Our Veterans
Jing "Thomas" Quock - Navy
Jing "Thomas" Quock was born in 1917 in China, and came to San Francisco when he was 14 years old. After spending a month on Angel Island, he spent time with his uncle in Chinatown where he went to school and learned to be a barber. He later graduated from Armstrong College in Berkeley, California with a degree in business. Upon the start of WWII, he joined the Navy where he was trained as a mess attendant at Fort Ord and was later assigned to a unit at Coyote Point. During WWII, he met Nellie Tom, whom he later married, at the Chinatown YMCA. Thomas and Nellie later opened a store in San Francisco Chinatown and raised three sons: Winchell (Jeannie), Winson (Jennifer/Estelita), and Winton (Pamela). Preceded in death by Nellie, Thomas continued to work in San Francisco until his retirement, and would continue to live in San Francisco until his passing in 2015. Thomas' life was defined by hard work, traveling the world, continuous support to his home village in China through donations, and spending time with his grandchildren Ronald (Sherri), Stephanie, Barbara, Lauren, Lindsey, Janelle, Brian, Beverly, and Kimberly, and his great-grandchildren Brian, Kathryn, Katie, and Sabrina. In the years before his passing, he was able to share the story of his childhood with his grandchildren, and passed along the following words of wisdom. When you are working hard in life, it is like driving through a tunnel, just keep on driving and step down on the gas and you will come out at the other end.
Jennings Hom - Army Air Forces
Jennings Hom, the eldest son of seven children, was born and raised in San Diego, California in 1924. After high school, he learned to weld at vocational school and then promptly enlisted in the Army Air Corps on October 26, 1942 at 18 years old. Jennings served as an aircraft maintenance mechanic with the 555th Air Service Squadron of the 14th Air Service Group in support of the “Flying Tigers”. Jennings caricatured his Jeep load of San Diego Chinese-American buddies in a drawing as they traversed the harrowing, narrow and winding Ledo Road (aka “The Hump”) to bring supplies from India through Burma into China. Jennings served until January 14, 1946, then earned his BA in Business Administration from San Diego State University. He became manager of his family’s store, Woo Chee Chong, in Chinatown, and together with his wife Mary Lou (née Pong) expanded the business to a chain of 4 large Asian grocery stores throughout San Diego County. Jennings Hom was a humanitarian, a man of integrity, and a true gentleman—generous, congenial, respected, loved and admired by many. He loved God, his church, his family, his employees whom he considered his extended family, the community and his country. He passed peacefully at home in 2011 surrounded by his beloved wife of 60 years, 8 children, and 16 grandchildren
George Pong - Navy
George Pong was born and raised in Lorain, Ohio, one of 8 children born to hard-working immigrant Chinese parents whose 4 sons served concurrently in the military during WWII- 2 in the Navy and 2 in the Army.
George served our country 29 Dec 1942 - 15 March 1946. While in service, he received the Navy Good Conduct Medal, WWII Victory Medal, American Campaign Medal, Asiatic Pacific Campaign Medal with 1 Silver Star and 1 Bronze Star, Navy Unit Commendation Ribbon, Combat Action Ribbon, Philippine Liberation Medal with 1 Bronze Star, and the Philippine Presidential Unit Citation Ribbon. He would have received the Purple Heart had he proper documentation of his shrapnel wounds, but selflessly chose to help his more severely wounded shipmates.
He sustained wounds in battle while serving on the destroyer USS Albert W. Grant DD649. On October 24, 1944 in the Battle of Surigao Straits, Philippine Islands, the Grant was caught between US and Japanese crossfire receiving hits from both Japanese and American fleets –seven Japanese 4.7-inch projectiles and eleven American 6-inch armor-piercing shells. 38 men were killed and 104 wounded. George captioned a photo, “40mm Gun #4. One of my gun crew was killed. Ammunition in the ready rack blew up & fire broke out. Most of the crew was hit with shrapnel.” (photo: Pong at top behind the gun)
After Military Service
George Pong attended Cal-Aero Technical Institute in Glendale, CA and began a long career as an aerospace design engineer for Century Engineers, Royal Jet, Royal Industries, and Lear Siegler. In leisure, he traveled the world with his lifelong girlfriend, Betty Breedlove.
George Pong passed in 2016 at the age of 91. He is remembered as a willing servant, too humble to toot his own horn, and generous with his wealth and worldly belongings.