Susan Ahn Cuddy


Susan Ahn Cuddy was the first female gunnery officer in the United States Navy. She was the eldest daughter of Korean independence activist Ahn Chang-ho and Helen Ahn, the first married Korean couple to emigrate to the United States in 1902. She joined the Navy in 1942 and served until 1946, reaching the rank of lieutenant.
She was the first Asian-American woman to join the U.S. Navy.

Early life and education

Susan Ahn Cuddy was born in 1915 in Los Angeles, California as the eldest daughter of Dosan Ahn Changho and Helen Lee. In 1902, her parents were the first Korean married couple to immigrate to the United States. The couple tirelessly worked to liberate their mother country from Japanese colonization; Ahn Chang Ho would eventually give his life to that movement in 1938, after succumbing to injuries from his constant imprisonment and torture by the Japanese.
As the family established themselves, the Ahn house became a haven for many Korean immigrants. The Young Korean Academy made its headquarters at the Ahns' residence as a resource center for many Korean immigrants. Many exiled Korean patriots, including Soh Jaipil, the first Korean American citizen, visited the Ahns while they lived at 106 North Figueroa during the Japanese occupation of Korea. The third child of five, and eldest daughter, Susan always said that her parents' sacrifice and dedication to the Korean independence cause played a defining role in her own identity and values.
During her youth, Ahn Cuddy worked for many of Dosan′s independence organizations in Los Angeles. She attended Beaudry Elementary, Central Junior High and Belmont High School. She participated in sports such as baseball and field hockey. When she was at Los Angeles City College she was in charge of women's baseball, as well as playing second base. She played for the Bing Crosby Croonerettes softball team. She had to stop playing to keep her amateur status to play college baseball.
Ahn Cuddy graduated from San Diego State University in 1940 and joined the United States Navy in 1942, where she would serve until 1946.

Career

After Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, Ahn Cuddy enlisted in the United States Armed Forces and enrolled in the U.S. Naval Reserve Midshipmen's School at Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts. She became the first Asian American woman in the Navy. This was at a time when :Category:Anti-Asian sentiment|anti-Asian sentiment in the country was high and women were still battling over sexism in the military. She told biographer John Cha, who wrote Willow Tree Shade: The Susan Ahn Cuddy Story, "A lot of people thought that women didn't belong in the service. That made us try harder."
She felt joining the Navy was a way to help free Korea from the harsh Japanese colonial era rule and was eager to join the Navy to fight the Japanese. She worked her way up in the Navy, becoming a Navy LINK instructor in 1943, teaching aviators how to maneuver in a simulator cockpit and later becoming the first female aerial gunnery officer in the Navy - in other words, she trained fighter pilots how to shoot down enemy aircraft. She knew how to work some guns men were having difficulty with. In Willow Tree Shade, Cha describes one incident where a white male pilot protested having to take directions from Ahn Cuddy because she was Asian and female. "Down here, you will shoot when I tell you to shoot!" she told the pilot.
Ahn Cuddy eventually became a Lieutenant and went on to work for US Navy Intelligence and the Library of Congress. She worked for The National Security Agency in Washington DC. During the Cold War, she was in charge of a think tank of over 300 agents working in the Russia section. She received a fellowship from the National Security Agency to study at the University of Southern California in 1956. Ahn Cuddy worked on many top secret projects for the Department of Defense and other agencies during her service with the United States government until 1959.
Even today, Ahn Cuddy's accomplishments are considered remarkable and unparalleled.

Personal life

Even in her personal life, Ahn Cuddy proved a trailblazer. In April 1947 she married Chief Petty Officer Francis X. "Frank" Cuddy, an Irish-American. They defied anti-miscegenation laws and wed at the only place that would marry them: a Navy chapel in Washington, D.C. Francis also worked for Navy Intelligence and the NSA. He was a code-breaker and helped the United States free Korea. He helped finance the Ahn family′s Moongate restaurant business. In 1959 the couple moved to Los Angeles to raise their children and also in hopes of winning her mother's acceptance of her mixed-race marriage.
The couple had two children, Philip "Flip" and Christine. Ahn Cuddy left the intelligence community in 1959, so she could spend more time with her children. Returning to California, she helped her eldest brother Philip Ahn and sister Soorah run their popular Chinese restaurant, Moongate, in Panorama City. After Philip died in 1978, Ahn Cuddy largely filled the role of family representative, worked to archive her legendary family's records, and managed the restaurant until 1990.

