During an era when Asian Americans continue to be questioned for their loyalty and are still considered perpetual foreigners, on US Memorial Day (and AAPI Heritage Month) we note Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders who fought and died for their country. This Memorial Day, we are remembering Florence Choe. US Navy Lieutenant Choe was a medical healthcare system expert helping to build a medical care system for Afghan soldiers. She was killed in Afghanistan in 2009.
Florence Choe grew up in San Diego. Like so many of my family friends there, her father was a Filipino sailor who served in the US Navy. She married a Navy doctor, Lieutenant Commander Jay Choe. Together, they had a daughter, Kristin. Choe would record videos of herself reading a book and send them to her daughter as part of the United Through Reading program. Watching videos of her reading reminds us veteran’s families also make sacrifices.
