Chinese American Hero: John L. Fugh
July 9, 2009
Name in English: John L. Fugh
Name in Chinese: 傅履仁
Name in Pinyin: Fù Lǚrén
Gender: Male
Birth Year: 1935
Birth Place: Beijing, China
Profession(s): US Army, Major General, Attorney
Education: B.S., International Relations, Georgetown; Juris Doctor, George Washington University Law School; John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University; US Army War College
Award(s): 2004, Chinese American Pioneer Award from the Organization of Chinese American; 2008 Outstanding American by Choice from the US Citizenship & Immigration Services; The Bronze Star; Legion of Merit; Defense Superior Service Medal; Distinguished Service Medal
Contribution(s): The first Chinese American to reach flag rank in the US Army. By his retirement in 1993, General Fugh had reached the rank of Major General. He served as Judge Advocate General, where he managed the Army’s worldwide legal organization, serving as legal advisor to the Army Chief of Staff during the Persian Gulf War. He was the top uniformed lawyer in the Army. He is currently Chairman for the Committee of 100, a group of prominent Chinese Americans dedicated to improving US China relations as well as encouraging more Chinese American participation in society. He is also a member of the Executive Committee of the Atlantic Council of the United States, and board member of the National Japanese American Memorial Foundation as well as a member of the Asia Society Washington Center Advisory Committee.
General Fugh first came to America with his mother from China in 1950. Due to strict immigration laws at the time, he only became a naturalized US citizen in 1957. Though friends and family were skeptical of his choice, he became a lawyer, eventually working for the US Army. From 1969 to 1972, he was part of the Military Assistance Advisory Group for China in Taipei, though Army personnel were initially reluctant to assign him as they were unsure of his loyalties. His wife, June, met with the number two ranked JAG general, and Fugh got the assignment. From 1976 to 1978, he was Staff Judge Advocate for the Third Armored Division. In 1984, he was promoted to Brigadier General and became the Assistant Judge Advocate General for Civil Law. He was promoted to The Judge Advocate General in 1991.
As The Judge Advocate General during the Persian Gulf War, General Fugh established a human rights training program for many countries. He published the “War Crimes Report,” the first US document to record enemy war crimes since World War II. He also formed the Desert Storm Assessment Team to study Judge Advocate General corps doctrine and combat roles. After retiring from the Army in 1993, General Fugh became a partner at the law firm of McGuire, Woods, Battle & Boothe in Washington D.C. He then served as president of McDonnell-Douglas China. He was later Chairman for Enron International China, dealing with its relations in mainland China. He retired from Enron in 2001.
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