Born: 25 August 1912, United States
Died: 25 November 1944
Country most active: United States
Also known as: 李月英, Lǐ Yuèyīng
The following bio was written by Emma Rosen, author of On This Day She Made History: 366 Days With Women Who Shaped the World and This Day In Human Ingenuity & Discovery: 366 Days of Scientific Milestones with Women in the Spotlight, and has been republished with permission.
Hazel Ying Lee (李月英) was an American pilot during World War II, serving as a pilot in the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) program.
In 1932, Hazel Lee took her first airplane ride and was determined to learn flying. She joined the Chinese Flying Club of Portland, learning from aviator Al Greenwood. Despite resistance from her mother, she pursued her love for flying. In October 1932, Lee became among the first Chinese-American women to get a pilot’s license, breaking stereotypes about Chinese women in aviation.
Before World War II, responding to the 1933 Japanese invasion of Manchuria, Hazel Lee and fellow Chinese Americans aimed to aid the Chinese Air Force. Despite the need for pilots, the Republic of China Air Force didn’t accept women. Due to her gender, Lee worked a desk job and occasionally flew for a Chinese company. Frustrated, she settled in Canton, spending years flying for a private airline as one of the few women pilots in China at the time.
After the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, the U.S. entered WWII. To address pilot shortages, the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) was formed in 1943, led by Jacqueline Cochran, with some backing from Commander Henry “Hap” Arnold.
Experienced aviator, Hazel Lee joined WASP, training in Sweetwater, Texas. She became the first Chinese-American woman in the U.S. military, flying in Class 44-18 Flight B. Lee’s group piloted high-speed fighters like P-63 Kingcobras, P-51 Mustangs, and P-39 Airacobras.
On November 10, 1944, Lee was ordered to fly a P-63 Kingcobra to Great Falls, Montana, contributing to Soviet allies through the Lend-Lease program. Facing bad weather, Lee left Fargo on November 25. Approaching Great Falls, she collided with another P-63 due to tower confusion. Though rescued, the planes ignited, and Lee succumbed to burns on November 25, 1944.