Susan Ahn Cuddy, a Naval Officer Who Crossed Barriers

Born in California to Dosan Ahn Chang Ho and Helen Ahn, Susan Ahn Cuddy applied to the U.S. Navy’s women’s reserve during World War II in 1942. Rejected on her first attempt, she applied again and was accepted, becoming the first Asian American woman to serve in the U.S. Navy.

She taught air-combat tactics using flight simulators and later became the Navy’s first woman gunnery officer, training aviators in the use of the .50-caliber machine gun. Afterward, she worked as a code breaker at the Office of Naval Intelligence and later as an intelligence analyst at the National Security Agency during the Cold War.

Cuddy’s life reflects the experience of a Korean American who built expertise and served the public while crossing barriers of race and gender. Her story also connects the history of a Korean independence movement family with civic participation in the United States.

Reference: Naval History and Heritage Command, Lieutenant Susan Ahn Cuddy.