Washington State Rep. Marilyn Strickland has joined California representatives Young Kim and Dave Min in reintroducing a bipartisan bill to award the Congressional Gold Medal to Colonel Young Oak Kim in recognition of his extraordinary heroism, leadership, and humanitarianism.
Strickland was among those who originally introduced the bill in 2023.
“As the three Korean Americans in the U.S. House of Representatives, we have come together to recognize the exemplary legacy of Colonel Young Oak Kim,” Strickland said in a press release about the bill. “He is more than deserving of this high honor as a military hero during both World War II and the Korean War, and as a steadfast community leader and humanitarian.”
Kim was born in Los Angeles to Korean American immigrants in 1919. When he tried to enlist in the Army to serve in World War II, he was denied, because he was Asian American. But when Congress extended conscription to include Asian Americans, Kim was able to join.
During his military career, Kim volunteered to infiltrate German territory, obtaining information that led to Rome’s liberation. Kim was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his valor.
He subsequently rejoined the U.S. Army in 1950, when the Korean War began. Commanding the First Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment, Kim became the first officer of color in U.S. history to command an Army battalion on the battlefield.
In Seoul, Kim led his battalion to sponsor an orphanage of more than 500 children.
Kim retired 22 years later with the rank of Colonel. Upon his return to Los Angeles, Kim became a civic leader, founding cultural centers and nonprofits to serve the community’s AAPI immigrant community throughout the 1980s and 1990s. These institutions include the Koreatown Youth and Community Center, the Center for the Pacific Asian Family, and the Korean Health, Education, Information and Research Center, all of which continue to serve the community today.