Liu Yalou

Liu Yalou (April 1910 – 7 May 1965) was a general in the People's Liberation Army of the People's Republic of China, first commander-in-chief of the People's Liberation Army Air Force, as well as chief of staff of Lin Biao's army group during the Chinese Civil War, occupied the whole of Manchuria in 1948 and captured 472,000 Nationalist troops in the Liaoshen Campaign.

Early life
Liu was born in Wuping, Fujian province of China. He join the CPC in Jinggangshan Mountains in August 1929, and participated in the Encirclement Campaigns on the communist side. Like many late communist commanders, Liu was also a veteran of the Long March. During the Second Sino-Japanese War he became Lin Biao's chief assistant in the Red Army University in Yan'an.

Russia
Liu was sent to study in Frunze Military Academy in 1939—1941, and was commissioned as a major in the Soviet Red Army and participated in the Soviet-German War, and wrote several important essays on Battle of Stalingrad.

Victories in Manchuria
In August Liu returned to China by following Soviet Marshal Aleksandr Vasilevsky's troops to invade Manchuria during Operation August Storm before joining communist Manchurian field army and became Lin Biao's chief of staff.

Created CPC air force and missile troops
After the establishment of People's Republic of China, Mao Zedong prepared to support North Korea in the Korean War. Mao ordered Liu to go to Soviet Union to lobby for their aid and started to train Chinese pilots based on the Soviet model, so Liu was appointed 1st Chief commander of the People's Liberation Army Air Force in 1949. At that time the Chinese air force only possessed 15 Mig fighter planes.

Liver cancer
Lin Biao never visited the sick before, but only exception when he learnt Liu had liver cancer, Lin then visited Liu for the first time in the hospital. After one year, Liu died in Shanghai in 1965. Lin took personally charge of Liu's funeral arrangements because Liu was one of the best assistants and staff officers in his military career.