Skip to main content

Jefferson D. (Jeff) Hong scrapbook of the American-Chinese Post No. 596 American Legion

 Collection
Identifier: MS 880
Finding aid note: Stored onsite at the Woodson Research Center in small manuscripts.

Scope and Contents

The collection consists of the scans of Mr. Hong's scrapbook, which primarily includes photos of community events of the American-Chinese Post No. 596 of the American Legion, based in Houston, Texas.

Events include a seminar on Veterans Administration benefits (pages 1-6), dinners held in honor of Veterans Administration staff, including Mr. Tucker, VA Manager (pg. 7, and pg 14), Veterans Parade Houston, in 1970s (pg. 8); Rainbow Meeting at Chinese Baptist Church, honoring Chinese veterans, with banner at stage (pg. 24-29, including Lewis Yee, Joe Gor, the father of Jeannie Go, and J.D. Hong); group travel to Washington DC to receive an honor from Judge Robert Echols in 2004 (pg. 31, photo includes Esther Quan). Additional events include City of Houston Proclamation honoring Post. No. 596 (pg. 82), event honoring the Flying Tigers (pg. 91-93, includes Carolyn Farb, Lewis Yee, and Tex Hill, the leader of the Flying Tigers), an Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Celebration (pg. 101), and more. Hong's retirement from Delta Airlines is pictured on pg. 107.

Among those pictured in the scrapbook are J.D. Hong, Hong's son Kevin Hong (see pg 68), Gordon Quan, Esther Quan, Lewis Yee, George Gee, Joe Gor (father of Edmond Gor), and others.

Additionally, photos at the end of the scrapbbok document Hong's military life, at the Clark AFB (APO 74) in the Philippines, with the first Air Explorer Scouts Squad in Mississippi (1956), with whom Hong was forst to recieve the Silver Award (simliar to the Eagle Scout award in Boy Scouts). An additional photo features Hong at Greenville AFB Mississippi, with Capt. Bill Seufert (pilot of T33s, flight trainer), Mr. Paul, and Charles Hutchinson. This team served in the Ground Observer Corps, covering areas radar couldn't see, and spotting airplances and tornadoes.

Dates

  • 2004 - 2006

Conditions Governing Access

This material is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Permission to publish material from the Jefferson D. (Jeff) Hong scrapbook of the American-Chinese Post No. 596 American Legion must be obtained from the Woodson Research Center, Fondren Library. The Woodson Research Center use policy is that researchers assume sole responsibility for any infringement of privacy, literary rights, copyrights, or other rights arising from their use of the archival materials. In addition to any restrictions placed by donors, certain kinds of archival materials are restricted for the life of the creator plus 50 years. These materials include, but are not limited to, student grades, transcripts, and any job applications or recommendations.

Biographical / Historical

Jefferson Davis Hong, also known as J. D. Hong, was born in Greenville, Mississippi on June 3, 1939, to parents Kun and Mamie Hong. Hong has 2 older sisters and 3 younger brothers. He attended Chinese School for 3 years until his school was integrated with white students, due to the segregation between colored and white students. Hong attended Susie P. Trigg Elementary, Bass Junior High, and graduated from Greenville High School on June 01, 1957. As a youth, Hong loved fishing, woodworking and being in the Boy Scouts, and only lacked the swimming and life saving merit badges for getting the Eagle Scout Medal. Hong went on to be the first to earn the Silver Award in the Air Explorer Scouts, which is equivalent to the Eagle Scout. He earned 9 out of 10 ratings in the Air Explorer Manual and received recognition as Outstanding Scout 2 years in a row at the Summer encampments at Greenville AFB, MS. Being an Instructor for the Ground Observer Corps and Senior Patrol Leader for Squadron 1, Hong taught first aid classes for the Emergency Service Group.

On 20 Aug 1957, Hong enlisted in the United States Air Force and was honorably discharged on 18 Aug 1961 at the rank of Senior Airman. During his time in the Air Force, he qualified for air freight specialist and loadmaster. Duty stations included McChord AFB, WA; Travis AFB, CA; Clark Field, Philippines, and missions to Saigon in 1959. While at Clark Field, Hong earned 15 hours of college credits at the University of Philippines. His education experiences included Advanced Air Transportation School Tinker AFB, OK, then to Sheppard AFB, TX, to set up complete air freight operations. After Hong's time in the Air Force, he attended Mississippi State University, earning a degree in Transportation and Business. In June of 1965, he moved to Houston and started working in reservations sales for Delta Air Lines. He Worked for Delta from July, 1965 until January 1992 as Reservations Sales Supervisor. He then worked for Costco for 10 years. From 1997-98, Hong served as President of the Chinese American Citizens Alliance, Houston Chapter, and American Legion Commander of Post 596 from June 2005 to June 2009. During my time as Post 596 Commander, the group attended the WWII monument opening ceremony with a group of American Legion members and their families. Hong is also a life member of VFW Post 8790 and on the Veterans Cemetery Council of Greater Houston taking care of the Gold and Blue Star mothers. Hong created a veterans' seminar to educate veterans about benefits they can receive from the VA hospital and burial arrangements in the VA cemetery. Hong is married and has 2 sons and one daughter-law. Their family attends the Chinese Baptist Church.

Extent

5.84 Gigabytes (Scans of 110 scrapbook page images, in TIFF format, MS0880aip_001)

0.10 Linear Feet (1 folder of prints made from scans)

Language of Materials

English

Overview

The collection consists of the scans of Mr. Hong's scrapbook, which includes 109 photos of community events. There are photos of Explorer Scouts at their air base, meetings of the American Legion, American-Chinese post no. 596, Houston Tx, VA dinners, American Legion trip to Washington, DC., Veteran's Day parade, City of Houston Proclamation Day, and the Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Celebration.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

These scans from the original scrapbook were donated by J.D. Hong to the Woodson Research Center, August 2019. Hong owns the original scrapbook.
Title
Guide to the Jefferson D. (Jeff) Hong scrapbook of the American-Chinese Post No. 596 American Legion
Status
Completed
Author
Amanda Focke, Dara Flinn
Date
2019
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
English

Repository Details

Part of the Woodson Research Center, Rice University, Houston, Texas Repository

Contact:
Fondren Library MS-44, Rice University
6100 Main St.
Houston Texas 77005 USA