Mun Charn Wong

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Mun Charn Wong
Hanyu Pinyin
Huáng Ménzàn
Yue: Cantonese
JyutpingWong4 Mun4 Zaan3
IPA[wɔːŋ˩ muːn˩.tsaːn˧]

Mun Charn Wong (

U.S. Army Air Force during World War II along with his friend, Wah Kau Kong, the first Chinese American fighter pilot. He played football on the Air Force team and was a noted quarterback. After the war, Wong became a successful life insurance executive for the Transamerica Corporation
. In 1989, the company recognized him as a "Legend of Transamerica", the highest honor awarded by the company.

Wong was active in his community, serving as president of several Chinese cultural organizations and on the board of the Cerebral Palsy Association. In his free time, Wong enjoyed playing with celebrity golfers, and his amateur team won the 1987 U.S. Open Preview Pro Am golf tournament with the help of

University of Hawaii
.

Early life

Mun Charn Wong was born in

ROTC and the Hawaii National Guard.[1] Wong graduated from UH in 1940 with a Bachelor of Science degree.[2]

Military service

After college, Wong joined the

U.S. Army Air Force, where he was eventually promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel. Long's decision to join the Air Force was inspired by that of his childhood friend, Wah Kau Kong. During World War II, Wong was stationed across Western Europe and flew several missions over Germany. Wong played football on the Air Force team and was a noted quarterback.[1][3]
Although he had never played football before joining the Air Force, Wong tried out for the team in 1943; 300 players showed up and 36 were chosen, with Wong making the team. Coach Captain Charles Erb, Jr. helped improve his game, and his skills were noticed:

this slender, unimposing chap has been coming along fast under Coach Erb's tutelage. His specialty is the rifling of a forward pass. Wong is one of those gridiron technicians who can add airmail to special delivery, to the great delight of the fans who like their football out in the open.[4]

In 1944, Wong learned of the demise of his friend,

P-51 Mustang (the "Chinaman's Chance") was shot down. Wong made contact with the man who carried Kong's body from the crash site and was able to recover his friend's remains, sending them home to Honolulu for proper burial.[6]

Career

Wong spent two decades in life insurance, beginning in 1953 with

Stockholm, Sweden where he was named the "Legend of Transamerica," the highest honor bestowed by the company.[7] Wong was one of only twelve life insurance agents to be named a legend in the history of Transamerica Occidental Life Insurance Company.[3]

Personal life

Wong was married to Mew Choy, and together they raised four sons and two daughters.[1] One of Wong's eight grandsons, exotica musician and composer Randy Wong, credits his grandfather with giving him his initial interest in the music genre. Mun Charn Wong sold life insurance to exotica pioneer Arthur Lyman, and he used to take his grandson to see Lyman perform on Friday nights.[8] Wong enjoyed golf and was known to play with notable PGA golfers.[3] In 1986, Wong played with Larry Ziegler and a team of amateurs to win the '87 U.S. Open Preview Pro Am golf tournament against competing team captains Johnny Miller, George Archer, and Gil Morgan.[9]

Wong died in Honolulu on September 17, 2002, at the age of 84. His final resting place is in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.[1]

Associations

Wong was president of the Wong Kong Har Tong society from 1959-1960

Shriners, the Masons, Lions Clubs International, and Rotary International.[1]

Publications

Notes and references

  1. ^ a b c d e Lum, Curtis (2002-09-24). "Salesman Mun Charn Wong dead at 84". The Honolulu Advertiser. Retrieved 2009-11-17.
  2. hdl:10524/851
    .
  3. ^ a b c d Gee, Pat (2002-09-24). "Successful salesman climbed mountains for friends". Honolulu Star-Bulletin. Retrieved 2009-11-17.
  4. ISBN 978-0-7864-4219-5
    .
  5. ^ "Aviation History in Hawaii". Pacificaerospace.org. Archived from the original on 2009-06-22. Retrieved 2009-11-18.
  6. ^ Kakesako, Gregg K. (1999-08-20). "WWII pilot not forgotten". Local News. Honolulu Star-Bulletin. Retrieved 2009-11-17.
  7. Pacific Business News
    . 28 (31): B14. 1990-10-15.
  8. New England Conservatory/Music-In-Education National Consortium: 45–52. Archived from the original
    (PDF) on 2011-07-27. Retrieved 2009-11-20.
  9. ^ "Ziegler's Team Wins U.S. Open 'Preview'". San Francisco Chronicle. 1986-05-07. p. 75.
  10. hdl:10125/8328
    .
  11. ^ All About Hawaii. Honolulu Star-Bulletin. 1962. p. 319.
  12. ^ Self-published 16 page biography on Wah Kau Kong used by U.S. Senator Daniel Akaka as the source during the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Normandy Invasion and remembrance of Army Air Corps Second Lieutenant Wah Kau Kong. See the Congressional Record, volume 140, number 149, December 1, 1994.full text, record. Actual publication available through the Hawaii State Public Library system.

Further resources

External links
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