The national commander is the chief executive officer
and official spokesman of The American Legion, with full
power to enforce provisions of the organization’s
constitution, bylaws and resolutions. Each national
commander serves a one-year term, after which a new
leader is elected at the national convention. Five
national vice commanders who serve different regions are
also elected at the national convention each year.
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.
