Susan Ahn Cuddy

Susan Ahn Cuddy
Born January 16, 1915 (1915-01-16) (age 97)
Los Angeles, California[1]
Service/branch United States Navy
Years of service 1942 - 1946
Rank Lieutenant[2]
Unit Link Training, Gunnery, Intelligence
Other work Library of Congress[2]
National Security Agency[2]

Susan Ahn Cuddy (born January 16, 1915) was the first female gunnery officer in the United States Navy. She is the eldest daughter of Ahn Chang-ho and Helen Ahn, the first married Korean couple to immigrate to the United States in 1902. She joined the Navy in 1942 and served until 1946, reaching the rank of lieutenant. Cuddy went on to work for U.S. Navy Intelligence, and later the Library of Congress and the National Security Agency. She retired in 1959 and returned to her birthplace in Los Angeles, California where she helped manage her family's Cantonese restaurant Phil Ahn's Moongate until 1990.[3][4]

In 2003, Cuddy was recognized by the California State Assembly as Woman of the Year for her public service. In 2006, the Asian American Justice Center of Washington D.C. presented her with the American Courage Award.[3] Her life story is also the subject of the short biography Willow Tree Shade by John Cha.[4]

References

  1. ^ Ha, Julia (2009). "Defining Herself". KoreAm (February 2009). http://iamkoream.com/defining-herself/. 
  2. ^ a b c "Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month Features Notable Asian Americans". Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs. District of Columbia. 15 May 2009. http://newsroom.dc.gov/show.aspx/agency/apia/section/2/release/17071/year/2009/month/5. Retrieved 22 November 2009. 
  3. ^ a b "Susan Ahn Cuddy". http://www.susanahncuddy.com/biographyandlinks.html. Retrieved 2008-03-12. 
  4. ^ a b "Mother Didn't Speak to Me for Five Years…". Audrey Magazine. May 2005. Archived from the original on 2008-01-14. http://web.archive.org/web/20080114021845/http://www.audreymagazine.com/May2005/Living01.asp. Retrieved 2008-03-12. 

Publications

John, Cha (2005). Willow tree shade: the Susan Ahn Cuddy story. Korean American Heritage Foundation. pp. 315. ISBN 9788995391600. http://books.google.com/books?id=xuEiAAAACAAJ&dq=Willow+tree+shade+:+the+Susan+Ahn+Cuddy+story. Retrieved 22 November 2009. 

External links