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TMMP®_white (1) (1)-cropped-svg The Mariners' Museum and Park

WWII Trailblazer: Lt. Susan Ahn Cuddy Makes WAVES

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During WWII, the women’s reserve branch of the Navy was founded, known as the WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Services), which allowed women to enlist in the Navy and serve in non-combat roles. Approximately 100,000 women served in the WAVES during WWII. As May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, we’d like to highlight the service of the first Asian American woman to join the WAVES, Lt. Susan Ahn Cuddy.

A black and white portrait of a woman of asian decent in a military uniform
Lt Susan Ahn Cuddy, image courtesy of Naval History Heritage Command.

Lt. Susan Ahn Cuddy was born in Los Angeles in 1915 to parents who immigrated from Korea in 1902. Susan was the oldest of five children. Her father was an active supporter of the Korean independence movement and also instilled in his children a mindset of independence, encouraging them to go against traditional expectations. After High School, Ahn Cuddy attended San Diego State College (now University), graduating with a degree in sociology.

Two men and one woman pose for a picture, black and white. All wearing military uniforms.
Susan Ahn Cuddy with brothers Ralph Ahn and Phillip Ahn, who joined the Navy and Army, respectively. Image courtesy of the Naval History and Heritage Command.

When the US entered WWII in 1941 after the attack on Pearl Harbor, Susan enlisted in the WAVES, motivated by a desire to serve her country. However, Ahn Cuddy’s application was initially rejected due to her race. Unfortunately, during this time period, the military was largely segregated, and some of the women’s service branches did not admit women of color right away. However, Ahn Cuddy was not deterred and simply re-applied to the WAVES immediately after rejection. She was admitted to the WAVES this time, and she joined the first class of WAVES at the newly opened recruit training center in Cedar Falls, Iowa. (To read about other WAVES trailblazers, check out this previous blog post.)

An illustrated poster including the words: On the same Team. Enslist in the WAVES. A woman in uniform is the focus, with two male sailors in the background.
On the Same Team, Enlist in the WAVES” Recruiting Poster, 1943. The Mariners’ Museum and Park 1962.0316.000001.

Lt Ahn Cuddy’s determination and skill helped her reach new heights in the WAVES, admitting her to specialist training programs. Her first assignment was in Georgia, where she studied flight training simulators and then instructed future Navy pilots. Ahn Cuddy trained pilots using one of the most sophisticated training devices developed up to that point, the Link Trainer, which taught new pilots how to fly and trust their instruments without ever leaving the ground. The Link Trainer sat on an elevated turntable, allowing the trainer cockpit to move and simulate the feel of flight. It was invented in 1929 by Edwin Albert Link, and more than 500,000 US pilots were trained on it during WWII. (To learn more about aviation training in WWII, check out this previous blog post.)

A woman stands beside a man sitting inside a helicopter replica with headphones on. The woman is pointing.
A member of the WAVES instructing a Navy pilot in aircraft navigation using the Link trainer in Norfolk, VA. Image courtesy of the Naval History and Heritage Command.

Ahn Cuddy’s talent was noticed by an officer who recommended her for officer training, which she completed in the summer of 1943. From there, she was sent to train at gunnery school in Pensacola, Florida, where she graduated with distinction and became the Navy’s first female gunnery officer. She went on to train naval aviators at Atlantic City Naval Air Station on the .50-caliber machine gun. She then went on to join the Naval Intelligence Office, using her knowledge of Korean to help codebreakers.

A woman and a man in uniform stand by a gun as the woman points the gun and the man looks on.
Lt. Ahn Cuddy instructs a sailor on how to fire a .50-caliber machine gun at Naval Air Station, Pensacola, Florida. Image courtesy of the US Department of Defense.

After the end of WWII, Lt Ahn Cuddy left the Navy in 1946 to marry Chief Petty Officer Francis Cuddy, a fellow intelligence expert whom she met in Washington, D.C. She continued working in D.C. as a civilian, working as an intelligence analyst and section chief at the National Security Agency during the Cold War. In 1959, the couple moved to Los Angeles to be closer to Susan’s family and to help support the city’s growing Korean American community. 

A woman in a formal dress suit stands next to a man in uniform in a church.
Lt Susan Ahn Cuddy and Chief Petty Officer Francis Cuddy at their wedding. Image courtesy of susanahncuddy.com.

In Los Angeles, Susan helped her brother Philip and sister Soorah run their popular restaurant, Moongate, which became a hub for the locaI Asian American Community. Lt Ahn Cuddy frequently spoke at Navy functions and Korean American community events. After surviving breast cancer, she went on to run fundraisers for breast cancer research. In 2003, the State Assembly of California of District 28 named Susan Ahn Cuddy the Woman of the Year in honor of her commitment to public service. On October 5, 2006, she received the American Courage Award from the Asian American Justice Center in Washington, D.C. Susan Ahn Cuddy passed away in her home at the age of 100 years old. 

A woman in a military uniform wearing headphones sits while looking at an instrument.
Lt Susan Ahn Cuddy at work, training fighter pilots at the Link Training Facility. Image Courtesy of the US Department of Defense.

Sources:

Lange, Katie. (2021, April ) Lt. Susan Ahn Cuddy: A Trailblazer of Merit and Warrior Ethos in the Navy. U.S. Department of Defense. https://www.defense.gov/News/Feature-Stories/Story/Article/2586537/lt-susan-ahn-cuddy-a-trailblazer-of-merit-and-warrior-ethos-in-the-navy/

Kim, Sung. (2020, May 6) Susan Ahn Cuddy: Asian American Trailblazer. Los Angeles Public Library. LAPL Blog. https://lapl.org/collections-resources/blogs/lapl/susan-ahn-cuddy-asian-american-trailblazer

Cuddy, Philip. (2023) Susan Ahn Cuddy – Trailblazing Pioneer https://www.susanahncuddy.com/home.html

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