Benjamin Ralph Kimlau

Benjamin Ralph Kimlau (金勞少尉) (April 11, 1918 – March 5, 1944) was a Chinese American aviator and United States Air Force bomber pilot.

Benjamin Ralph Kimlau
Born(1918-04-11)April 11, 1918
Concord, Massachusetts
DiedMarch 5, 1944(1944-03-05) (aged 25)
Los Negros Island, Admiralty Islands, Papua New Guinea
Buried
near or off Los Negros Island
Allegiance United States (United States Army
United States Army Air Forces)
Years of service1942-1944
Rank2nd Lieutenant
Unit380th Bombardment Group
Commands held530th Squadron
Battles/warsSecond World War
Chinese name
Traditional Chinese劉國樑
Simplified Chinese刘国梁

Kimlau was born on April 10, 1918, in Concord, MA and moved to New York City with his parents in 1932. He attended DeWitt Clinton High School. After his visit to China, he studied at Pennsylvania Military College in Chester, Pennsylvania, from 1938 to 1942.[1] Upon graduation he was promoted to Field Artillery 2nd Lieutenant. With America at war, Kimlau joined the US Army Field Artillery, but later transferred to the United States Army Air Forces 380th Bombardment Group of the Fifth Air Force. After training as a pilot, he was stationed at Fenton Airfield in Australia. In Australia, Kimlau flew B-24 Liberator bomber in missions during the New Guinea campaign. On March 5, 1944, Kimlau's bomber was attacked by the Japanese and crashed near Los Negros Island.

His bomber group was given 2 Presidential Unit Citations.

Honors

Kimlau has been honored by American Legion 1291, which named their post after him.[1] In 1962, the Benjamin Ralph Kimlau Memorial Gate (金勞紀念牌坊) was erected at Kimlau Square within Chatham Square in his memory. The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission designated the Kimlau War Memorial as a landmark in June 2021.[2][3]

See also

References
  1. "Post History". ltkimlau.com. Archived from the original on 23 May 2013. Retrieved 1 June 2015.
  2. Small, Zachary (2021-06-23). "City Approves Landmarks Honoring Chinese Americans and Native Americans". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-07-07.
  3. "Kimlau War Memorial" (PDF). New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. June 22, 2021. Retrieved 2021-07-07.
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