Francis Brown Wai ★ World War II Gold Star Veteran from Hawaii
On October 20, 1944 Captain Wai was declared a casualty of World War II. ★ He served with honor in the United States Army. ★ He is remembered by the people of Hawaii. ★ May his positive example inspire us. Working together towards peace, mutual respect, and equality for all.
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Our displayed data concerning the life and military history of Francis Brown Wai is a work in progress. We've assembled a list of elements we are in the process of researching and reviewing. This profile was last edited on 2015-09-16 10:59:17.
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Service Details
This Profile ID | 323358 |
Name | Francis Brown Wai |
From | Honolulu, Honolulu County, Hawaii |
Birth Date | April 14, 1917 |
Casualty Date | October 20, 1944 |
War | World War II |
Service Branch | Army |
Rank | Captain |
Unit/Group | 34th Infantry Regiment, 24th Infantry Division |
Casualty Type | Killed in action |
Location | Leyte, Philippines |
Burial | National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Hawaii |
Notable Awards |
★ Medal of Honor
★ Distinguished Service Cross
★ Purple Heart |
Remembered |
Francis Brown Wai is buried or memorialized at National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Hawaii. This is an American Battle Monuments Commission location. |
Additional Details
Wai was the child of a Native Hawaiian mother and a Chinese father. He attended the Punahou School in Honolulu where he earned athletic letters in track, football and baseball. He went to college at the Sacramento Junior College before transferring to UCLA.
After his graduation, Wai enlisted in the Hawaii National Guard and was called into active duty before the United States' entrance into World War II. He received a commission as an officer and completed Officer Candidate School in 1941. His commission was rare at a time when few Asian Americans were allowed to serve in combat leadership roles. He was eventually assigned to the 34th Infantry Regiment of the 24th Infantry Division with the rank of Captain.
Wai was assigned to X Corps of the Sixth United States Army in preparation for the invasion of the Philippines. On October 20, 1944, his division was paired with the 1st Cavalry Division within X Corps, and the two divisions made an assault landing at Leyte.
When Wai arrived on the beach in the fifth wave, he found the soldiers there to be leaderless, disorganized, and pinned down on the open beach. Assuming command, he moved through the rice paddies, without cover. His demeanor and example inspired the other men to follow him.
With deliberate disregard of his own personal safety, he advanced without cover to draw Japanese machine gun and rifle fire, thus exposing the locations of the entrenched Japanese forces. Systematically, the Japanese positions were assaulted and overcome. Wai was killed leading an assault against the last Japanese pillbox in the area.
For his actions during the landing on Leyte, Wai was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross. In 2000, Wai's Distinguished Service Cross was upgraded to the Medal of Honor. |
Commendations + Awards
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Please note this might not be a complete or completely accurate accounting. For some awards we use probability factors based on known service details. Thanks for your understanding.
★ Medal of Honor
★ World War II Victory Medal
★ Distinguished Service Cross
★ Combat Infantryman Badge
★ Purple Heart
★ American Campaign Medal
★ Army Presidential Unit Citation
★ Army Good Conduct Medal
★ Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal
Hawaii Gold Star Veterans Gallery
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Honoring the men and women of
Hawaii who gave their all for their country.
May their example of courage and sacrifice be our guide. To be strong and responsible in our lives as citizens of the world.
Through honest daily actions, we honor them.
▶ Hawaii was home to over 827
American Gold Star veterans from 4 wars of the 20th Century. Some significant statistics:
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▼ Primary Sources - These are repositories for artifacts, documents, diaries, manuscripts, and other information that serve as original and authoritative sources of information.
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Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA)
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Ancestry.com
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Together. Uniting us in meaningful common cause. When we work together to honor our
Gold Star veterans, we heal our nation together.
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