The SAR MAGAZINE is the official quarterly publication of the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution published quarterly.
Issue link: http://sar.epubxp.com/i/79692
American Legion Leader Speaks of Patriotism and His Adopted Country F ang A. Wong was elected national commander of the 2.4 million-member American Legion on Sept. 1, 2011, 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. National Commander Wong was a distinguished guest at the 122nd Annual Congress of the SAR in Phoenix. His inspiring message to the delegates attending the Tuesday night banquet follows: It truly is a pleasure to speak before such a respected group of American patriots. I spoke yesterday about our American heritage … now as a naturalized American citizen, my roots obviously don't go back to the American Revolution, but being here just increases the pride that I already have in my adopted homeland. Since we're in Phoenix, I would like to recall the words of a great Arizonan, Senator Barry Goldwater, who spoke at our 46th National Convention in 1964. He told our delegates, 'Sometimes it is necessary to remind the American people that whenever free world leaders have shrunk from responsible use of power at critical moments in history, they have permitted little problems to grow into gigantic and infinitely more dangerous problems.' Think about how right he was. For years we ignored the threat of radical Islam—from the Iranian hostage crisis, to the Beirut bombings to the attacks on Khobar Towers and the USS Cole. Then 9/11. And how the world did change. Senator Goldwater also told us, 'The first and central duty of the federal government is to provide for the common defense. In the present state of the world, military spending is and must be high.' These are words that The American Legion still takes to heart. Our National Executive Committee recently passed a resolution that demands Congress and the Administration cease all efforts to reduce the defense budget from its current levels. It's an election season, and we will hear a lot about the economy and our national debt. But what often is not acknowledged is America's greatest debt—the debt that we owe our veterans. No monetary amount will completely heal those that are permanently scarred from war. And while our debt to these heroes can never be repaid, our gratitude and respect must last forever. For many veterans, our nation was important enough to endure long separations from their families, miss the births of their children, freeze in sub-zero temperatures, bake in wild jungles, lose limbs and, far too often, lose their lives. Military spouses have had to endure career interruptions, frequent changes of address and a disproportionate share of parental responsibilities. The children often had to endure changes in schools, separation from friends and, hardest of all, the uncertainty of whether or not Mom or Dad will live through their next combat tour. And if they do survive, they face serious problems upon their return. The VA backlog for disability claims remains at more than 900,000. Moreover, unemployment and homelessness impact veterans at far higher numbers than their counterparts who haven't served in the military. You cannot fight a war without veterans, and while the utopian idea of a society without war is appealing, let us not forget that wars have liberated slaves, stopped genocide and toppled terrorists. Stephen Ambrose once wrote, 'America's wars have been like rungs on a ladder by which it rose to greatness. No other country has triumphed so long, so consistently or on such a vast scale through force of arms.' It has been often said that without our veterans, Americans would be speaking Russian, German or, perhaps, Japanese. Regardless of which view of alternative history you take, we do know that without our veterans America would not be America. The Sons of the American Revolution and The American Legion show our support for America's heroes through our great programs. Education is a big part of this effort. It is a tough battle when you see what we are up against. What are we to think when a school principal—from my home state of New York—bans the Lee Greenwood song "God Bless the USA" from a kindergarten graduation because, quote, 'It is not age appropriate,' unquote. Excuse me??!! It's not age appropriate to teach young people about the greatness of America? I am not concerned about the principal who is probably already a lost cause, but I am very concerned about our young people around the country that are exposed to this type of anti-American indoctrination. Just last year, my predecessor, American Legion National Commander Jimmie Foster, cited the example of Action Comics' Superman renouncing his U.S. citizenship because he was ashamed of his country. It amazes me how people are able to enjoy the freedom that is made possible by our military men and women and complain about how bad America is. And while critics love to cite different studies that show other countries leading in a certain narrow economic benefit or educational category, they never say which country they would rather live in. One of the many great things about our country is that we don't have a Berlin-type wall surrounding our borders keeping our citizens in. If people really hate it here, perhaps they can move to another country more to their liking. I promise, we won't miss you! You already know why the Sons of the American Revolution and The American Legion are so important to 6$5 0$*$=,1(