Wilbur C. Sze

Wilbur Carl Sze
Born(1915-01-19)January 19, 1915
Washington, D.C.
DiedDecember 15, 2009(2009-12-15) (aged 94)
Gaithersburg, Maryland
Allegiance United States of America
Service / branch United States Marine Corps
Years of service1943–Unknown

Wilbur Carl Sze (January 19, 1915 – December 15, 2009) was the first Chinese-American to be commissioned as an officer in the United States Marine Corps.[1]

Early life and education

Wilbur Sze pictured in October 1919.

Wilbur Sze was born on January 15, 1915, in Washington, D.C. He was the son of Dr. Phillip Sze, a Chinese medical practitioner. His uncle was Alfred Sao-ke Sze, a prominent Chinese diplomat in the U.S. in the 1920s and 1930s.[2] From 1920 to 1931 Wilbur lived in Shanghai, Republic of China. Upon returning to the United States, where he did not read, write, or speak English, he was enrolled in the Staunton Military Academy in Staunton, Virginia. In 1934, he transferred to Central High School in Washington, D.C., and later graduated in 1936. He next attended George Washington University where he studied electrical engineering. In 1937, the Empire of Japan invaded China which cut off the money he was receiving to attend school. Undeterred, he began working and attending classes at night. After eight years, he was able to attain his electrical engineering degree, graduating February 22, 1944.[3]

Marine Corps Service

On December 15, 1943, 2nd Lieutenant Wilbur Carl Sze became the first Chinese-American officer commissioned in the Marine Corps.[4][5] In early August 1944, Lt Sze accompanied LtGen Robert Khe-Shang-Lim, Chief of the Supervising and Planning Committee of the Republic of China Army, on a tour of Marine Corps Base Camp LeJeune, North Carolina.[6] From November 30, 1944, until January 29, 1945, Sze trained at and graduated from the Military Intelligence Training Center at Camp Ritchie, Maryland, placing him among the diverse ranks of the Ritchie Boys, a group of intelligence officers and enlisted men credited with obtaining much of the actionable intelligence on the Western Front.

Following the war, 1stLt Sze served as the aide-de-camp for MajGen Keller E. Rockey, then Commanding General of the III Amphibious Corps while in Tientsin, China.[5]

Personal life

Sze was married to Mariana Yung-Kwa, the daughter of the former Chinese Consul in Washington D.C.[3]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ "2003 ASIAN PACIFIC HERITAGE MONTH". Marine.mil. United States Marine Corps. 2003-04-08. Retrieved 2021-12-22.
  2. ^ "Marine". The Evening Star. Davenport, IA. 1944-03-09. p. 24.
  3. ^ a b "Lt. Wilbur C. Sze First Chinese Commissioned In Marine Corps". Quantico Sentry. Quantico, VA. 1944-03-03. Retrieved 2022-05-19.
  4. ^ Major Karen J. Gregory, USAFR. "Asian Pacific American Heritage Month" (PDF). Defense Equal Opportunity Management Institute. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 July 2011. Retrieved 31 May 2011. On December 15, 1943, Wilbur Carl Sze was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant and the first Chinese-American officer in the U.S. Marine Corps
    "apa-usmc02". Asian Pacific American Heritage Month 2002. Department of Defense. 2002. Retrieved 31 May 2011.
  5. ^ a b "Lt Sze, First Chinese American Commissioned in CPS". The Pendleton Scout. Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton. 18 February 1946. p. 7. Retrieved 2021-12-22.
  6. ^ "Medical Situation Critical in Free China, US Told". Marine Corps Chevron. San Diego, CA. 5 August 1944. p. 3. Retrieved 2021-12-22.