Early Life
Delbert Wong was born in Hanford, California on May 17, 1920, and raised a short distance away in Bakersfield. After obtaining an Associate of Arts degree from Bakersfield College, he transferred to the University of California, Berkeley.
He attended UC Berkeley and was a brother of Pi Alpha Phi, an Asian Interest fraternity. After he left UC Berkeley, Delbert joined the Army Air Corps during World War II, and became one of eighteen B-17 Flying Fortress navigators that graduated in his class at Mather Field in Sacramento. During his service with the military, he was one of only three navigators who completed their thirty bombing missions. For his bravery and dedication, First Lieutenant Delbert Wong was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, as well as four Air Medals.
In 1949, Wong became the first Chinese American graduate of Stanford Law School. After his graduation, Delbert continued to break new ground. He was the first Asian American to be appointed Deputy Legislative Counsel serving the California State Legislature, and the first Asian American to be appointed a Deputy State Attorney General.
Read more about this topic: Delbert E. Wong
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