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The Americans of Chinese Ancestry Memorial, or Lieutenant B. R. Kimlau Chinese Memorial, stands in a small park called Kimlau Square, within New York City's Chatham Square in Chinatown. Architect Poy G. Lee (1900-1968) designed the memorial, which was erected in 1962 by the Lt. B. R. Kimlau Memorial Post 1291.

Americans of Chinese Ancestry Memorial

Americans of Chinese Ancestry Memorial

Lt. Kimlau, 1942 (image from http://pennsylvaniamilitarycollege.org/class-1942-2/)

Lt. Kimlau, 1942 (image from http://pennsylvaniamilitarycollege.org/class-1942-2/)

In memory of the Americans of Chinese ancestry who lost their lives in defense of freedom and democracy. // Dedicated by the Lt. Benj. Ralph Kimlau Chinese Memorial Post 1291 April 29, 1962. Poy G. Lee, AIA, Architect. Built by De Nigris Monument Co

In memory of the Americans of Chinese ancestry who lost their lives in defense of freedom and democracy. // Dedicated by the Lt. Benj. Ralph Kimlau Chinese Memorial Post 1291 April 29, 1962. Poy G. Lee, AIA, Architect. Built by De Nigris Monument Co

Second Lieutenant Benjamin Ralph Kimlau was born in Concord, Massachusetts. When he was 14, his parents moved the family to New York City, where Kimlau graduated from Dewitt Clinton High School in 1937. The next year, after traveling in China, Kimlau enrolled in the Pennsylvania Military College (now the United States Army War College) and went into the United States Army Air Force, assigned to the 380th Bombardment Group of the Fifth Air Force in Australia (known as the "Flying Circus"), which was awarded two Presidential Unit Citations. Kimlau was among five pilots sent on a mission to New Guinea in February and March of 1944. Their objective was to bomb Japanese airbases in the region. While attacking the Japanese at the island of Los Negros on March 5, 1944, all five pilots were shot down and killed.

The Lt. B.R. Kimlau Chinese Memorial Post 1291, the largest post in New York City, was founded in 1945 by Chinese-American veterans of World War II. The organization is involved in numerous community service projects in Chinatown, and is responsible for the creation of the Kimlau Memorial monument in 1962.

"New York City Chinatown > Manhattan > Chatham Square - Kim Lau Square." New York City Chinatown > Manhattan > Chatham Square - Kim Lau Square. Accessed March 19, 2017. http://www.nychinatown.org/chatham.html.

"Kimlau Square." Kimlau Square Highlights : NYC Parks. Accessed March 19, 2017. http://www.nycgovparks.org/parks/kimlau-square/history.

"Lin Ze Xu Historical Marker." Historical Marker. Accessed March 19, 2017. http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=20141&Result=1.

"Pennsylvania Military College Class of 1942." Pennsylvania Military College. Accessed March 19, 2017. http://pennsylvaniamilitarycollege.org/class-1942-2/.