NEW AMERICAN HERO AWARDS LAUREATES

NEW AMERICAN HERO AWARD LAUREATES

Tom Kim

of Knoxville, TN, who founded the Free Clinic for Working Poor and has been operating the clinic for more than twelve years;

Lieutenant Colonel John Oh,

medical doctor and U.S. Army general surgeon, for his heroic service for his country in the war fields in Afghanistan, including risking his own life to perform an emergency surgery removing an unexploded rocket propelled grenade (RPG) protruding from a wounded soldier;

Samuel “Sammy” Lee (1920 –2016),

the first Asian-American to win an Olympic Gold Medal for the United States, and the first man to back-to-back gold medals (1948 London and 1952 Helsinki) in Olympic platform diving. He practiced as a podiatrist and coached Olympics diving athletes at US Olympics Training Camps and the University of Southern California. Dr. Lee had to practice at inopportune facilities because of discriminations.

Jason Pak,

Captain, US Army retired is West Point graduate, Captain of the U.S. Army (Ret.) and an elite Ranger, was wounded by an improvised explosive device (IED) in Afghanistan and serves an inspiration for veterans and civilians alike by sharing his story; 

The late James Suh, (1977-2005)

a U.S. Navy SEAL, who was part of a resolute Naval Special Warfare team fighting the Taliban and volunteered to go on a mission to rescue his fellow SEAL members who were trapped by insurgent fire. He was part of one of sixteen troops killed when a MH-47 Chinook helicopter was shot down in Afghanistan.

US. Army Colonel Young-Oak Kim (1919 – 2005),

a highly decorated U.S. Army combat veteran of World War II and the Korean War and a civic leader and humanitarian. He was a member of the U.S. 100th Infantry Battalion and 442nd Regimental Combat Team, and a combat leader in Italy and France during World War II. 

Peter Meong Rhee,

Chief of Acute Care Surgery and Medical Director of the Marcus Trauma Center, is an American surgeon, medical professor at Arizona State University, and military veteran. During his 24 years in the United States Navy, Rhee served as a battlefield casualty physician in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Byung J. “BJay” Pak

is U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia during an executive session. The district includes forty-six counties in Georgia, the cities of Atlanta, Gainesville, Rome and Newnan, and a population of more than six million.

Steve Stirling,

a Korean-born American, who is the President/CEO of the Medicine Assistant Program (MAP) International, a Christian global health organization that provides medicines, prevents disease, and promotes health in some of the world’s poorest countries. MAP International has provided more than $6 billion in medicines and health supplies to communities in need since its inception in 1954.

Daniel D. Yoo,

Major General, USMC Retired assumed command of the Marine’s elite U.S. Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command (MARSOC). MG Yoo has also served as Director of Operations (J3), United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM). He was the highest ranking Korean American US military officer.

Henry Cho

is an American comedian of Korean ancestry famous for his unique brand of clean comedy. His work can be heard nationwide at comedy clubs, SiriusXM Radio, and the Grand Ole Opry. Henry is one of most popular American comedians, entertains Americans all over the US with clean jokes over three decades.

Victor Cha,

Dr. Cha chairs in Asian Studies in the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University, Senior Advisor at the Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS), and former Director for Asian Affairs in the White House’s National Security Council.

Jim Yong Kim,

Dr. Kim is Vice Chair and Partner at Global Infrastructure Partners, a fund that invests in infrastructure projects across several sectors around the world. He is a compassionate physician, the 17 th President of Dartmouth College, the 12 th President of the World Bank Group, former Director of the World Health Organization’s HIV/AIDS department, co-founder of Partner in Health.

Sung Yong Kim:

Ambassador Kim is an American diplomat of Korean ancestry serve the United States as the US Special Representative for North Korea Policy since 2021, and previously from 2014 to 2016. He has also served as the acting Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs. Kim joined Hyundai Automobile Group as senior advisor as he retired in November 2023.