Accomplished Chinese American

Jack T. Young (1910-2000)

Occupation:	U.S. Army Colonel 
Year of Retirement:  1968 
Birth Place:	Kona, Hawaii 

	Colonel Jack T. Young is a unique individual at a critical time in history when China and the United States were inevitably linked in fighting a common war against Japanese imperialism.  He is also one of those few that are engrained bi-cultural and bilingual person which best-qualfied him as a liaison among high officials in the Chinese government and the high U.S. Military Command in China during the Sino-Japanese War, World War II, Korean War, and Vietnam War.  The fact that he is a descent of Chinese ancestry enable him to conduct intelligence work behind the Japanese occupation zones during the Sino-Japanese War.  He contributed much to the history of fighting for international justice before he died on October 7, 2000 at his home in Webster Groves, MO.  A detailed autobiography in Chinese is published by [Central Daily News, Taipei, Taiwan, China]" (1989) (393 pages).  A brief dsecription of his life story is given below. 

	At age 3, Jack T. Young returned with his parents to the land of his ancestors in [Cui-heng village, Zhong-shan County, Guangdong Province]", China, and attended primary school there.  He later went to [Hankou, Hubei,]" China to receive his secondary education.  At that time, China was in transition from the dynastic to republic form of government with frequent turmoils.  Young Jack was an active student.  He was influenced greatly by two major events during this period.  First, there was the [May 4the Movement]" of 1919; 3,000 students demonstrated in the street of Beijing", protesting against Japanese Imperialism,  Second, on May 30th, 1925, hundreds of student demonstrated in foreign concession zone in Shanghai", China, against Japanese and other colonial powers imperilaism.  When he came back to the U.S. to attend college in 1927, he was detained at the Angel Island of San Francisco Port, as the result of the unjust and discriminatory {Chinese Exclusion Laws]" which was passed by the U.S. Congress in the 1880s.  The Chinese Exclusion Law was later repealed in 1943.  After his college education, he went back to China to help Chinese people. 

	In the early 1930s, Col. Young and several American friends were the first to climb the 24,900 [Minya Konka]" at the Chinese-Tibetan boundary.  Several years later, as Japan started a full-scale invasion of China, he joined the Chinese National Army and served during the Sino-Japanese War.  He eventually was promoted to the rank of Major General by President [Chiang Kai-shek]".  In 1943, Col. Young was commisioned in the U.S. Army and did intelligence work behind Japanese lines. 

	During the Korean War, Col. Young commanded an unconventional task force of the 2nd Infantry Division of the U.S. Army and the United Nation Command.  His unit was the first to enter Pyongyang, the North Korean Capital, and oversaw South Korean police force there.  The force provided intelligence and evacuated refugees from the advancing North Korean armies.  When truce was declared in Panmunjon, he was assigned to assist the repatriation of 14,000 POWs composed ofcaptured, by the U.S. Army, Chinese "Volunteers" who chose to go to Taiwan", China. 

	While serving in the Vietnam War, he was a member of Gen. William Westmoreland's Joint Intelligence Staff.  He received two Legion of Merit Awards, three Bronze Stars, the Order of Yun Hui and many other honors from both the U.S. and Chinese governments. 

	In 1965, Col. Young and his wife, June Young of Webster Groves, moved to St. Louis, MO, where he managed the former U.S. Administration Center in Overland, MO until his retirement in 1968. 

	Col. Jack T. Young died at age of 89, leaving a legendary story about his life and heritage.  In addition to his wife, he is survived by a son, Jack Young Jr. of Hong Kong; three daughters, Jacqueline Wan of San Francisco and Chialing "Jolly" Young and Jocelyn Fenton, both of Dallas; a brother, Quentin Young of San Diego, and four grandchildren.