An Untold Chapter about my Father- The Upper Burma Road

An Untold Chapter about my Father- The Upper Burma Road

During WWII the U.S. Army recruited 36 advanced mathematicians and engineers to work on a secret project. Among them was my father, Sherman Hawk Lee, who had arrived in the U.S. from China on a student visa four years earlier. The team’s task was to design an assault glider, light enough to be towed but strong enough to transport 15 soldiers or a fully-loaded jeep. Most of the world never heard of these battle gliders which proved critical to Allied missions over both the Burma Hump into China and on D-Day above Normandy Beach into France.

I will describe how I discovered my father’s contribution to that glider project, how I put his story together, and why I wanted to tell this story. Along the way I will share reflections about formatting and publishing a family history story.

 Book title: The Upper Burma Road — One Chinese Immigrant’s Contribution to WWII: Sherman Hawk Lee

Pamela Lee Wong writes about Chinese immigrant experiences against the backdrop of historical events. Passionate about preserving the stories of those elders, Pam writes to reveal their experiences to descendants.

 Other family histories by Pamela Lee Wong:

• The Mystery Aussie: Jan See Chin 
• girl
• CEPCO Company and Its Innovations
• A Grandfather Unknown: Lee Cheung