Do not go gentle into that good night, old age should burn and rave at close of day; Rage, rage against the dying of the light, though wise men at their end know dark is right, because their words had forked no lightning they, do not go gentle into that good night.
Daughter of independence fighter dies
By Jhoo Dong-chan
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Susan Ahn Cuddy
By Jhoo Dong-chan
Susan Ahn Cuddy, eldest daughter of Ahn Chang-ho, a Korean independence activist against Japanese colonial rule, has died at her home in Los Angeles, California. She was 100.
The Dosan Ahn Chang-ho Memorial Foundation said Thursday that Cuddy was healthy enough to make a speech at an event the day before but died in her sleep Wednesday (local time).
She was born in Los Angeles in January 1915.
Cuddy’s father, Ahn, is a prominent historic figure in Korea who established an independence activists’ organization, Shinminhoe, for the liberation of Korea during the Japanese colonial era in the early 20th century.
Cuddy graduated from San Diego State University. She joined the U.S. Navy in 1942, serving until 1946, and reached the rank of lieutenant. She was the first Asian-American woman to join the U.S. Navy and later became its first female gunnery officer.
After the service, Cuddy worked for the National Security Agency (NSA) in Washington D.C., serving until her retirement in 1960. She was in charge of deciphering codes, having over 300 junior agents.
In 1947, Cuddy married Irish-American Francis Cuddy, who also worked for U.S. Navy Intelligence and the NSA. Fluent in Japanese, he was also a code-breaker.
Although she was born in the U.S., Cuddy remembered her father’s spirit and helped Korean organizations’ movements to commemorate the country’s liberation as well as working for many Korean groups in the U.S.
Cuddy was named by the California State Assembly as Woman of the Year for her public service in 2003.
In 2006, the Washington-based Asian American Justice Center gave her the American Courage Award.
This year, the County of Los Angeles also honored her service by declaring March 10, the day of her father’s death, “Susan Ahn Cuddy Day.”