Despite being initially rejected due to anti-Asian sentiments, Susan joined the U.S. Navy in 1942 by enlisting in WAVES (Women Accepted for Emergency Volunteer Service) during World War II. Books The first Asian American woman lieutenant in the U.S. Navy, the first Asian American woman flight instructor to train the US Naval pilots, and the first woman Gunnery Officer in all US Armed Forces was Susan Ahn Cuddy. Susan Ahn Cuddy stands on the street where the Ahn family home was located between 1936 and 1946. To siblings Flip and Christine Cuddy, Susan Ahn Cuddy was "Mom." In her later years, Susan continued to work as an advocate and activist for the betterment of Asian Americans. You have reached your limit of 4 free articles. For one, she was an expert in air combat tactics. All Rights Reserved. Welcome! Her dedication to public service also speaks loudly to community leaders. Cuddy’s gesture was one of solidarity—as her son explained, her light skin color and her Korean features confused people she met in the South. Her pioneering life resonates strongly with the young generation of Asian Americans and with women. Home / Blog / Susan Ahn Cuddy, Lieutenant, U.S. Navy Susan Ahn Cuddy was born in 1915 to Dosan Ahn Changho and Helen Lee, the first Korean married couple to immigrate to the United States. Online Learning Susan Ahn Cuddy - A True Role Model June 24, 2020 is the 5th Anniversary of the Death of Susan Ahn Cuddy Both served US Navy (Op20G) and NSA - CPO Frank Cuddy and Lt. Susan Ahn Cuddy resting side by side. Click here to start a new topic. She became the first Asian-American woman to become a WAVE, working for the United States Naval Reserve as a link trainer and becoming the Navy’s first woman gunnery officer. You have a limited number of free articles. Her parents fought to liberate Korea from Japanese colonization. Photo provided courtesy of Philip Cuddy, Susan received an NSA fellowship to research Vietnam/Indo-China at USC, [1956]. He was also a… Susan Ahn Cuddy was the first female gunnery officer in the United States Navy and the first Korean American to work in U.S. Money Matters This is your last free article. She received the American Courage Award from the Asian American Justice Center in Washington D.C. in 2006 and was recognized by the California State Assembly, other government bodies, the South Korean government, and community organizations. After the war, Cuddy continued to blaze trails. Photo provided courtesy of Philip Cuddy, Dr. Leslie Moe Kaiser presents Susan with the Asian American Justice Center American Courage Award at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., [2006]. Posted on May 13, 2021 by Rick Spilman May 13, 2021. She was the Head of Women’s Baseball at LACC, and also had a chance to play professional women’s baseball for the Bing Crosby’s Croonerettes. Acting on a motion by Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, the Board of Supervisors unanimously declared Tuesday, March 10, 2015, as Susan Ahn Cuddy Day throughout Los Angeles County, in honor of a 100-year-old Korean American pioneer and patriot.. Susan Ahn Cuddy was the first Asian American woman to join the US Armed Forces. Ahn Changho, Cuddy’s father, was an influential leader of the Korean immigrant community and an outspoken detractor of the colonization of Korea by imperial Japan, which had occupied its neighbor starting in 1910. Subscribe for just $19.99. Thank you for reading TIME. We are offering select services at 38 library locations, including Central Library. How do I update my address/phone/e-mail online? Subscribe for just $19.99. Most of all, she was a Hero of Awesomeness. Music Maps Teens. Central Library Genealogy She lived a pioneering life of service and dedication to the Asian American community and the United States. At the time, mainstream culture in the U.S. lumped all people of Asian descent together. Please try again later. Subscribe for just $19.99. Susan Ahn Cuddy and her brothers Ralph Ahn and Philip Ahn. Born in Los Angeles, Susan Ahn’s parents were the first Korean married couple to immigrate to the United States. Heritage Months Susan Ahn Cuddy may be just a week or so shy of her 94th birthday, but this seemingly frail Korean American hasn't retired into dotage yet. She lived a pioneering life of service and dedication to the Asian American community and the United States. History Susan Ahn Cuddy, Korean independence fighter Ahn Chang-ho's eldest daughter, has been hailed as an "American hero" and "trailblazer" by the ShareAmerica website run by … Cuddy recalled to her biographer that a white male pilot once disobeyed her orders. Susan Ahn Cuddy (January 16, 1915 – June 24, 2015) was the first female gunnery officer in the