While he was War Minister in 1942 Aung San was attended by a senior staff nurse, Khin Kyi, began a romantic relationship with her, and married her several months after they first met. Their marriage was shocking to Aung San's comrades because he had always claimed that young men should avoid romantic relationships until Burmese independence was achieved, so that they could dedicate their energy towards that goal. Due to his previous rhetoric some of his comrades were afraid that Aung San's marriage would distract him from his political goals, but this turned out not to be the case.