General Xu Huan-Sheng, the 4th Commander-in-Chief (term of office: July 1, 1963 to July 1, 1968)
General Xu is a native of Jiangsu Province, and was born in Chongming County in September 1909. Previously a student of Jiangsu Medical University, General Xu later served the cause of the Chinese Revolution and switched his career into a soldier. He graduated from the class of the 6th Term of the National Military Academy and was eventually promoted to the rank of the Commander-in-Chief of the ROCAF on July 1, 1963.
General Xu participated in many battles of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression with outstanding performance as a soldier. The most commemorative legend was his expeditionary campaign in Japan on May 20, 1938 where General Xu was not properly equipped. Yet, he accomplished the mission with great success due to his wisdom and gallantry. Another successful campaign was the bombing of Hankou Airfield in a joint mission with the Soviet Air Volunteers on February 24, 1940. The Soviet volunteers were scared by the superiority in air defense of the Japanese and turned back en route to the destination. Under the leadership of General Xu, the ROCAF pursued the enemy independently and accomplished the mission with success and returned to base safely. On July 8, 1940, more than 50 Japanese battleships gathered at Xiamen Port. General Xu was ordered to carry out a joint mission with the Soviet volunteers. Again, the Soviet volunteers defied the order with the pretext that the mission was impossible to accomplish. Despite suffering from a bad case of the flu, General Xu insisted on leading the mission with the ROCAF fighter fleet. This fully demonstrated the moral courage and gallantry of General Xu as a soldier to obey orders and brave any danger. General Xu established the maintenance and logistics capacity of the ROCAF, rearranged the flight routes and air defense deployment, increased and expanded air force bases in his term of office as the Commander-in-Chief. His contribution to strengthening the combat power and enhancement of preparedness is obvious and sound.
General Xu was decorated with the Cauldron Medal, Sky Command Medal, Loyalty and Service Medal, The Venation Medal, Celestial Kindness Medal, Recovery Medal, and Victory Medal, and also conferred the Land, Sea and Air Award, Recovery of Mainland Award, Power Declaration Award, Distinguished Service Award, Model Award, and Victory in the War of Resistance Award, and the US Bronze Star, Liberty Medal, White Elephant Medal, Crown Medal of Thailand, Korean Distinguished Award, Grand Cross of Spain Medal and Defense of Vietnam Medal.