Day 105: Willows Korean Aviation School, Glenn County, California
📌APIA Every Day (105) - Established on February 20, 1920, in Glenn County, California, the Willows Korean Aviation School played a significant role in training fighter pilots for the Korean Independence Movement. Financially supported by Kim Chon-lim, a prominent figure in the Korean American community known as the “rice king” in the northern part of California, the school aimed to produce pilots who could aid in Korea's fight for sovereignty against Japanese rule. The school shut down a year later, ended by a flood that wiped out Chong-lim’s fortune, therefore leaving the school unsupported financially. The school is recognized by both Korean Americans and the Korean government as a pivotal heritage site.
Many notable figures in Korean aviation, such as Park Hee-sung, Lee Yong-keun, and Song Yi-kyun, received their training at the Willows Korean Aviation School. Two graduates went on to join the Republic of Korea Air Force, solidifying the school's legacy as the predecessor of the modern Korean Air Force. Today, efforts by the Willows Memorial Foundation of Korea’s First Aviation School and Air Corps are underway to preserve the school's building and its surrounding airfield, ensuring that its historical significance is properly recognized.
LEARN MORE:
Korean American Pioneer Aviators: The Willows Airmen
Calisphere: Willows Daily Journal: Koreans to Have Aviation Field
Wikiwand: Willows Korean Aviation School
Enterprise Record: Students pursue 1920s Korean air school in Glenn County
#apiaeveryday #korean #koreanamerican #koreanamericanhistory #willowskoreanaviationschool #willows #california #kimchonglim #koreanairforce #koreanindependencemovement #aanhpiheritagemonth #historicpreservationmonth #aanhpihistory
