General Lin Wen-Li, the 11th Commander-in-Chief (term of office: December 5, 1989 to October 1, 1992)

General Lin Wen-Li, the 11^th Commander-in-Chief (term of office:December 5, 1989 to October 1, 1992)

General Lin is a native of Sichuan Province, and was born in Zizhong County in August 1930, in a family of 7 boys and 1 girl. The father, Lin Zhong-Kang, was a merchant and died in 1935. Mother Madam Peng brought up the children. General Lin was the fifth child in the family and showed his wisdom at very young age. He highly aspired aviation and hoped to fly up in the sky one day. He studied at Qiuxihe Primary School at the age of 4, and continued his education at Tian Zu Secondary School. He quit school before graduation and joined the military regardless of the objections of his family. He was just 12 then, and joined the Air Force Preparatory School. After graduation in 1948, he was admitted to the class of the 29^th Air Force Academy at Jianqiao, Hangzhou.

General Lin graduated from the Air Force Academy in 1951, and served in several battles in Kinmen, including the September 3 bombardment and Dachen defensive, among others. He flew with the F-47 fighters for more than 1 hundred missions. During the 1958 August 23 Taiwan Straits Crisis, he flew a modified version of the F-86F Sabre to engage the enemy for more than 30 times and had shot down one and heavily damaged one MIG-17 fighter of the PLA air force. He was a gallant solider and took mission accomplishments as the only goal. General Lin was promoted Chief of the General Staff of the Air Force General Command Headquarters in 1984, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the ROCAF in 1988, Commander-in-Chief of the ROCAF in 1989 at the rank of general.

General Lin was dedicated to the ROCAF for more than 4 decades with outstanding performance and was highly decorated. He was a well-educated person with integrity and magnanimity, and was respected by all of the force. General Lin was decorated with 35 medals and awards, including the 7^th Class Cauldron Medal, 2^nd Class Sky Command, Grate Harmony Medal, 1^st Class Rejuvenation Medal, 1^st Star, and Rapacious Condor Medal, and also the 2^nd Class Distinguished Service Award from the government of Jordan, 1^st Class Distinguished Army Service from the government of Guatemala, Distinguished Service of the Knight of the Army Award from the government of Paraguay, Distinguished Service of the Knight of the Air Force Award from the government of Bolivia, Cape of Good Hope Award from South Africa, and State Unification Award of Korea.