Delbert Lee was born in Red Elm, South Dakota, on June 24, 1928. He grew up in South Dakota and Illinois.
During World War II, Lee served in the army on the German front. He later fought in the Korean War.
Following his military service, Lee settled in Belvidere, Illinois, to work at a sewing machine factory and later started a restaurant. Lee subsequently worked for Lien Chemical Company, which allowed him to travel to Chicago, Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Tampa, and Fort Smith. Eventually Lee moved to Lincoln, Washington County, Arkansas, where he bought a chicken farm and supplied Cornish hens to Tyson Foods. After several years, Lee sold his farm and retired in Viney Grove.
#1: Composite image of early photo of Delbert Lee and still frame from Pryor Center video interview with Delbert Lee, at Cane Hill Presbyterian Church in Cane Hill, Arkansas, October 25, 2011
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#2: Delbert Lee's paternal grandfather, Emory Lee
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#3: Delbert Lee's paternal grandparents, Emory Lee (far left) and Rena Lee (far right), with Delbert Lee's father, Frank Lee (back row on left), and family
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#4: Delbert Lee's maternal grandparents, James Elmore Meeks and Janet Delila Stockdell Meeks
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#5: Delbert Lee's mother, Flora Meeks Lee (right), with her friend, Mable
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#6: Delbert Lee's parents, Frank and Flora Meeks Lee
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#7: Delbert Lee's father, Frank Lee
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#8: Delbert Lee being held by his grandmother, ca. 1928
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#9: Delbert Lee as a young boy
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#10: Building where Delbert Lee attended school in Grassy Fork Township, Jackson County, Indiana
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#11: Delbert Lee in WWII US Army uniform, Germany, 1949
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#12: Delbert Lee, US Army, Germany, 1946-1949
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#13: Delbert Lee with the M8 Greyhound armored car he drove in WWII, Germany, ca. 1947
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#14: Delbert Lee in US Army camp, Korea, ca. 1951
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#15: Delbert Lee (left) with US Army friends, Korea, September 8, 1951
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#16: Delbert Lee with friend in US Army camp, Korea, ca. 1951
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#17: Delbert Lee's US Army friends, Korea, ca. 1951
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#18: Delbert Lee in chow line at US Army camp, Korea, ca. 1951
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#19: Delbert Lee (2nd from left) with US Army friends, Korea, ca. 1951
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#20: Delbert Lee (far left) celebrating the birth of his daughter with US Army friends while on active duty in Korea, February 13, 1951
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#21: Back of previous image of Delbert Lee celebrating the birth of his daughter with US Army friends while on active duty in Korea, February 13, 1951
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#22: Delbert Lee tending bar at Pearl Street Tavern; Belvidere, Illinois, 1952
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#23: Delbert Lee's mother and her siblings: (back row) Flora Meeks Lee, Charlie Meeks, unknown, Braxton Meeks; (front row) Hollis Meeks, Ray Meeks
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#24: Delbert Lee with his mother, Flora Meeks (left), and his wife, Margaret Boyer Lee (right), July 1965
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#25: Delbert Lee (front) with family; New Auburn, Wisconsin, 1962
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#26: Delbert Lee's family reunion, ca. 2000
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#27: Delbert and Margaret Lee, 2010
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#28: Delbert Lee's US Army memorabilia
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#29: Thank-you letter to Delbert Lee from Kim Dae-jung, president of the Republic of Korea, on the 50th anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#30: Behind-the-scenes photo from Pryor Center interview with Delbert Lee at the Cane Hill Presbyterian Church; Cane Hill, Arkansas, 2011
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#31: Behind-the-scenes photo from Pryor Center interview with Delbert Lee at the Cane Hill Presbyterian Church; Cane Hill, Arkansas, 201
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#32: Behind-the-scenes photo from Pryor Center interview with Delbert Lee at the Cane Hill Presbyterian Church; Cane Hill, Arkansas, 2011
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#33: Still frame from Pryor Center video interview with Delbert Lee at the Cane Hill Presbyterian Church; Cane Hill, Arkansas, 2011
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#34: Still frame from Pryor Center video interview with Delbert Lee at the Cane Hill Presbyterian Church; Cane Hill, Arkansas, 2011
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#35: Still frame from Pryor Center video interview with Delbert Lee at the Cane Hill Presbyterian Church; Cane Hill, Arkansas, 2011
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#36: Still frame from Pryor Center video interview with Delbert Lee at the Cane Hill Presbyterian Church; Cane Hill, Arkansas, 2011
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
#37: Still frame from Pryor Center video interview with Delbert Lee at the Cane Hill Presbyterian Church; Cane Hill, Arkansas, 2011
© Pryor Center for Arkansas Oral and Visual History, University of Arkansas
