NATIONAL COMMANDER

New York Commander will 

‘serve with PRIDE’ during  2011-2012

The national commander is the executive head of The American Legion, with full power to enforce provisions of the Legion’s constitution, bylaws and resolutions of the national convention, which meets each year to govern the organization. Each national commander serves a one-year term, after which a new one is elected at the convention; five national vice commanders are also elected annually.

Fang Wong, National Commander
of the American Legion.

Fang A. Wong of East Brunswick, N.J., was elected national commander of The American Legion on Sept. 1, 2011, during the 93rd National Convention in Minneapolis.
 

Born in Canton, China, Wong immigrated to the United States as a 12-year-old in 1960. He attended New York City public schools and became a naturalized citizen in 1963. Wong volunteered for the U.S. Army in 1969, served 25 months in Vietnam, and retired from the Army as a chief warrant officer in 1989.
 

Wong earned a bachelor's degree in business administration at New York Institute of Technology in 1978 and a master's degree in management from Central Michigan University in 1981.
 

Following his retirement from the Army, Wong joined Lt. B.R. Kimlau Chinese Memorial Post 1291 in New York. A former national vice commander and past department commander of New York, Wong has held elected and appointed offices at the post, county, district, department and national levels of the Legion. Wong also served as a director of New York Empire Boys State and as a member of the planning committee for the creation of the New York American Legion College. He has served on several national committees and commissions, including a term as chairman of the Legion's National Security Commission.
 

Through his American Legion post in Chinatown, Wong helped direct relief efforts in the aftermath of 9/11. He has been a member of the Advisory Committee on Veterans Employment and Training and Employer Outreach of the Department of Labor, and served as chairman of the Special Investigation Committee for the Chinese Community Benevolent Association (NYC) and the Office of the Attorney General, State of New York, in 2005.
 

In 2011, Wong retired from L-3 Communications, Command & Control Systems and Software (C2S2) Division in support of the Army Software Engineering Center at Fort Monmouth, N.J., after 20 years.
 

Wong is married to the former Barbara Lam. They have one son, Eric. Barbara is active with the American Legion Auxiliary and is a past district president for the Department of New York. Eric is a charter member of Sons of The American Legion Squadron 1291, Detachment of New York.

 Wong said his projects this year will be the Child Welfare Foundation and The American Legion Legacy Scholarship Fund. He also presented his theme for the year – “We Serve With PRIDE (People-Research-Ideas-Develop-Execute) – and his membership incentive program. Any Legionnaire who signs up, transfers from DMS, or renews a combination of eight Legion members will receive a “Super Eight” eagle PRIDE pin.