a memorial for richard chen, a longtime leader in a businessman in the chinatown committee that passed away on february 5. i want to take a minute to acknowledge and thank his family members who are here in the chamber today. he was born in a humble village in canton province in china. he proved over the course of his career to be a man a significant talent. after burying his wife in 1929, he began a remarkable military career with the chinese national party as a lieutenant colonel, later with the united states army, where he supported the famous flying tigers air force. soon after that, richard retired from his well decorated military service. he moved to san francisco with his wife and children. despite a modest start in the food industry, his hard work and dedication allowed him to build several successful grocery and restaurant businesses in chinatown. richard was highly respected in the community as an entrepreneur and business leader. in his story epitomizes the american dream. i want to thank him for his love for his wife, his children, his family, his compassion, and dedication