VALOR: Asian American Soldiers, Police and Firefighters Protecting Fairfax County and Our Nation (Fairfax County Asian American History Project)

In 2010, the first volume of the Fairfax County Asian American History Project (FCAAHP) was published, honoring the years since 1870 when the census recorded the first resident of Fairfax County with Asian heritage. This is the second volume of the FCAAHP series focusing on VALOR -- narratives of courage, patriotism and service by Asian American Soldiers, Police, Firefighters who have put their lives at risk to defend our nation, particularly Fairfax County, Virginia. The book includes an overview of the military service of Asian Americans since the Civil War, with detailed stories of Asian American residents of Fairfax County. Grant Ichikawa is the FCAAHP participant with the longest residency (since 1955) in Fairfax County; he shared his stories as a WWII Veteran, Korean War Veteran, and a CIA officer evacuated out of Vietnam on April 30, 1975. Narratives of courage by Fairfax County Asian American Police and Firefighters serve as inspiration for the youth to consider careers in public safety to strengthen our community here in Fairfax County. Tom Yeepun served as the first Asian American Police Officer in Fairfax County; he was a recipient of several valor awards for dangerous counter-intelligence work and for saving lives. The Fairfax County Asian American Firefighters' Association has supported the outreach/recruiting programs of the county to develop more representative public safety agencies that could best meet the goal of improving the lives and safety of our community in Fairfax County, Virginia.