Specialist Chang Lee

Specialist Chang Lee, of East St. Paul, served in the United States Army with the 3rd Brigade Combat Team of the First Battalion 32nd Infantry Regiment Dog Company, as part of the Tenth Mountain Division. He originally enlisted for military service in 2009 at age 19. He was deployed to Afghanistan in March 2011 where he served as a rifle squad’s point man and operator of the mine detector system.

On June 20, 2011, SPC Lee was wounded while on patrol when his unit was ambushed. SPC Lee was shot in the left triceps, where the bullet severed an artery, transected his median nerve and severely wounded his bicep. SPC Lee received a Purple Heart for injuries sustained.

Multiple surgeries later, SPC Lee hopes to regain function of his left hand. SPC Lee plans to attend the University of Minnesota in the future. He is a 2007 graduate of Henry Sibley High School. SPC Lee received a $2,000 grant from MMAF.