Hon. Victor Oh: Honourable senators, I rise today to speak on the Canadian Naval Tribute Project, cofounded by Sean Livingston and Mark Phillips. This project seeks to recognize 14 unsung heroes of the Royal Canadian Navy, heroes who endured racial and gender prejudice but never wavered in the face of combat.

Among the 14 officers honoured, we find a remarkable Lieutenant-Commander William Lore. Lore was born in Victoria, B.C., in 1909 and was a Chinese-Canadian pioneer in many ways. At the onset of World War II, Lore, then a public servant, was denied entry into the Royal Canadian Navy three times because of his ethnicity. He was not granted admittance until a personal request from the Chief of the Naval Staff was received.

With this acceptance, Lore became the first person of Chinese descent to become an officer in the Royal Canadian Navy, including all other Commonwealth navies.

Lieutenant-Commander Lore served in the U.K. and in Southeast Asia, where he was instrumental in planning the Alliance attack on Rangoon, Burma. In recognition of his service and sacrifice in the liberation of Hong Kong, Lore was selected to command the first party of Royal Marines into the city and became the first Allied officer to officially enter the liberated region.

Lore’s remarkable story continued past VE Day. Upon his retirement from the navy in 1948, the Lieutenant-Commander went on to graduate with a law degree from the University of Oxford at the age of 51.

Colleagues, William Lore’s exceptional service is just one example of equally impressive Canadian heroes being honoured by the Canadian Naval Tribute Project. Please join me in congratulating Mr. Livingston and Mr. Phillips for their efforts in preserving Canada’s diverse military history.

Thank you. Xie xie.