Maj. Fred Ohr flew over 150 missions and had six kills as squadron leader for the famous 2nd Fighter Squadron (flying P-51 Mustangs), the “American Beagles.” He ended up flying in Africa and all over Europe, earning two Silver Stars, two Distinguished Flying Crosses, and a Bronze Star among other decorations:

Born in Oregon in 1919 as the middle child, Ohr was an early isae (second-generation) Korean American… His father, Wan Ju Oh (the surname was later changed to “Ohr”), was a political refugee who escaped to China with his maternal grandfather in the early 1900s to escape Japanese persecution.

They first came to the United States through Alaska to work at a salmon cannery, before moving on to the state of Washington to work at a logging factory. His mother, Wanda Park, came soon after to San Francisco, and made five trips between Korea and the United States to bring over the rest of her family. After spending his early years in Oregon, Wan Ju moved the family to Idaho for new farming opportunities…

Thus it was as an Idaho farm boy that Ohr, barely 20 years old in 1938, signed up to enlist in a National Guard unit.

From page three in the article there is a Q&A session with Maj. Ohr:

I graduated from cadet training in Arizona and was soon sent into a fighter squad. Being Korean and from a family that was persecuted by the Japanese government, I asked to be deployed to the Pacific. Like many other Koreans here, I felt that there was a score to be settled. But they turned me down since, if I was ever caught, I wouldn’t stand a chance, especially since the Japanese government was still after my father. So instead I went to Europe.

[. . .]

After I became squadron leader, my mentality changed. Suddenly, it was no longer about shooting down the enemy but about keeping my guys alive. As leader, I always tried to be the last one out of a mission to make sure that everyone in my squadron got out.

After the war Maj. Ohr married (1946) and graduated from dental school at Northwestern University. Dr. Ohr, now in his mid-80s, is retired and lives in Chicago. Be sure to read the entire article at the KoreAmJournal.