Fort Kim U.S. Army Base Naming Project

Greetings Everyone!

Today, I’m sharing an important campaign I and others in the Korean American and AAPI community have embarked upon; the renaming of a U.S. military base – in honor of Col. Young Oak Kim--the first ethnic minority combat battalion leader whose career spanned WWII, the Korean & Vietnam Wars.

Our country is recognizing the need to rename Confederate namesake bases to shine a light on the buried past of the People of Color who served in the U.S. military. Col. Kim was a World War II and Korean War Hero whose achievements surpassed the battlefield.

His humanitarian work and desire to help others, shaped the AAPI community landscape in Los Angeles and beyond. If you could help us in petitioning our government officials to rename a U.S. Army post like Fort Benning, GA where Kim trained/taught or Fort Belvoir, VA (outside DC), in honor of the late Col. Kim, we would greatly appreciate it!

A link to a google document is listed below. Please fill it out so that we can come together and work toward the renaming of a U.S. military base in honor of one of U.S. history’s greatest Asian American war heroes: Col. Young Oak Kim.

For more information about Col. Kim, please visit https://yokcenter.ucr.edu/youngoakkim.php.

Please also join the FB group.

Thank you for your time!

Link to the Google Document:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1IuW6maNzeTFvz_nY84BusIjzEjY1pi59aUz5gyubiFE/edit

Thank you!
Prof. Edward T. Chang
YOK Center for Korean American Studies
Ethnic Studies
UC Riverside