In 1950, when the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea broke out, although the New Chinese Air Force had just been established, it responded to the call of the country without hesitation, sent troops to Korea to participate in the war, and actively participated in military operations to defend the homeland and defend the country. Under the leadership of Commander Liu Zhen, the Volunteer Air Force quickly integrated into the Korean battlefield, participated in many battles, and grew from an unskilled recruit to a world-class air force that terrified the enemy. Today we will tell the legendary experience of Liu Zhen, commander of the Volunteer Air Force, and explore the ups and downs of his life. Liu Zhen was born in Xiaogan City, Hubei Province in 1915 to a poor family.
Under the influence of advanced ideas in 1930, Liu Zhen actively participated in local revolutionary activities, and in 1931, at the age of 16, Liu Zhen joined the Red Army and became a soldier in the Red Army Guerrilla Brigade in Pixiao County. During his service in the Red Army, he participated in the anti-"encirclement and suppression" battles in the Hubei-Henan-Anhui Soviet Region, and in 1933 he moved to northern Shaanxi with the Red 25th Army. The Red 25th Army was an outstanding force, and under the leadership of Cheng Zihua and Xu Haidong, they were the first Long March troops to reach northern Shaanxi.
After Liu Zhen's unit arrived in northern Shaanxi, it was reorganized into the Red 15th Army Corps, and Liu Zhen was quickly promoted because of his outstanding performance, and successively served as the political commissar of the 225th Regiment and the 223rd Regiment of the 75th Division of the Red 15th Army Corps, and participated in the battle of Zhiluo Town and other battles to consolidate the base area in northern Shaanxi, providing strong support for the Red Army's foothold in northern Shaanxi. In the early days of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, Liu Zhen mainly participated in the 115th Division of the Eighth Route Army, and then joined the Fourth Brigade of the Fourth Column of the Eighth Route Army as a brigade commander, and actively participated in the work of opening up the base area in the Henan-Anhui Soviet border area.
In 1941, the outbreak of the Southern Anhui Incident, the military headquarters of the New Fourth Army suffered heavy losses, in order to support the reconstruction of the New Fourth Army, the Fourth Column of the Eighth Route Army was reorganized into the Fourth Division of the New Fourth Army, Liu Zhen was also appointed as the commander of the Tenth Brigade of the Fourth Division, and witnessed the victory of the War of Resistance against Japan with the New Fourth Army. During the War of Liberation, Liu Zhen went to the Northeast and participated in major battles such as the Liaoshen Campaign, and was later appointed as the commander of the 39th Army of the Fourth Field, and entered the customs with the army, becoming one of the meritorious achievements of New China. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, Liu Zhen successively served as the commander of the Air Force of the Central and Southern Military Region, and then transferred to the Northeast Military Region as the commander of the Air Force.
Under his command, the Volunteer Air Force successfully shot down 26 US planes and damaged 8 planes within three days, making the Volunteer Air Force famous, becoming one of the world's major air forces, and making outstanding military achievements in the victory of the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea. In 1955, Liu Zhen was awarded the rank of general at the award ceremony after his return from North Korea, becoming the founding general. Subsequently, he successively served as the president and political commissar of the Air Force Academy, laying a solid foundation for the development of the New Chinese Air Force and cultivating a large number of outstanding talents.
However, during a campaign in the sixties of the last century, Liu Zhen was "knocked down" and even suffered two broken ribs, leaving a lifelong injury. Fortunately, it was later protected by ***. In 1973, Liu Zhen was appointed deputy commander of the Shenyang Military Region, and later served as the commander of the Xinjiang Military Region and vice president of the Academy of Military Sciences. In 1992, Liu Zhen died of illness in Beijing at the age of 77. Interestingly, Liu Zhen's son, Liu Weidong, was born in 1942.
He enlisted in the Navy at the age of 18 and served in the Navy for a long time, successively serving as the political commissar of the 32nd Submarine Detachment of the Navy and the political commissar of the Yulin Base of the Navy. In 1988, Liu Weidong was reinstated in the military rank and was awarded the rank of rear admiral, after which he was appointed deputy political commissar of the South China Sea Fleet. In 2000, Liu Weidong was transferred to the Nanjing Military Region and served as deputy political commissar. In 2001, at the age of 59, Liu Weidong was promoted to vice admiral.