Good job, Egerton Chang

THE EDITOR, Sir

I was fortunate to read Egerton Chang's article 'Jamaican-Chinese WWII unit, and banana patties', published March 17 in The Sunday Gleaner regarding the Jamaican-Chinese World War II unit.

Thanks to Mr Chang for providing the reading public with some history of my father, Joseph Young, that makes us proud. He has told me several stories over the years, some of which Mr Chang mentions. I did want to give some more details and a clarification.

The Chinese unit shown in the black-and-white picture Mr Chang mentioned did not ship out to Europe as a unit. My father is the only one from that unit who left Jamaica. He was sent to Virginia for training with other soldiers from the Caribbean, almost all black men.

While stationed in Italy, they asked many times to go to the front to see action. Their commander told them that they were not trained well enough to see action.

Perhaps this decision by the commander is what allowed my father to return home safely to Jamaica, where he would later marry my mom and start a family.

WADE YOUNG

bulldog14@sympatico.ca

Toronto, Canada