Meng, from Pontiac, IL, served in the Navy  during World War II and the Navy Reserve during the Korean War. He was a Pharmacist's Mate and Operating Room Technician.

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In Meng's own words, "I received my boot camp training at Great Lakes and entered Hospital Corps School at Portsmouth, VA. After my medical training, I was assigned for duty at the Naval Hospital in Philadelphia for two years, then received my discharge papers. I joined the inactive reserves and was later recalled, at the outbreak of the Korean War to serve at the medical infirmaries in Little Creek, VA and New London, CT.

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As an Operating Room Technician, I helped assist surgeons with their operating on Navy personnel and veterans. Many of these operations were performed on men who had been injured in battle and required skin and bone grafting procedures."