Louie Yim-qun

"Clifford" Louie Yim-qun (Chinese: 雷炎均; pinyin: Léi Yánjūn; 1914–1999), also known as Louie Yen-chung, was born in Seattle, Washington; his father was from Taishan county, Guangdong, China. He obtained a private pilot's license at the Portland Flying School, Oregon, and went to China in 1933. One of the other pilots in Portland was Hazel Ying Lee, who later became his wife. She was the first Chinese American to volunteer for the Women Airforce Service Pilots.

Louie returned to China to participate in the Second Sino-Japanese War. He joined the 28th Fighter Squadron of the 5th Fighter Group, and became Deputy Squadron Leader in 1937. Louie ended the war with 3 biplane victories. Some sources credits Louie with 5 victories, but this has not been possible to verify. In the fall of 1942, Major Louie was sent to the United States and entered Staff and Command College. In 1945 he was sent to Karachi in British India as an instructor to Allied pilots. After the Japanese surrender, he went to Japan as a member of China’s Military Commission in Japan. In the 50’s and 60’s, General Louie served as Chief Liaison Officer to the U.S. Garrison Command in Taiwan, Chief of Air Intelligence, and Chief of Operations, CG of the Combat Command, and Deputy C-in-C of the Chinese Air Force. In 1967 he became Deputy Chief of General Staff in the Ministry of National Defence. He was promoted from Lieutenant General to General (2nd Grade) in 1970.

He retired from the military in 1974, and became CEO and then chairman of the board of China Airlines until 1978.

His first wife, Hazel Ying Lee, was killed in a flying accident at Great Falls, Montana, on 23 November 1944, while ferrying a P-63 from Buffalo, New York. In 1946 he wed Pearl Lowe in Shanghai's Holy Trinity Cathedral. They had two daughters and a son together.

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