
HELLO THERE!
Welcome back to yet another SPECIAL EDITION of the MUSINGS NEWSLETTER.

This one is specifically to CONGRATULATE
MAJOR VIVIEN FONJONG ALLO
(RN, BBA, BSN, MBA, DHA. U.S. Army Nurse Corp.) on her retirement from the UNITED STATES ARMY, after 22 years of diligent and meritorious service.
She, and Former Navy Pilot, Lieutenant Commander ONEGE AGBORSANGAYA MAROADI, are, to the very best of my knowledge, the first two CAMEROONIAN-AMERICAN FEMALES to rank as highly in the UNITED STATES military.
Lt. Cmdr. MAROADI retired after 21 years and 1 month of service so with the 22 years that MAJOR FONJONG has under her belt, I guess she is the LONGEST-SERVING CAMEROONIAN-AMERICAN FEMALE in the history of the UNITED STATES MILITARY!
We also bring you the SIGHTS & SOUNDS from the RETIREMENT PARTY thrown in her honor on Sunday, September 1st 2024 in Maryland.
First, a little bit about the WOMAN!
VIVIEN FONJONG was born in TIKO to Mr. Z.A. Fonjong (of Blessed Memory) and Mrs. Rose Mah Fonjong. She did her Primary Education in Catholic School New Town VICTORIA (now Limbe), and then later in St. Anthony Catholic School, KUMBA. She then went on to Saker Baptist College, Victoria, after which she enrolled in C.C.A.S. Kumba for her High School Education. Thereafter, she left for the United States to pursue her University Education.
Vivien is a mother of three: 2 girls, (Mama Allo and Chenille Mami Allo), and 1 boy (Tata Allo), for whom she would stop at nothing in a bid to see that they excel!
The Veteran of 2 Wars - Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom whose career with the U.S. Army spanned 14 years, worked as an Army Nurse – OIC (Officer In Charge of Missions), at Howard University Hospital, which is the parent hospital for the Residency Training Program. This 450-bed facility located in the northwest section of the District of Columbia, and its predecessor, the Freedmen's Hospital, has been a major provider of health care services in the District of Columbia for more than a century. She is the Director of Utilization Review and Denial Management.
Dr. Fonjong Allo has the following academic accomplishments under her belt:
- B.A. in Computer Science
- BSN in Nursing
- MBA in Finance
- PhD in Health Care Administration
MAJOR FONJONG ALLO is also the founder and CEO of a group called CASE MANAGEMENT INTEGRITY (CMI), and its website says the following about her:
"Vivien A. Fonjong is a nurse executive leader with over 25 years in the healthcare industry, and over 13 years in nurse leadership position.
As a RN, Dr. FONJONG has experiences in healthcare management as executive leadership, Nurse manager of surgical and medical unit, nurse administrator, staff nurse experiences in ICU, Medical and surgical units, emergence department, transplant, cardiovascular care unit.
Dr. Fonjong has extensive and in-depth experience in Denial Management, Case Management, Utilization review, Social Work, Quality Control, JCAHO regulations, CMS regulations and guidelines, Department of Healthcare and Healthcare Finance Regulations, Revenue Cycle Strategy and Integrity, Milliman Care Guidelines Adult and Pediatric criteria, InterQual Care Guideline Adult and Pediatric Criteria, and a Certified InterQual Care Guideline Instructor. In 2009, Dr. Fonjong was recognized as One of 100 Excellent Nurses by the District of Columbia Nurses Association (DCNA).
Captain Fonjong was an Officer with United States Army Reserve, serving as the Head Nurse for the Orthopedic Unit during drill.
In 2005, Captain Fonjong received U.S. Army Meritorious Award for her selfless services during Iraqi Freedom. In 2011, Captain Fonjong completed the Army Anti-terrorism Officer (ATO) Basic Course, and currently the ATO for the 2290th USAH. As an officer in the United States Army Nurse Corps, Captain Fonjong has held many leadership positions include being Officer In charge (OIC) for the 2290th Germany mission in 2009.
Dr. Fonjong is licensed in both the District of Columbia and Maryland"
MIGHTY IMPRESSIVE if you ask me!!
It wasn’t all smooth sailing for MAJOR FONJONG.
In 2007, she had a brush with Grave's Disease, that could have ended her life! The fact that she not just barely survived 4 months of radiation therapy - practically bedridden, but went on to still accomplish her goals is a testament to her tenacity and to the Grace of God!!
Her TRIUMPH-OVER-HEALTH CHALLENGES story does not end there.
My CLASS OF 1981 CLASSMATES and I woke up on Wednesday, APRIL 1st 2020 to the following text on our WhatsApp forum from MAJORÂ VIVIENÂ FONJONGÂ - the very one SakerPride had just featured, resplendent in her UNITED STATES MILITARY UNIFORM, in a collage of HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS just a few days prior, to APPRECIATE and THANK them for their diligent and faithful service in the thick of the prevailing pandemic:
Â
"My Dear Sisters, Please Pray for me. I tested positive for the CORONA VIRUS. PRAY. PRAY."
Â
Now, THATÂ plain sucked the very air out of my lungs!!!Â
I re-read that BOMBSHELL of a line and in the process, noticed that the DATE was, after everything, APRIL 1st - as in, APRIL FOOL'S DAY.
However, I knew that it was VERY, VERY UNLIKELY that a HIGHLY TRAINED and RANKED MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL of MAJOR FONJONG's caliber would "joke around carelessly juh like dat" and it really wasn’t!
NOT ONE BIT!
Â
She was admitted in the MICU of the VA HOSPITAL in WASHINGTON, DC from March 30th to April 6th 2020.
Thankfully, she made a complete recovery after which she was literally bursting at the seams with GRATITUDE to GOD - first and foremost, and to the VALIANT, COMPETENT and UNDAUNTED NURSES and DOCTORS at the VA MEDICAL CENTER in D.C., PROMINENT amongst whom was (and still is) CLASS OF 1982's MARIE PENDIE (RN), to her COMMANDER, (Lady) COLONEL Mc MURRY, and to her Classmates, her ExSSA-DC/ExSSA-USA Sisters, Family, Friends, Church Members and all who STORMED HEAVEN'S PORTALS on her behalf!
Â
The VIDEO below which tells her COVID-19 STORY in a nutshell - OXYGEN, HYDROXYCHLOROQUINE and all, was compiled and shared at her request, in a bid to encourage others who were fighting for their very lives at the time:
GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST!!!!!
Â
A profile of Captain Fonjong Allo, no matter how brief, would be incomplete without mentioning her ties to the Presbyterian Church in general, and the SSPC - the Silver Spring Presbyterian Church specifically because she takes her Church activities very seriously. She is a Co-founder of the CWF Movement here in the United States and was part of the very first set of Women in the U.S. to be dedicated, starting off as the group’s first Secretary. She is currently an Elder at the Silver Spring Presbyterian Church.
Â
So, this, Ladies and Gentlemen, is the OUTSTANDING Profile of the LADY whose RETIREMENT CELEBRATION took place on SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 1st 2024, at THE GATHERING PLACE in CLARKSVILLE, MD., and here, for your pleasure are some SIGHTS and SOUNDS of the MEMORABLE EVENT!
HEARTY CONGRATULATIONS, VIVIEN FONJONG, U.S. ARMY MAJOR, Rtd.
PHOTOS OF THE RETIREMENT EVENT