ong (birth name: ong yut ning) was born in canton, guangdong, china to ong dao lung, a united states born chinese-american and wong shee. the family was going through a difficult economic situation and young ong began his formal education sitting under a tree with the other boys in his native village. ong found work as a cabin boy where he helped the cook in the ship's kitchen and carried buckets of food from the ship's kitchen to the forecastle where the ordinary seamen ate.