Fang was born
Fang Taixing () in Guoziyuan Township of
Jinzhai County, in
Anhui province, on January 21, 1917, during the
Republic of China. He joined the
Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army in 1930, the
Communist Youth League of China in 1931, and the
Chinese Communist Party in 1933. During the
Chinese Civil War, he took part in the
Long March. He served as a student in Flight Training Class of Xinjiang Air Force during the
Second Sino-Japanese War. He served as the team leader of Eight Route Army General Headquarters Air Force, section chief of Flight Training Department, and political commissar of the Fighter Air Group in the
Chinese Communist Revolution. He shot down or damaged 88 American planes with his army in the
Korean War. He was awarded the rank of
Major General (
shao jiang) in 1955. He was awarded
Order of Bayi,
Order of Independence and Freedom,
Order of Liberation, and Red Heart Order. He served as Deputy Commander of the Air Force of
Beijing Military Region and Deputy Commander of the Air Force of
Guangzhou Military Region, and adviser of
PLA Air Force Aviation University. On March 17, 2015, Fang Ziyi died of an illness in
Beijing. ==References==