General Guo Ru-Lin, the 9th Commander-in-Chief (term of office: July 5, 1982 to July 16, 1986)

General Guo Ru-Lin, the 9^th Commander-in-Chief (term of office: July 5, 1982 to July 16, 1986)

General Guo was a native of Anhui Province, and was born in Taihe County in December 1920. He was the son of Guo Bao-Ya and madam Zhu. The older Guo was a merchant. General Guo studied at Tai He County 7^th Primary School in 1928 and Yinzhou Middle School. Then the call for enlistment for resisting Japanese aggression came and General Guo chose to join the military to fight for the country. He graduated from the class of the 16^th Term of the National Military Academy, and learned aviation in the class of the 14^th Term of the Air Force Academy. He then received training at US Luke Air Force Base and the Staff Training Program of the ROC Air Force Academy, ROC Air Staff College Seminar, and training in War College of the ROC Joint Forces University.

General Guo fought in the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, insurgency of the Red Army, and the air battles of Taiwan Straits in the civil war. He became a 2^nd Lieutenant pilot of the 3^rd Squadron of the Chinese-American Composite Wing in 1943 and has participated in several missions including the battles of Jiulong, Yangtze River, western Hubei, and the Central Plains, and was highly respected by the allied forces. After the end of WWII, General Guo was assigned to engage the incursion of the PLA and give air support of the ground forces in several battles of the Taiwan Straits. He was then responsible for air surveillance along the southeast coastline of China. In 1953, he was assigned to receive training of the first batch of jet fighters delivered to the country and administer the training of military hardware upgrade in the transition. In 1954, General Guo received the 4^th Hero of Endeavor in Hardship award, and cited as the Most Distinguished Personnel of 1957. General Guo has been a wing commander, division head, principal of the Air Force Academy, Chief of General Staff at Command Headquarters, Deputy Commander of the Garrison Command, Commander-in-Chief of the ROCAF, Deputy Joint Chief of the General Staff, Chief Military Staff Officer, and strategic advisor to the Office of the President.

General Guo was dedicated to the ROCAF for more than 4 decades, and has outstanding performance in many aspects of his military career. He was a well-educated person with integrity. He led the force in strict discipline but highly concerned for his soldiers. He was a detail-oriented general with proper planning and sound command, and was highly respected. General Guo was highly decorated with 43 medals and awards, including 4th Class Cauldron, Victory, Celestial Kindness, and Rejuvenation, and the Aviation Award from the USA.