A monthlong exhibit at Bruggemeyer Library showcases the overlooked stories of Asian American veterans, from WWII pilots to Korean War messengers, during America's 250th anniversary celebrations.
The city of Monterey Park unveiled a monthlong exhibit highlighting contributions of Asian Americans in the U.S. military at Bruggemeyer Library on Friday, July 3, 2026.
The exhibit, titled Duty, Honor, Country, Courage, also serves as a celebration of America's 250th anniversary. The opening ceremony featured a panel discussion with veterans, including a 94-year-old Korean War Marine and one of the few Vietnamese combatants who fought for the U.S. during the Vietnam War.
An attendee, a Filipina woman from Hawaii who had lived in Monterey Park for 65 years, shared her experience as a U.S. Air Force veteran who relayed messages during the Korean War, a moment that moved the audience to applause. Representative Judy Chu and state Senator Sasha Renée Pérez also spoke at the event. Curator Montgomery Hom, founder of the Chinese American G.I.
Project and a historian with deep personal ties to military history, assembled the exhibit using rare artifacts from his personal collection. Growing up in San Francisco's Chinatown, he was inspired by stories of family members who served, such as an uncle who parachuted into Normandy on D-Day.
His work originally focused on Chinese American service members but expanded under the influence of Vietnam veteran Peter Chow and the encouragement of Monterey Park Council member Vinh T. Ngo, who advocated for bringing the exhibit to the San Gabriel Valley, a major Asian American community. Hom described the exhibit as sensory overload, deliberately packed with over twenty-five stories in one gallery alone, to maximize impact despite limited space.
Among the featured profiles are Hom's godmother Maggie Gee, one of two Chinese-American women pilots in World War II who later became a nuclear physicist and political figure, and Delbert Wong, a WWII B-17 navigator who became the first Asian American Superior Court judge in California. Hom emphasized the importance of highlighting Asian women's roles, such as Filipina guerrilla fighters in WWII, noting their often-overlooked bravery.
The exhibit runs throughout July and underscores the diverse contributions to American history during the nation's semiquincentennial
Please follow us on Google to support usAsian American Veterans Military History Monterey Park Exhibit Chinese American G.I. Project 250Th Anniversary Duty Honor Country Courage Montgomery Hom Maggie Gee Delbert Wong
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