Ya P. Lee was born in 1953 in Xieng Khouang, Laos. In 1960, a coup d'état started in Vientiane and spread to his hometown in Xieng Khouang. His family relocated to Pha Khao, and Lee eventually left for Vientiane to study. He was educated in English. In the final years of the war, there was a need for more Hmong bomber pilots to support the ground troops at the frontline. Towards the end of 1970, Lee was recruited into the T-28 pilot training program. He flew about 21 missions before the war was over in 1975. In the U.S., he worked for General Motors. Lee retired in 2011 and now resides in Minnesota with his family.