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| ⚫ | == Tragedy of Wah Kau Kong == | ||
| '''Mun Charn Wong''' (born 1918, deceased 17 September 2002) was a Chinese-American life insurance salesman, noted motivational speaker, and humanitarian. He was one of only twelve life insurance agents to be named as a "Legend" in the history of Transamerica Occidental Life Insurance Company. He was also the impetus behind the establishment of the '''Wah Kau Kong Memorial Award Scholarship''' at the University of Hawaii; the Wah Kau Kong fund is named in honor of Wong's friend and colleague. | |||
| In 1944, Wong learned of the demise of his friend: Kong had been engaged in an air battle with a German fighter pilot over Blomberg, Germany. | |||
| ⚫ | However, no further information was available. Determined to find out what happened to his friend, and out of respect for Kong's family, Wong vowed to discover details of the duel and return any of his friend's belongings to the Kong family. Thus, Wong embarked on his own mission to Blomberg. Through interviews of local residents, Wong was able to find the specific location that Kong's P-51 plane (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. | ||
| == Career as "Salesman Wong" == | |||
| Following his service for the U.S. Air Force, Wong decided to become an insurance salesman. In 1953, his insurance career started when he joined L. T. Kagawa's Security Insurance Agency (later to be known as Occidental Underwriters of Hawaii). Wong's first year as a rookie agent was marked by the major accomplishment of making the firm's "Million Dollar Round Table and Leading Producers' Club," a feat only achievable by selling over a million dollars' worth of insurance policies in a single year. At the time, Wong was the first rookie agent in the history of the company to earn this recognition, and his firm rewarded him with a trip to company headquarters at the Transamerica Pyramid in San Francisco. | |||
| Wong's gained immense popularity as a Leading Producer and was frequently asked to give motivational speeches to insurance agents worldwide. Known informally to his audiences as "Salesman Wong," Wong's lectures often included skits featuring beautiful, young, Chinese-American ladies that he nicknamed "Suzie Wong." | |||
| == Youth & Military Service == | |||
| Born and raised in Honolulu, Hawaii, Wong attended Ka'ahumanu Elementary School, Washington Intermediate School, and ]. He attended University of Hawaii and graduated with a major in chemistry before enlisting in the U.S. Air Force, where he eventually was promoted to the ranks of Lieutenant Colonel. (In college, Wong was a member of the university's chapter of the ROTC). Wong's decision to enlist in the Air Force was inspired by that of his childhood friend, '''Wah Kau Kong'''. 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. | |||
| ⚫ | == Tragedy of Wah Kau Kong == | ||
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| == External Links == | |||
| In 1987, Transamerica honored Wong with the title "Living Legend," and presented him with a 45-minute documentary that they had made about his life and career. The documentary included testimonials and interviews from Wong's insurance associates, Wong's children and grandchildren, and politicians from Hawaii. The documentary, titled "The Life of Salesman Wong," has not been released to the public. | |||
Revision as of 04:38, 20 August 2006
Tragedy of Wah Kau Kong
In 1944, Wong learned of the demise of his friend: Kong had been engaged in an air battle with a German fighter pilot over Blomberg, Germany. However, no further information was available. Determined to find out what happened to his friend, and out of respect for Kong's family, Wong vowed to discover details of the duel and return any of his friend's belongings to the Kong family. Thus, Wong embarked on his own mission to Blomberg. Through interviews of local residents, Wong was able to find the specific location that Kong's P-51 plane (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.
Career as "Salesman Wong"
Following his service for the U.S. Air Force, Wong decided to become an insurance salesman. In 1953, his insurance career started when he joined L. T. Kagawa's Security Insurance Agency (later to be known as Occidental Underwriters of Hawaii). Wong's first year as a rookie agent was marked by the major accomplishment of making the firm's "Million Dollar Round Table and Leading Producers' Club," a feat only achievable by selling over a million dollars' worth of insurance policies in a single year. At the time, Wong was the first rookie agent in the history of the company to earn this recognition, and his firm rewarded him with a trip to company headquarters at the Transamerica Pyramid in San Francisco.
Wong's gained immense popularity as a Leading Producer and was frequently asked to give motivational speeches to insurance agents worldwide. Known informally to his audiences as "Salesman Wong," Wong's lectures often included skits featuring beautiful, young, Chinese-American ladies that he nicknamed "Suzie Wong."
In 1987, Transamerica honored Wong with the title "Living Legend," and presented him with a 45-minute documentary that they had made about his life and career. The documentary included testimonials and interviews from Wong's insurance associates, Wong's children and grandchildren, and politicians from Hawaii. The documentary, titled "The Life of Salesman Wong," has not been released to the public.