San Francisco, April 2, 2014: Korean resident and KWMF supporter John Y. Lee was in San Francisco from March 31 to April 2 for a series of strategic meetings with the KWMF officers and Board members. John is a Korean attorney and Korean War veteran who has been supporting, on a pro bono basis, the KWMF mission in the Republic of Korea. During his visit, he agreed to accept the official title of “Advisor to the Korean War Memorial Foundation”. The title is well-earned: John’s advice on Korean cultural, media, and government affairs has already been invaluable for KWMF, and will continue to be so.
John Y. Lee shares a memory over coffee with KWMF Secretary John Stevens
John Y. Lee is a remarkable man with a remarkable story. At the outbreak of the Korean War in 1950, the then-university student swam the Han River to evade the North Korean Communists attacking Seoul. He was subsequently commissioned as a second lieutenant in the ROK Army and assigned to the 1st Marine Division as an interpreter/translator. He participated in the Inchon (Incheon) Landing, the Chosin (Jangjin) Reservoir Campaign, and other battles, and received the Legion of Merit for his service. Reminiscing with KWMF Secretary John Stevens, LtCol, USMC (Ret.), also a veteran of the Inchon and Chosin campaigns, and KWMF Treasurer Don Reid, Sgt USMC and Korean War veteran, John Y. Lee said that he was never fearful when he was with U.S. Marines.
After the war, Mr. Lee came to the United States and studied at Yale College and Yale Law School. He then served as attorney-advisor for U.S. Forces in Korea; with the U.S. Department of Justice; and in private practice with several Washington, DC law firms, including Hogan and Hartson. He is a Founding Member and former Director of the Chosin Few, a Life Member of the 1st Marine Division Association, and an Honorary Member of the ROK Marines.
At a breakfast strategy meeting, KWMF Treasurer Don Reid and Board Member Frank Mendez (on left), and Executive Director Gerard Parker and Secretary John Stevens (on right) listening to John Y. Lee