AsianWeek: "Cathay Post Mourns Loss of Commander Bok Pon"

American Legion Post #384, known as Cathay Post, lost their Hero Commander Bok Pon on Tuesday, July 21, 2009. Commander Pon learned that he was another Chinese American victim of Hepatitis B three years ago, and his physician gave him the dire warning that he had about 6 months to live.

Even Superman would be shaken if he had learned that he had overexposure to kryptonite, in this case Bok Pon was told his liver was badly damaged by the Hepatitis B virus and that the malady was fatal. The next day, after a less than great night’s sleep, Bok Pon woke up early and did his normal daily routine - consisting of a 100 pushups and jogging several miles. He was feeling good and he was determined to fight and not let any virus take him down.

Three years later, the indefatigable 82nd Air Borne paratrooper learned after his most recent MRI scan that his liver was almost gone and his time remaining was now very limited – just a few weeks left. Even with that alarming warning, he flew to hot and sweltering Washington, DC with a few missions left to complete.

With his network, he obtained an appointment to meet with Veteran Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki. After explaining his work with Cathay Post, Shinseki a retired 4 star US Army general thanked Commander Pon for all his work on behalf of veterans and promised to visit Bok Pon and Cathay Post soon. The following week, after his speaking engagement at the local Marines Memorial Center, Shinseki fulfilled his promise and met with Pon and most of the veteran members of Cathay Post in the San Francisco Headquarters. The Secretary gave his best wishes to Bok Pon for a long life and promised to visit Cathay Post whenever he was in the Bay Area.



Cathay Post is one of the oldest American Legion Posts in the Country having been inducted into the American Legion in 1932. It is, in fact, the oldest Asian American veteran’s posts in America. At the end of the last Century, Cathay Post suffered the same malady facing 90% of American Legion posts nationwide – senioritis. With large numbers of WW II and Korean War veterans currently dying at a rate of roughly 1000 veterans a day, this Post was comatose as many of its members were no longer ambulatory and the veterans of the Vietnam era and later were not interested in the American Legion for many reasons. Many veterans, quite frankly, wanted to forget their miserable times fighting the VC and mosquitoes, so the ranks of the young in American Legion posts is very limited.

In 2002 Bok Pon personally decided to revive Cathay Post and with enormous determination and tireless effort, recruited new members, raised cash to pay for the expenses of managing an organization, and today, this Cathay Post is a vibrant organization and a model for emulation throughout the American Legion.

Commander Pon made Cathay Post a place to hang out, or plan for community events, or support wounded and homebound veterans, and even planned for a Museum dedicated to the Chinese American veterans who have fought for America since the Civil War. He also dreamed of providing affordable housing for returning veterans as well as senior veterans.

Some of his other dreams have already come true, the Post now has a trust fund to pay full tuition to returning veterans attending San Francisco City College and he also has accumulated a healthy fund to fight the Hepatitis B virus.

Bok Pon also has another special dream, the development of an Auxiliary for Cathay Post for the many citizens who supported the organization but who were not qualified as veterans. Today, the Cathay Post Auxiliary numbers almost a hundred members and they contribute the energy to make every Cathay Post very successful.

Commander Pon was a political conservative, but his liberal concern for the underprivileged is well documented. He served on the Board of Chinese for Affirmative Action and also the Chinese Newcomer’s Association. He helped obtained federal funds for the homeless in San Francisco.

At the same time he and Cathay Post fought for the JROTC program directed by Cathay Post leader Nelson Lum and that battle was won after years of confrontation with a few members of the Board of Education. He did not forget the San Francisco police or fire fighters either and raised funds to give out savings bonds to the top police and fire fighters selected by their own organizational leaders.

Cathay Post already feels the great loss of its preeminent leader; the rest of our community has also lost a great citizen who fought for their welfare and well being.

God Bless Commander Bok Pon. We and our community thank you for all you have done for us and we will always remember you.

-Ronald Lee, Commander, Cathay Post and all the members of Cathay Post and the Cathay Post Auxiliary

Article on AsianWeek.com

Feature Story: "Veteran Fighter Takes on Hepatitis B"

In February 2007, medical specialists told Bok Pon, commander of the American Legion Cathay Post #384, that he wouldn’t be alive today. With an estimated six months to live because of hepatitis B-induced liver cancer, Pon was determined to live life fully.