Later life

In 2003, the State Assembly of California of District 28 named Cuddy the Woman of the Year in honor of her commitment to public service. On October 5, 2006 she received the American Courage Award from the Asian American Justice Center in Washington D.C.
In her elder years, she remained active, speaking at Navy functions and Korean American community events, even campaigning for presidential candidate Barack Obama. A breast cancer survivor, she helped raise money for the cause. She was honored with numerous accolades by government bodies and nonprofits. The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors designated a "Susan Ahn Cuddy Day." Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, who introduced the declaration, was an especially devoted fan: "These were all firsts as an Asian American woman in a man's world... Anti-Asian sentiment was brazenly prevalent, but that didn't deter Susan Ahn Cuddy—she just knew what her mission was."

Death and legacy

Susan Ahn Cuddy died at her home in Northridge, California, on June 24, 2015. She was 100 years old.
Her life story is the subject of the short biography Willow Tree Shade by John Cha.

Family

DateAward/recognitionFrom
March 11, 1985Appreciation of ServiceIndependence Hall of Korea
August 15, 1987National Merit Award #4803Republic of South Korea from President Chun Doo Hwan
June 17, 1992Appreciation AwardKAC – 12th Annual National College Leadership Conference
August 11, 1992Recognition of ServiceCounty of LA Supervisor Mike Antonovich
March 1, 1994Achievement AwardMarch First Women's Association USA
May 10, 1995Appreciation1st Annual Korean Culture Night KSA UC Riverside
July 28, 1996AppreciationRadio Korea Los Angeles
December 14, 2000Trailblazer AwardKoreAm Journal
December 15, 2000AppreciationMarch First Women's Association USA
24 May 2001Commendation of ServiceUS Navy Assault Craft Unit 5 Camp Pendleton
24 May 2003Woman of the YearCalifornia State Assembly from Assemblyman Mark Ridley-Thomas
March 24, 2003Congratulations Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger
March 24, 2003Congratulations Lt. Governor Cruz Bustamonte
March 24, 2003CommendationService to Korean American Community from University of Southern California
August 8, 2003CommendationThe Los Angeles City Council
September 11, 2003Recognition of ServiceState Senator Richard Alarcon
2003 December 10Korean American PioneerCalifornia State Board of Equalization from John Chiang
November 18, 20043 Dosan Post OfficeCity of Los Angeles Mayor James Hahn
November 18, 2004Congratulatory CertificateLA County Supervisor Yvonne Burke
November 18, 2004Congratulatory CertificateGovernor Arnold Schwarzenegger
January 16, 2005Birthday greetingsCity of LA – home delivered by Tom La Bonge
2006 October 5American Courage AwardAsian American Justice Center, Washington, DC
2006 November 2Recognition of ServicePresident 1995–2001 from March First Women's Association USA
November 17, 2007Pioneer AwardChurch of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints of California
August 12, 2007AppreciationChairperson Korean Independence Day Concert from City of Irvine
2008 January 19Pioneer Korean AwardGovernor Arnold Schwarzenegger
2008 November 7AppreciationHung Sa Dan
2008 November 11Recognition of ServiceCity of Malibu Veteran's Day Ceremony from County of LA Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky
2009 January 16Birthday GreetingsCounty of La Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas
2009 May 1Leadership AwardSouthern California Edison 4th Annual APA Heritage Month Celebration
2009 May 1Recognition of ServiceCalifornia State Senate Gloria Romero
2009 May 1Recognition of ServiceCalifornia State Senate Carol Liu
2009 may 1Recognition of ServiceCalifornia State Controller John Chiang
2010 January 16Recognition of 95th BirthdayUS Navy
2011 January 16Recognition of 95th BirthdayLA County Board of Supervisors
2012 January 16Recognition of 95th BirthdayRepublic of Korea
2013 August 15Veteran of the GameLos Angeles Dodgers
January 16, 2014Korean 100th BirthdayRepublic of Korea
January 16, 2014Korean 100th BirthdayLA County Board of Supervisors
February 14, 2015Recognition of PatriotismDosan Memorial Foundation of Korea
January 16, 2015Recognition of 100th BirthdayLA County Board of Supervisors
2015 March 10Susan Ahn Cuddy DayLA County Board of Supervisors
2015 April 10Recognition of PatriotismSoengnam City Mayor Yi Jae Yong
2015 May 9Recognition of Navy ServiceUS Navy Seabee Museum Port Hueneme
2015 May 29Recognition of Navy ServiceUS Navy Fleet Readiness Center Point Mugu
June 6, 2015Recognition of LeadershipThe Los Angeles City Council
June 6, 2015Recognition of ContributionAmerican Cancer Society Relay for Life

Publications