We must go, but we may not be able to come back

We must go, but we may not be able to come back We must go, but we may not be able to come back Wang Lizhen – [The Story of Black Cat, Black Bat Squadron]…

We must go, but we may not be able to come back

> Wang Lizhen – [The Story of Black Cat, Black Bat Squadron ]

[Written by Arizona Vining]

A dusty past, a tragedy of the times. In the context of the civil war between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party, the fraternal conflict between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait has caused many broken families and separation of flesh and blood. Many things cannot be discussed openly until recent years. The story originated from the retreat of the Republic of China government to Taiwan in 1949. During the cold war period of spy against spy, Chiang Kai-shek was obsessed with "counterattacking the mainland", while the government of the People's Republic of China was bent on "liberating Taiwan". The situation in the Taiwan Strait was treacherous and hostile, and the situation was irreconcilable. In view of the changes in the relationship between China and the Soviet Union, the United States wanted to understand the military facilities and nuclear weapons development of the Soviet Union and the Chinese Communist Party. At that time, satellite photography technology was not yet mature, so the CIA planned to secretly cooperate with the Republic of China to detect the mainland. The United States provides aircraft and technical support, and the Republic of China provides pilots and logistics bases. Chiang Kai-shek reached a secret agreement with the United States to establish an air force squadron, later known as the "Black Cat and Black Bat Squadron", after considering the country's difficult situation to maintain U.S.-Taiwan relations and urgently need U.S. aid. Pilots of the Air Force of the Republic of China collect military intelligence for the United States. In those 13 years, the bloody history of the ROC Air Force scouts who bravely flew into enemy territory through life and death cannot be discussed in the past, and the details are rarely known.

3/10, Mr. Wang Lizhen, a well-known expert on the history of the Air Force of the Republic of China who lives in Northern California, came to Arizona. Arranged by Dr. Xu Kailai and co-organized by Phoenix Chinese School Director Zheng Hong and Honor Society President Wang Ruijin, he gave two speeches on the story of "Black Cat, Black Bat Squadron" in Chinese and English. It attracted hundreds of people from all walks of life and military family members to participate. The scene was lively and far-reaching.

Mr. Wang Lizhen was born in Taiwan. He holds a degree in aviation electrical engineering and is a professional aerospace engineer. He has 40 years of experience working for Lockheed Martin Aerospace and Defense Aircraft Manufacturing Company. He has been interested in Air Force people, things and things since he was a child. He has collected many Air Force items and made many Air Force friends. He is also a well-known writer. This story, narrated by him, is rich in content and touching. Here, only the key points are summarized as follows:

>Black Cat Squadron: the former 35th Squadron of the Air Force, a secret reconnaissance force of the Air Force of the Republic of China. Station: Taoyuan Air Force Base, Taiwan

Period of existence: 1961-1974 Function: 70,000 feet high-altitude reconnaissance Aircraft type: RB57A (initial), RB57D, U2 reconnaissance aircraft, manufactured by Lockheed Corporation of the United States. Equipment: cockpit corrector, sensor, high-altitude camera, detection antenna, down-view mirror.

Passenger capacity: 1 person Wingspan: 103 feet Flight altitude: 70,000 feet Range: 6,500 miles

Accessories: HR-73B camera 9×9 inch film

Members: Selected elites of the Air Force of the Republic of China, who have been trained at Laughlin Air Force Base in the United States since 1959. A total of 30 people were sent, and a total of 27 people completed the training. The mission began in 1961. The Black Cat mission was finally discontinued in 1970 due to the easing of relations between the United States and mainland China. In 1972, Nixon visited mainland China. On June 11, 1974, the plan to evacuate US personnel was officially terminated.

The Black Cat Squadron uses meteorological reconnaissance and research as a cover for the outside world. Its main mission is to take photos at high altitudes and analyze the Chinese Communist Party's nuclear weapons development capabilities. The photos taken back are of great help for detection and prevention during the Cold War. During its 13-year mission, it detected two nuclear test explosions by the Chinese Communist Party. From 1961 to 1974, the 28 pilots of the Black Cat Squadron completed a total of 220 reconnaissance missions and penetrated into the mainland of the mainland more than 30 times. In the end, only 17 team members escaped unscathed, and a total of 12 U2 reconnaissance aircraft and 10 team members were damaged. Four of them were hit by MiGs or missiles and died in the line of duty. Six were killed in a crash during training. Two of the downed prisoners were kept in the mainland and underwent labor reform until they were allowed to return to Taiwan via Hong Kong on November 10, 1982. However, the Taiwanese government at that time refused to allow them to return to Taiwan due to concerns about the CCP's united front tactics. Later, they immigrated to the United States with the help of the CIA. It was not until September 4, 1990 that the two returned to Taiwan.

Black Bat Squadron: The former 34th Squadron of the Air Force, also controlled by the CIA, provides aircraft and necessary equipment, and the Air Force of the Republic of China performs low-altitude nighttime electronic detection missions deep into the airspace of the People's Republic of China. Team emblem: Black Bat, which performs missions during the day and night. In order to hide in the night, the fuselage is painted black. Period of existence: 1952-1974 December. Flight training: Texas, Florida, Arizona, USA.