As a veteran of the Army’s highly decorated 82nd Airborne during the Vietnam War, beating the odds of survival is nothing new for Pon. At 65 years young, he attributes his longevity to a positive attitude, exercise and solid health insurance.

“When I first found out that I had hepatitis B, I was shocked,” Pon said. “It was a very emotional and upsetting experience for me and my family.”

After becoming familiar with the disparate statistics of hepatitis B, he turned his unfortunate experience into a positive awareness opportunity for the Asian American community. In addition to galvanizing efforts to establish a Chinese American veterans museum, as well as working on the issues of affordable housing and youth education at Cathay Post, Pon is also supporting the San Francisco Hep B Free Campaign.

He emphasizes that hepatitis B does not only affect health but also finances. “Because of the high cost of medicine,” Pon explains, “hepatitis B can completely destroy the financial structure of a family.”

Since being diagnosed with hepatitis B, Pon has undergone approximately $500,000 worth of medical treatments. “It’s hard for many members in our community, when they have to choose between their children’s education and their parent’s survival. It’s tough.”

Pon underwent chemotherapy earlier this year and said that it wasn’t effective. He then tried painful radiation therapy, where doctors used high-energy x-rays or other types of radiation to kill cancer cells in the affected areas. Pon compared this intense treatment to microwaving the inside of his body but added jokingly, “I told my doctors medium-well and not well-done.”

Pon is currently discussing with doctors the possibility of a liver transplant, but the odds are against him. “Liver transplants are very competitive,” Pon said. Approximately 98,137 people are on the waiting list, and there are only 10,850 available donors, according to the United Network for Organ Sharing. “If I meet the criteria and receive the government’s approval, I’ll hopefully be eligible.”

If you wish to contact Commander Bok Pon or support his efforts with donations, contact: American Legion Cathay Post #384, 1524 Carl St., San Francisco, CA 94133 or (415) 386-3544.


This article will be featured in Sing Tao Daily, World Journal and AsianWeek.com during the month of May as part of the Asian Pacific American Heritage Month.

AsianWeek: "$30,000 Raised By Cathay Post for Hep B Fund"

Inter Press Service News: "HEALTH-U.S.: City Takes Aim at Hepatitis Among Asian Americans"

By Ngoc Nguyen

SAN FRANCISCO, Apr 27 (IPS) - This west-coast city has earned a reputation as a health trendsetter. Last year, San Francisco unveiled a plan to offer universal health care to all its residents (to take effect Jul. 1). Now it has become the first U.S. city to launch a plan to test and vaccinate all Asian and Pacific Islander American residents for hepatitis B.

In the heart of San Francisco's Chinatown, the mayor, other elected officials, medical professionals and representatives from community-based organisations kicked off the city's new "Hep B Free" campaign Wednesday before sitting down to a sumptuous Chinese banquet.

The goal of the campaign is to raise awareness and increase collaboration amongst clinics, hospitals and community groups in offering free or low-cost testing, vaccinations and screenings to the public.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a serious infection of the liver, and can lead to premature death from liver cancer or liver failure. At a press conference before the banquet, Mayor Gavin Newsom said HBV is a global problem, but one that hits close to home for San Francisco. The city has the highest liver cancer rate in the United States, largely due to its sizable Asian-Pacific Islander population, who are particularly susceptible to the disease.

Newsom said the city has a special responsibility to raise awareness and encourage testing, because "a consequence of having it and not knowing it... is that you can pass it on to other people. Therein lies the challenge."

HBV can be passed to a newborn baby from an infected mother, through unprotected sex or through contaminated blood through sharing toothbrushes, razors or hypodermic needles. The virus can live in the body for a long time without causing any symptoms, and, if left untreated, can lead to liver cancer or failure.

Asian and Pacific Islander Americans (APIs), who comprise about one-third of San Francisco's population, are being encouraged in particular to get tested for HBV.

In the United States, about 60 percent of the 1.2 million people living with chronic hepatitis B infection are APIs. And the disparity doesn't stop there: Asian men are four times more likely to die from liver cancer than are white men.

