During World War II, he was a Lieutenant in the 601st Tank Destroyer Battalion but had to be medically evacuated after a Stuka dive bomber dropped a bomb near his M3 Gun Motor Carriage during the Battle of El Guettar.

[2][3] In the 1950s, Lawrence's brother Stanley asked him to assist in a contest to design the bridesmaid outfits for the wedding of Grace Kelly to Rainier III, Prince of Monaco.

Lawrence flew to Monaco to scout the location of the wedding at Saint Nicholas Cathedral to give Hong as many ideas and leads as possible.

The winning design was submitted by Hong and since he was considered a minority of Mexican and Chinese descent Neiman Marcus further burnished its image of being a multicultural friendly concern.

[4][5][6][7] As Neiman Marcus outgrew Dallas in the 1950s and then Texas in the 1970s, family ownership was diluted and Stanley ceased to be active in day-to-day operations.