Margaret Chung
Margaret Jessie Chung (or “Mom” Chung; Chinese: 張瑪珠; October 2, 1889 – January 5, 1959) was the first Chinese-American doctor that was a woman.[1] She created the first Western Medicine clinic in San Francisco’s Chinatown. Chung was also recruited for a secret mission to enlist American pilots. They became known as the Flying Tigers. She created WAVES, a reserve force for women in the U.S Navy. Chung also worked in the Allied war effort. She used her fame to influence others to join.
Margaret Jessie Chung | |
|---|---|
_(cropped).png) Margaret "Mom" Chung in 1914 | |
| Born | October 2, 1889 |
| Died | January 5, 1959 (aged 69) San Francisco, California |
| Nationality | USA |
Early Life
Margaret Chung was born in 1889 in Santa Barbara.[2] Chung was the daughter of immigrants and the oldest of eleven children.[2] She grew up in a 24,000 acre ranch located in Ventura County.[2] Chung decided that she wanted to be a doctor at a young age.[2] She needed money to go to school. Chung sold newspapers to make money.[2] Her newspaper, the Los Angeles Times, gave her a scholarship to go to school.[2] Chung was rejected from all hospitals (as a doctor) after she graduated from medical school.[2] She was forced to take a spot at the Santa Fe Railroad Hospital as a surgical nurse.[2] Chung worked at the Mary Thompson Women’s and Children’s Hospital in Chicago.[2] She worked as a state resident at the State Hospital for Criminally Insane in Illinois.[2] Chung moved back to Los Angeles and built a small practice for those that could not pay when she heard about her father’s death.[2]
Chinatown & Beyond
Chung moved to San Francisco’s Chinatown and started the first Western Medicine clinic there.[2] She continued to work in her L.A clinic.[2] Chung conducted medical exams on seven Navy pilots at the beginning of the Great Depression.[2] These pilots became the first of her “sons”.[2] Chung slowly built out a network of connections.[2] She was a patron of the arts and dined with the L.A Philharmonic.[2] Sometimes, she would make home-cooked meals for them.[2] She would also invite them to her house to provide late meals.[2] Another group, the “Kiwis'', were started by famous stars like Ronald Reagan and Robert Wang.[2] The “Kiwis” could not fly.[2]
World War II
Chung gifted all her “sons” a jade Buddha at the beginning of World War II.[2] The “Golden Dolphins” were a group of submarine and naval officers.[2] She also gave them special leather notebooks.[2] Chung worked for the Allied war effort during World War II.[1] She used her fame to influence others to join.[1] Chung supported her “sons” on the front-line with gifts and letters.[1] These gifts and letters connected them with each other.[1]
War with Japan
Chung volunteered to work as a front-line doctor when the Japanese invaded China.[2] She was rejected and given a secret mission.[2] This mission was to recruit American pilots.[2] They became known as the Flying Tigers because of the stripes on their planes.[2] Chung lost some of her “sons” due to the series of wars.[2] She still served home-cooked meals and regularly entertained her remaining “sons”.[2]
WAVES
Chung also rallied for more women in the U.S military.[1] She created WAVES.[1] This stands for the Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service.[1] WAVES was established in 1942.[1] It was a reserve corps for women in the U.S Navy.[1]
Retirement
Chung retired and moved to Marin County after these wars.[2] She died of cancer in 1959.[2] She was 69 years old.[1]
Margaret Chung Media
Dr. Chung with a Lockheed P-38 Lightning model and photos of some of her recruits
Signing the TBM "Mom Chung" on May 30, 2013
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References
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 "Dr. Margaret "Mom" Chung (U.S. National Park Service)". www.nps.gov. Retrieved 2021-12-17.
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 2.15 2.16 2.17 2.18 2.19 2.20 2.21 2.22 2.23 2.24 2.25 2.26 2.27 2.28 2.29 2.30 2.31 Rasmussen, Cecilia (24 June 2001). "Chinese American Was 'Mom' to 1,000 Servicemen". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 10 March 2017.