Our Veterans
Andrew Wong - Army
Andrew Wong, known as "Andy" or "Radio" was born on September 1, 1924 in New York City to Hong Wong and Ng Shee Wong from Toishan outside of Guangzhou, China. Andy grew up in New York City Chinatown.
As Andy was graduating from high school, Pearl Harbor was bombed. He offered his services to the United States Army (Signal Corp). During the first months in the Army, he took radio technician courses that took him from New York (Polytechnic Institute of Brooklyn) to Chicago (Northwestern University).
Andrew was deployed to China by "SLOW" boat traveling around Australia to avoid Japanese submarines and one month later landed in Calcutta, India.
In India, Andrew took the railroad up and traveled the old Burma Road to Kao Ming, China. He took various assignments in Canton, Shanghai, Kao Ming working the Marshall Peace Plan. Following VJ-Day he did liaison work on behalf of the U.S. Government providing new signal equipment to the Chinese Army.
After the war, Radio returned to school on the GI bill earning an electrical engineering degree from Wayne State University. He then went to work for RCA in the government service division. Once again, war broke out (Korean War) and Andrew went to work on the SAGE air defense system. As the RCA group leader, he was responsible for the Great Lakes area and was stationed at Selfridge Air Force Base.
Then, Andy would meet his wife, Olive, and start a family in the Greater Detroit area where he built his legacy through his six children, six grandchildren, numerous other family members and friends.
He enjoyed a fulfilling career with AT&T and retired as District Manager, Technology Systems in 1988. He also owned the House of Chung Chinese Restaurant with his mother-in-law, Shee Chin Chung.
He served five terms on the State of Michigan Advisory Council on Aging. He was appointed by Michigan Governor Engler as a delegate to the 1995 White House Conference on Aging. He served on the Commission task force for reform of Senior Services Network for Michigan and the task force on grandparents as primary caregivers to grandchildren.
He served as President and board member for the Association of Chinese Americans (ACA), national Vice President of the Organization of Chinese Americans; Board of Directors for ACA Detroit Chinatown Drop- in/ Outreach Center; lead the implementation of hot lunch meal program and arranged private and FDA funding support; two term elected councilman and President (Mayor) of Beverly Hills, MI. He was the first Asian American to serve as a municipal chief in Southeast Michigan. He was an organizing member of American Citizens for Justice following the death of Vincent Chin.
Andy served as Post Commander for the Amvets Chinese American Post 85 for many years. He was thrilled to have taken the Honor Flight Michigan trip to see the National World War II Memorial in Washington, DC. He was so proud of his service to the Country.
Frank Lee - Navy
Frank was born on November 2, 1925 in San Francisco, CA. Mr. Lee was a WWII US Navy Veteran, beginning at the Naval Training Center, Farragut, Idaho and serving at the Fleet Post Office, San Francisco and NAS Ford Island, Pearl Harbor 1944-46. He lived the American Dream and was a quintessential example of the Greatest Generation.
Frank married his wife Hing Lee in 1947 and celebrated their 69th wedding anniversary in 2016 with their four children and several grandchildren.
Frank continued to serve his community in Wasco, CA when, in 1953, he and his family started the National Market, a business which lasted for 61 years and employed many local young people.
Frank was a proud member of Honor Flight Kern County, traveling to Washington, D.C. with the November 2014 contingent with his son Robert as guardian. He wore his flight jacket proudly every day and said it made him really proud to be an American. When he was out and about, many kids and parents would come up to shake his hand and thank him for his service.
Frank’s personality brought a generous warmth of humor and deep emotional stability. He liked people and genuinely cared about them; he loved to talk with all kinds of people, and they would draw near to him as he drew them out, addressing them through conversation and smiles.
Frank’s spiritual journey was a long one. Many in his family were Christians, but it was not until his last week of life that he made the greatest decision in his life, to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. This miracle was due to the prayers of his family over many years and the help of Pastor Robin Robinson, who saw him through his last days until his passing February 12, 2017.
Ernest K.W. Choy - Army Air Forces
Ernest K.W. Choy, born in 1926 in Hawaii, was ninth of 12 children. His mother was second of 11 children of full Chinese descent. His father immigrated from Kwangtung, China in early 1900’s. They farmed taro and rice.
Ernest, 15, experienced the bombing of Pearl Harbor. On December 7, 1941, many planes flew overhead, as they often did during the Kaneohe Marine Corp drills, but this time was different. When they looked up, they recognized red circles on the planes. He and his brothers rode their bikes to the top of a hill and saw smoke where bombs dropped on Kaneohe Marine base. Later, they learned their Uncle who worked at Pearl Harbor as a civilian, had called in sick on that infamous day to go fishing in Kaneohe Bay… a very lucky guy. After this experience, Ernest felt duty-bound to join the army in 1945. He was stationed in the Philippines where he was an airline mechanic until he was honorably discharged in 1947.
Ernest dedicated 34 years in the US. Army Corp of Engineers working as an Electrical Engineer in Tennessee, Honolulu and Pittsburgh. Most of those years, he worked on the locks and dams in the Tri- state area. He enjoyed spending time with his seven children, 17 grandchildren and 14 great grandchildren with bi-annual visits back home to Kaneohe. He retired in 1982. He passed away in 2014 surrounded by Ohana with much Aloha.