This comprehensive article documents the pioneering achievements of 37 Americans of Chinese ancestry who have attained flag rank (general or admiral) in the U.S. Armed Services. Major General Chen traces the legacy from Brigadier General Albert Kualii Brickwood Lyman (Class of 1909, USMA), the first Asian American Pacific Islander to achieve general rank, through contemporary flag officers across all service branches. The article provides detailed biographies of notable officers and analyzes career trajectories, emphasizing the importance of pursuing assignments in warfighting roles and encouraging younger generations to continue this "Legacy of Progress."

In this Army Magazine article (July 2018), Major General Chen recounts his experience as Program Executive Officer for Missile Defense in 1992-1993, when he faced the critical challenge of selecting between two competing missile interceptor programs, the Patriot missile and ERINT, for the Army's lower-tier interceptor role. With millions of dollars at stake, Chen developed an innovative "down-select" strategy centered on comprehensive hardware-in-the-loop simulations. Despite pressure to expedite the decision, he maintained process integrity, ultimately selecting the ERINT interceptor, which became the PAC-3 missile, the Army's first kinetic energy, hit-to-kill technology interceptor.

This article traces the historical journey of Chinese American World War II veterans from pre-war contributions through post-war integration into mainstream America. Drawing parallels to the recognition of Chinese railroad workers, Major General Chen examines how approximately 20,000 Chinese Americans, 40% of whom were not U.S. citizens due to the Chinese Exclusion Act, served with distinction across all branches and theaters of WWII. The article documents how their service demonstrated "uncommon and commendable sense of patriotism and honor in face of discrimination," opened opportunities for Asian Americans in mainstream society, and established them as part of America's Greatest Generation.