If the test is positive, there are medications to reduce the harm done by the virus and regular screenings are recommended to detect and treat cancers early. If the test is negative, there is a vaccine against HBV that is so effective the World Health Organisation has called it the "first anti-cancer vaccine."

Dr. Mitch Katz, head of the San Francisco Public Health Department, said the city is tackling the hepatitis problem because it is treatable and manageable.

"We don't see any polio, why? Because polio had a vaccine that prevented it, so over time, if you put great effort into making sure that every person who could be affected is vaccinated, you eradicate a disease. Sometimes. Hepatitis B can be eradicated," said Katz.

Dr. Samuel So founded the Asian Liver Centre at Stanford University more than a decade ago, when he first recognised that HBV was a big Asian American problem that no one was addressing.

"You would think that doctors routinely test patients," he said. "We found in over 3,000 screenings in the (San Francisco) Bay Area, two out of three people who were found to have chronic hepatitis B weren't even aware they were infected. So a large percentage of Asian Americans walking around the streets of San Francisco, who are chronically infected, are not aware until the day they get sick with advanced liver cancer. We have to put a stop to this."

Commander Bok Pon, 65, is an active member of the American Legion Cathay Post # 384, a group of Chinese American post-World War I veterans.

He first learned that he had hepatitis B two months ago when blood test read abnormal. Several tests later, Pon learned he had liver cancer and that he had an estimated six months to live.

Pon is using the time to get educated about HBV and to share his story, in the hope of convincing others about the importance of getting tested, and then vaccinated or treated.

"A lot of people I know, some veterans, have hepatitis B and they talk to me privately about my experience," he said. "They want to know about medications and how to manage it." He said he uses humour to help people get past fears and to demystify the medical technology and treatments.

"I tell them that an ultrasound doesn't hurt and that getting a CAT scan is like going through the time tunnel at Disneyland," Pon said.

He is currently undergoing chemotherapy and, depending on how he responds, may become a candidate to receive a liver transplant. His advice is to develop a positive attitude, exercise to maintain health and get good health insurance. "In the last two month, my medical procedures have totalled 90,000 dollars, and a liver transplant can run half a million dollars."

In the coming months, a number of community organisations, clinics and hospitals will be offering HBV testing and vaccination services at sites across the city. Testing is offered free or at a cost of 10 dollars. A vaccination - a series of three shots over the course of six months - runs about 60 dollars. At an Asian heritage street fair in the city last year, organisers said they were able to vaccinate about 500 people in five hours.

One site where locals will be able to get tested and vaccinated is Chinese Hospital, a 59-bed acute care non-profit facility that was founded in response to racism against Asian Americans in the 1920s. Dr. Stuart Fong operates the hepatitis B vaccination clinic the first Wednesday of every month. The clinic screened about 800 people last year. He said having diverse staff has helped provide culturally competent care - an important aspect in addressing HBV in the API community.

Incidence rates - the number of new cases in a given time period - are highest among Asians of Cambodian and Laotian origin, followed by Korean, Vietnamese and Chinese, according to Fong. Cultural barriers are a particular challenge when it comes to outreach efforts aimed at new API immigrants.

"I don't believe hepatitis B can be completely eradicated from the city due to global travel and immigration, not just from Asian countries, but from countries in Latin America and the Caribbean," where HBV is also a health problem, he said.

Community clinics help to remove some of the obstacles to receiving care, said Fong, explaining that one of the barriers to getting vaccinated is the lack of or inadequate health insurance. "They can get (the vaccine) cheaper and faster at a community hospital or clinic," he said.

And hepatitis B also exists in the broader population. "We need to expand HBV prevention and treatment services to more than the API community. Other groups will be targeted down the pike, but everything has to be done incrementally," said Fong. San Francisco first promoted hepatitis B awareness in the homosexual community.

San Francisco's Hep B Free Campaign could be a model for the state and the rest of the nation. State lawmaker Fiona Ma, a Democrat from San Francisco, has authored legislation that would set up pilot programmes to test, vaccinate and treat HBV in the broader Los Angeles and San Francisco areas. The bill has already passed its first hurdle and is working its way through the state legislature.

"In a year or so, perhaps anybody who walks through the door should be screened," said Dr. Fong. (END/2007)