“I’ve been carrying this for 40-some years. This is the original box, falling apart,” says Wong, as he slowly lifts the cover.
Inside is a bronze-colored medal inscribed with a scene of American troops. Along the top is written “For God and Country.” Along the bottom is written the motto of the United States Marines: “Semper Fidelis,” Latin for “Always Faithful.”
Wong was given the award when he was still in junior high school in New York’s Chinatown. “I feel that somehow I’m meant to be part of this,” Wong says.
Wong is one of the leading candidates to become the next American Legion National Commander. He immigrated to the United States from China when he was just 12. He became a naturalized U.S. citizen, and was given the medal just a couple of years later, as an award for good school work. It left an impression on him that became a guiding beacon for the rest of his life.
He volunteered for the Army in 1969 and served 25 months in Vietnam. He learned when he was young that only veterans of American wars could join the American Legion. “Maybe that was one of the things, when it was time for me to go and they said wait to be drafted or volunteer to join. Maybe that had something to do with it,” he said.
Wong would spend 20 years in the Army before he retired in May 1989, as a chief warrant officer (CW3). He joined the American Legion that same year.
“The more you get into it, the more you understand how much the veterans still love their country, how much they still want to put out,” Wong said, during an interview at the American Legion’s Lt. B. R. Kimlau Chinese Memorial Post in New York.
Embedded in Chinatown, the American Legion post is filled with veterans with service dating back to World War II. Two coffee dispensers filled with tea sit on a table near men playing a game of Mahjong—a Chinese game played with small tiles. Others sit and chat. Although this branch of the American Legion is predominantly joined by ethnic Chinese veterans of American wars, each of its members shares a common bond felt by all veterans.
Wong sits downstairs in a hall reserved for events. The walls are decorated with photographs of men and women who passed through the American Legion. Flags representing each branch of the U.S. military are draped from the ceiling.
Wong is soft spoken and is quick to laugh. If he wins the spot as the next American Legion National commander on Sept. 1, 2011, he will carry the torch as an advocate for the decisions of the American Legion membership.
The American Legion was incorporated by Congress just following the first world war in 1919, as an organization representing America’s veterans. As the largest veteran service group in the country, the nonprofit American Legion is a voice for veterans’ rights.
The organization is driven by the resolutions of its members. The national commander doesn’t make rules, but instead represents the overall stance of its members—particularly regarding Department of Defense policies that affect veterans.
“When they are doing well we are their biggest supporters, we lobby for them,” Wong said. “When they are not doing well we point out their shortcomings ... what they need to change.”
Supporting Veterans
For many, the American Legion also plays a central role in giving troops an outlet. After facing the trials of war, it is one of the few places where veterans can find others who understand what they’ve gone through.
“In every war, we always had a group of people who served who came back with some problem. It’s just that we couldn’t pinpoint what the problem is until the current war,” Wong said.
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a growing problem with today’s veterans, as suicides steadily increase across the armed forces.
After speaking with Legion veterans, Wong said “Each one of us has some sort of baggage in there,” yet the Legion has helped many veterans cope with the pressure. “A lot of us feel that we had it but we were able to contain it or get out of it, because we’re associated with friends who are veterans, and we share the stories.”
“Sometimes it’s just about getting it off your chest and then you find out that it’s OK. ... Then once you get that out, you share that experience and you process it then all of the sudden it’s a relief. Whereas other people, they have nobody to talk to,” Wong said.
Particularly with the current veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan, where roadside bombs are a daily threat, and where the enemy can be anywhere, PTSD seems more pronounced.
The environment provided by veterans’ organizations such as the American Legion could help many of these veterans, according to Wong, “At least it would help them contain it and handle it better than if they just go out of their mind[s].”
“When we talk about training, some of the hardships, we laugh about a lot of things, and we also, well, I guess we don’t cry about anything, but I suppose some of the guys who have gone through combat may share some tears,” Wong said. “We need that outlet, let the emotions out, and they can better face reality, because some of them live in certain situations forever.”
In his years of working alongside veterans at the American Legion, Wong shared his belief that a lack of the type of environment provided by veterans’ organizations is a main factor in the growing problem of PTSD.
It is often difficult for veterans to connect with others who can’t relate with what they’ve been through. “Civilians always say, ‘Did anybody shoot at you? Did you kill anybody?’ That’s not what a soldier looks for. A soldier is trained to maintain the peace. We don’t want to see any war,” Wong said.
“Just like cops. Some cops may never use their weapons for 20 or 30 years. It’s the same thing with the military,” he said.
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