The national commander of the American legion, Fang A. Wong paid a visit to American Legion Post 30 in Albany on Friday evening.  Wong is the first American of Chinese descent to serve as commander of The American Legion, which is the nation’s largest organization of veterans of wartime military service. Attached to this message is additional information of Commander Wong and The American Legion.

Wong was born in Canton, China in 1948 and immigrated to the United States when he was just 12 years old.  He went to New York public schools and became a United States citizen in 1963.  Wong joined the United States army in 1969 and spent 25 months of his service in Vietnam.  He retired from the military as a Chief Warrant Officer in 1989.

Wong was escorted to Albany from Columbus by over 100 Legion Riders, a motorcycle organization of the American Legion, and was accompanied by his national staff, the Commander of the Department (State) of Georgia American Legion and most of the state officers.

He visited American Legion Post 30, at 2916 Gillionville Road, around 6:00 – 6:15 p.m.  The Post then had a dinner in honor of the visit by the National Commander following his arrival at the Post.

Saturday morning he left Albany, again behind the 100 plus motorcycle escort, to go to Thomasville to visit an American Legion Post in that city.

The American Legion was founded in 1919 and boasts over 2.4 million men and women who have served in our nation’s military during a wartime period.  The only requirement, besides serving during a wartime period, is to have served honorably. In addition to Post 30, Albany is home to American Legion Post 512