Residency: Hsinchu Air Force Airport, Taiwan. China and the United States used the "Western Company" as a cover and were directly ordered by Chiang Ching-kuo, then Secretary-General of the National Security Council. In addition to collecting intelligence specifically for the United States, it also airdropped psychological warfare leaflets, relief supplies, and airborne intelligence agents. There are the Qilong Project, the Fox Hunting Project, etc. Mission aircraft: RB-17 aerial reconnaissance aircraft, P2V-7U/RB-69A electronic reconnaissance aircraft, C-123B/K transport aircraft airdrop. Low-altitude flight altitude: 100-20 meters above the ground. To avoid radar, it can even fly at ultra-low altitudes of about 30 meters above the ground. The plane can seat 12-15 people. Once the plane crashes, there will be more than a dozen funerals in the entire Air Force Residence Hall, which is very tragic.

The Bat squadron aircraft are not armed. Once discovered, they will run away like an antelope being targeted by a pride of lions, escaping from intensive artillery fire. In order to get rid of the entanglement of the MiG aircraft, it is necessary to shuttle through the mountains and cliffs. A single mistake will destroy the aircraft and kill everyone. The Black Bat Squadron flew a total of 838 missions, 15 of which were shot down or crashed accidentally, and 148 personnel died, accounting for two-thirds of the team. It had the highest damage rate among all units in the Air Force. Mr. Wang Lizhen said: [The members of the Black Cat and Black Bat squadrons all sacrificed their lives to protect your and my safety with the determination that we must go but may not come back. This proves that "there is no free lunch, and there is no cheap peace". As a price, the Republic of China sent its best air force officers to perform reconnaissance missions for the Americans at that time, allowing the United States to master a lot of the CCP's military intelligence. This credit allowed the United States to have a more accurate assessment of the CCP's strength, and finally decided to abandon the Republic of China's policy of cooperating with the CCP to check and balance the Soviet Union. According to declassified information, after each squadron flight officer completed a mission, U.S. personnel boarded the plane to disassemble the monitoring equipment, brought it back to the United States for study and interpretation, and then sent the results to the White House. The intelligence obtained at the expense of lives was of little use to our policy of counterattacking the mainland. It was just that the situation at that time required US aid and had to hold the United States back. It is said that Chiang Kai-shek and his son were very concerned about the lives of the officers and soldiers of the two squadrons, and often summoned them. Every time a plane crashed, their hearts were cut. Black Cat member Chen Huaisheng was the first hero to be shot down while flying a U2 on a mission. To commemorate his great sacrifice and great achievements, the Huaisheng Junior High School was built in Taipei as a permanent memorial. Yi Fuen, the head of the Intelligence Agency at that time, was the head of the two squadrons. Whenever he talked about black cats, black bats would shed tears on his face. There are very few team members still alive today and they are all very old. If the government did not appreciate their sacrifice and dedication back then, the security of the Taiwan Strait would be poor today. It would be very sad to think about it.

Since the declassification of the Black Cat and Black Bat squadron information, we can better understand the cruelty and ruthlessness of war, and better appreciate the honor, obedience and determination of soldiers. I also deeply feel the helplessness and sadness of the military family members. When the country is strong, the people will be prosperous and safe, but when the country is weak, it will be suppressed everywhere and seek perfection through humiliation. Regardless of camp, soldiers all over the world should be respected and treated with courtesy. Because the country will always owe them a debt of gratitude. Why do soldiers fight? Who are you fighting for? If there is no country, then there is a home.

History cannot be forgotten and cannot be tampered with, but history allows us to learn lessons and avoid mistakes. Think about it when the Black Cat team members wore heavy spacesuits and rushed to an altitude of 70,000 feet alone for more than ten hours. What power supported them? Think about it, when the Black Bat team members flew close to the ground and went on a mission in the dark, one missile and one mine killed more than a dozen heroes and destroyed the happiness of more than a dozen families. What a heart-wrenching scene? Some of their children were posthumous, some had their fathers martyred on their birthdays, some heard their fathers' heart-wrenching words during the flight and flew back to the base with tears streaming down their faces, and some burst into private houses upon landing and scared the owners into thinking it was an alien invasion. There are too many stories to tell. Endless stories, too many emotions and regrets

> The earth still rotates every day, and all things are still alive and well, but heroes: "Your heroic achievements will last forever, and your patriotic sentiments will be immortal." 》What a wish! One day the human world will be peaceful and without war.

Finally, Mr. Wang Lizhen gave you a poem by Zhu Weiming, a former Air Force major pilot:

[When I die in battle, my broken wings turn into a wisp of smoke in the sky.

Motherland! Motherland, I have dedicated my loyal soul! ]

No more words are needed, only heartfelt thanks. We look forward to Mr. Wang Lizhen’s next visit to continue telling the story of the Air Force.

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