United States Navy. After serving her country for decades, Cuddy retired and devoted herself to activism on behalf of the Korean-American community she so loved. Kids and Parents She joined the Navy in 1942 and served until 1946, reaching the rank of lieutenant. Susan Ahn Cuddy was born in 1915 in Los Angeles, California as the eldest daughter of Dosan Chang Ho and Helen Ahn. Susan Ahn Cuddy (1915-2015) *100 Plot s/n: 86216541.The grave site of Susan Ahn Cuddy.Death record, obituary, funeral notice and information about the deceased person. Ask questions, get answers. During World War II, she trained pilots in air … Interracial marriages at that time were against the laws of Virginia and Maryland. He was the first Korean American actor to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Shades of LA Collection, Dosan Ahn Chang Ho, [ca.1920]. But not everyone felt that they should have to obey a woman Naval officer—and an Asian one at that. Movies An unexpected error has occurred with your sign up. LAPL Writes The Northeast is reemerging as a COVID-19 hot spot. During its occupation of Korea—which lasted until the end of World War II—Japan brutally punished dissenters, suppressed free speech, pressured Koreans to change their family names to Japanese ones and even forced Korean women to work as sex slaves (“comfort women”) for the Japanese military. Student Success Mae Krier. Following her career with the Navy, Susan led a think tank as Section Chief of the Soviet Unit, collecting information about Russia at the National Security Agency. Susan Ahn Cuddy was one seriously tough woman, who wore many hats — and broke many barriers — throughout her life. Get your history fix in one place: sign up for the weekly TIME History newsletter. You have 1 free article left. “Down here,” she told him, “you will shoot when I tell you to shoot.”. She is the eldest daughter of Korean independence activist Ahn Chang-ho and Helen Ahn the first married Korean couple to immigrate to the United States in 1902. This meant women like Cuddy could achieve formerly unheard of success at a level of authority and responsibility they never enjoyed before the war. After retiring from her work at the NSA, Susan returned to Los Angeles in 1959 to help manage the Moongate, a restaurant run by her family and famous older brother Phillip Ahn. Cuddy’s father paid the price for that outspokenness in 1937, when he was arrested, tortured and killed by Japanese police who captured him in Seoul. Susan Ahn Cuddy, the first Asian-American female U.S. Navy officer, was born in Los Angeles in 1915. Remembering Susan Ahn Cuddy, First Female Asian American Officer, Gunnery Officer in US Navy. The Los Angeles Public Library serves the largest most diverse population of any library in the United States. You have 3 free articles left. Susan Ahn Cuddy (Korean: 안수산, Hanja:安繡山; January 16, 1915 – June 24, 2015) was the first female gunnery officer in the United States Navy. Cuddy’s parents were pioneers themselves: They were the first married … Cuddy’s parents were pioneers themselves: They were the first married Korean couple to immigrate to the United States after the U.S. opened up the country to Korean immigration. In 1947, she defied her mother and married a white man, defying anti-miscegenation laws in Virginia, where she lived at the time, and marrying on base instead. Today, she is remembered as a secret-keeper, a brave officer and a community icon, one of a generation of Asian-Americans who rushed to serve their country despite the racism they faced at every turn. It was a heady time for women eager to serve their country—the WAVE program allowed women to become enlisted officers for the duration of the war to free up men for combat positions. Poetry Caption: Susan Ahn Cuddy was the first Asian American female to serve in the U.S. Navy after joining the Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service program during World War … compiled by JULIE HA with PHILIP “FLIP” CUDDY and JOHN CHA . The first Asian American woman lieutenant in the U.S. Navy, the first Asian American woman flight instructor to train the US Naval pilots, and the first woman Gunnery Officer in all US Armed Forces was Susan Ahn Cuddy. e-Media Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our. Her parents Dosan Ahn Changho and Helen Lee had been the first married Korean couple to immigrate to the United States. His political views landed him in jail throughout his daughter’s childhood, and she grew up watching her parents organize and assist members of the Korean diaspora both in California and abroad. She felt that her duty was to join the Navy and fight for America and also for Korea. 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