Much more than a Legion post
(Photo by Steve B. Brooks)

Much more than a Legion post

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For decades, the Lt. B.R. Kimlau Memorial Post 1291 in New York City’s Chinatown has been both an advocate and source of pride for the Asian-American community in the famed sector of the Big Apple. And the admiration the community has for its American Legion post was on full display June 6 during the post’s 70th birthday party.

Members of the community joined tourists lining Mott Street to watch pipers, “dragons” and a parade that kicked off the birthday party. Community leaders and government officials attended the ceremony and Post 1291's installation of new Legion family officers inside the Chinese Community Center. And hundreds attended a dinner and karaoke session at Jing Fong later that night.

That the celebration received so much support is due in large part to the legacy Post 1291 has created within Chinatown. Post Adjutant Gabe Mui said the post often spoke on behalf of Asians who migrated to the United States before being proficient in English.

And Past National Commander Fang Wong, also a member of 1291, experienced the impact the post has made on Chinatown residents when, as a high-school student, he received a scholarship from the post. “That’s how I got associated (with The American Legion,” he said. “The whole community looks at us as forward-thinking. They look at us as a gap, a bridge … when there’s a problem that happens within the community. (When) they needed a voice, a lot of times they would go to the Legion.”

The post celebrates its birthday every year but only puts on events like this year’s every five years. Guests from as far away as the west coast made the cross-country trip to attend the celebration. Roger S. Dong of Cathay Post 384 in San Francisco was one of those attendees.

“These are colleagues,” Dong said. “They visit us, and we visit them. There are about a half-dozen Chinese-American posts in the country, and we try to support each other. Our history and backgrounds are so similar. Our experiences are similar.”

John Wayne Yee of Post 628 in Los Angeles also traveled for the celebration. “Fang has been a mentor to me ever since I’ve been in the Legion,” he said. “His 70th anniversary for his post is very important. We have to support all of our comrades … when we’ve got a chance to do it.”

And Matthew Seto, a member of Post 328 located in Boston’s Chinatown, drove more than five hours “through New York traffic” to celebrate with Post 1291. “It’s the 70th anniversary,” he said. “It’s an important time to celebrate a sister post we’ve had a long relationship with. It’s worth it every time that we come.”

Rep. Grace Meng, D-N.Y., attended the birthday ceremony and thanked all the veterans in the room for their service and “for protecting us every day.” And New York Sen. Daniel Squadron, whose District 26 includes Chinatown, sent a representative who presented the post with a proclamation and congratulated Post 1291 for its recent induction into the New York Veterans Hall of Fame.

Department of New York Commander Frank Peters said he’s been coming to Post 1291’s birthday celebrations for the past few years, “but with this being their 70th year, it’s so much more special,” he said, adding that the turnout for the birthday celebration, “speaks volumes to the commitment that this post made to this community many, many years ago. They’ve grown into a great asset for the community, and it’s evident. Everywhere you go in Chinatown, people know about the Kimlau Post.”

Post 1291 member Frank Gee, who doubles as New York County’s adjutant, agreed. “I think we are highly respected,” he said. “We do a lot of community service work, and our members are involved in a lot of other organizations doing good things for the community. “

And doing that year in and year out should result in a feeling of pride, Post 1291 member Judge Randall Eng, the presiding justice for the Appellate Division, Second Department of the New York Supreme Court, said during the ceremony.

“(Turning 70) is no mean feat,” he said. “That’s 70 uninterrupted years of service to country, service to state, service to city and service to community. I think that you can see from all of the support that we’ve gotten that we are respected, we are admired, and we have the gratitude of everyone for the service that we have had here in our ranks.”

In addition to all the community service the post provides, it also actively seeks out younger veterans for leadership positions. Several post-9/11 veterans were installed as officers during the birthday ceremony; 30-year-old Albert Chow, still serving on active duty at the U.S. Army’s Fort Dix, was appointed to the post’s executive board. He also runs the post’s Toys for Tots program at Christmas.

“I’d say that we have it pretty lucky over here,” Chow said. “We have a community that adores us. It’s a mutual relationship. We run programs that take care of the community. It’s a win-win situation.”

Chow said that Post 1291’s older veterans have created a foundation upon which to build for his generation. “I try to get the younger generation … to be more proactive with the post,” he said. “We all do what we can.”

Putting together a celebration like the post does every five years is no small feat. Mui put together a 244-page booklet that includes photos, reports and first-person stories written by members about their military service, patriotism and Legion experiences. This year’s book also contained congratulatory letters from National Commander Mike Helm, U.S. Sens. Charles Schumer and Kristen Gillibrand, and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

“We formed our planning committee last September,” Mui said. “We really get started rolling up our sleeves maybe around January.”

But putting on a celebration like this year's was worth the work, Post Commander Mark Eng said. “We are trying to help the younger generation to know … where their roots are,” he said. “Whenever we have a chance, we are trying to get the message out to the younger generation. Their life is already westernized when they are born in America. That’s why we celebrate like we do.”