Lambert Wai - Army
Lambert Wai was in Los Angeles on December 7, 1941 when Pearl Harbor was attacked. Lambert had just graduated from Santa Monica Jr. College in June 1941, where he played football, and was preparing to enter UCLA in January 1942. He played football at Santa Monica JC and was hopeful to follow/join his 3 brothers (Francis, recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor), Conkling, and Robert – all of whom played outstanding football. Upon his arrival at home, he learned that he could not enlist in active duty, as an Executive Order limited the number of brothers to serve in the war to two after four brothers in another family had been killed upon a battleship. With two brothers, Francis and Robert, already in the Army, Lambert went to work on Midway for a year as a drill rigger deepening Midway’s harbor in order for submarines to enter for repairs. He was drafted into the Armed services in November 16, 1945 as a private to assist in the deployment of active duty military personnel. The deployment program slowed and Lambert was honorably discharged on February 21, 1947 as a Staff Sergeant. Lambert then went on to work for Mutual of Omaha as a salesman and retired at age 70 as General Manager of its Honolulu Division Office.