A photo of Hazel Ying Lee (Chinese: 李月英), First Chinese-American Pilot. ; August 24, 1912 – November 25, 1944) was a Chinese-American pilot who flew for the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II.
In October 1932, Lee became one of the first Chinese-American women to earn a pilot's license. In speaking of Lee and the handful of other Chinese-American women pilots of that time, author Judy Yung has written "Although few in number, these first Chinese American aviators, in their attempt to participate in a daring sport, broke the stereotype of the passive Chinese women and demonstrated the ability of Chinese American women to compete in a male dominated field."
While landing in Great Falls, Montana, Lee's plane and another P-63 collided, and were engulfed in flames. Lee was pulled from the burning wreckage of her airplane, her flight jacket still smoldering.
Two days later, on November 25, 1944, Lee died from the burns she received in the accident.
Hazel Ying Lee was born on August 24, 1912, in Portland, Oregon, to parents Yuet Lee and Lee Guey Soon who had immigrated from China.
Growing up in Portland, she attended Grant High School. From an early age, Lee developed a passion for aviation and eventually became one of the first Chinese American women to earn a pilot's license.
She was a trailblazing Chinese American aviator who bravely served as a pilot in the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) during World War II. Among the first Chinese American women to fly for the U.S. military, Lee played a vital role in ferrying aircraft and aiding in live anti-aircraft artillery practice.
Tragically, her service ended when she became the first Chinese American woman to perish in the line of duty during a training flight collision in 1944.
Lee's legacy stands as a testament to her courage and determination, breaking racial and gender barriers in military aviation.
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