjoyed lucrative athletic
careers in the United States despite having to endure isolated
incidents of racism.
Robinson, who certainly heard his share of taunts, has his own
section in the UCLA Athletic Hall of Fame.
Tillman, who gave his life for his country, is sure to have
memorials erected in his name as well.
For Francis Wai, here’s to you on your special day ““
Memorial Day.
Leung was a football beat writer in 2002. He can be reached
at dleung@media.ucla.edu.