Veteran's Corner: Sidney Lee

COLFAX -Sidney Lee was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. At 21, while studying Computer Science in junior college, he decided to let his student exemption expire to be drafted into the Army in 1971 during the Vietnam war.

"My draft number was 30," Lee said, adding that he was hoping to get drafted instead of enlisting. "With a little more education, I wound up with an office job instead of front line," he said.

Lee would enter the Army on January 18, 1971, serving until 1973. "Being from California, we're supposed to go to Fort Ord in Monterey," he said, due to it being full though the group of draftees that Lee was in were sent to Fort Lewis in Washington. "They had us all day long waiting at the reception center," he said, noting that by the time they got to the Seattle airport, it was 6 a.m. "We finally got to our barracks at 3 a.m. the next day," he said.

Lee said that basic training was a good experience for him, "It was good training, good discipline," he said, noting that his group was the Road Runner Company, so they ran everywhere.

After basic training, Lee was sent to Presidio of San Francisco to train for the role of Data Analyst, classification MOS as "secret" for three months. Lee noted that Presidio was the 6th Army headquarters covering the western United States.

Since Lee had program experience from school, the Army thought a data analyst position would be one he could fulfill. "I monitored troop movements covering the western United States within the 6th Army, in and out and around," he said, adding that this required him to keep track of every soldier in the 6th Army.

During the Vietnam era, Lee said, the data analyst had cards they'd write information, and a group of people would type the cards into a computer system. "It was 70's technology; card punch is what it was called," he said, "we would verify the information and send it to the Department of Defense."

Lee recalled one noteworthy moment during his military service: seeing the first prisoners of war return from Hanoi. They returned to the hospital at his post, and people welcomed them back, "They saw a lot there," he said, "that was good to see them back."

"I volunteered to go before my first year was up because I wanted to go to Vietnam," Lee said; he noted that at the time, the war was winding down in 1972. The Army told him he had to stay due to being an asset where he was. "They gave me California, my home state instead," he said.

Lee liked the service, he said. "They asked if I would stay, but I wanted to go back to finish college."

Lee said that he's always thought that everyone should experience basic training after high school, and he loves this country. "You learn discipline, honor, love of country, and if you don't love it, you're free to go," he said.

He noted that though he was born here, his grandfather had immigrated from China, bringing Lee's father with him. "That's how Asian Americans started back in the gold rush days," he said.

"Back then, they were going to come to the mountain of gold, get their fortune, and go back to China and live like kings," Lee said, noting that many stayed.

Lee wasn't the only one to serve the country in his family; his father was drafted in WWII, as well as his father-in-law.

"My father was what they called the American Theatre state side back then; he served in the states in convoys," he said, adding that his father had various duties, though he was initially assigned as a cook. His father served in the American theater, bringing back wounded service members from the Pacific and helping them throughout the country.

His father-in-law and father were drafted in Spokane, having known one another as teenagers. His father-in-law served in Burma during WWII on the Ledo Road as a driver to convoys that supplied war material to the Chinese to help them fight the Japanese.

Lee recommends military service to anyone who wants to learn discipline and the love of country. "In this country, one great thing is that immigrants can go from rags to riches within a generation," he said. "You just have to start working hard and have that opportunity here."

Lee advises everyone that every day is essential, and you've got to gain discipline to make something out of life. "You only have one shot; make the most of it."

Lee met his wife, Darlene, finished college with a Business Administration and Accounting degree, and moved down to Colfax to take over his father-in-law's, Peter Eng's Coffee Shop, operating it for seven years. He then went to work at the McGregor Company, retiring after 25 years, and has enjoyed his retirement for the past five years. The Lees have three children and four grandchildren in Spokane Valley. Mrs. Lee volunteers at The Thrifty Grandmother's Shop and Mr. Lee at the food bank. "I've been very fortunate," he said.