Canadian pilot welcomed as hero by his ex-students

The last time they saw each other was 55 years ago in China, when Canadian George Stewart was a combat pilot who helped train pilots for the KMT government and Chen Yi-fan (陳衣凡) was one of his students. That was in 1948, just before the KMT forces left the mainland for Taiwan.

Earlier this week, retired pilot Stewart, 79, and retired General Chen Yi-fan (陳衣凡), 92, finally got together again at the air force's club in Taipei. Among Stewart's students, Chen achieved the highest rank, eventually serving as the commander-in-chief of the air force between 1970 and 1975.

The meeting was arranged by incumbent air force chief General Lee Tien-yu (李天羽), who invited Stewart to visit Taiwan for the first time since the KMT government retreated to the island in 1949.

Stewart, who stayed in China for one year to help train combat pilots for the KMT government forces, did not have any chance to reunite with his students after leaving China just before the Communists forces seized power from the KMT.

Stewart, who in World War II had been sent by Canada to join in bombing missions against Germany, was responsible for training combat pilots, including Chen, in how to operate the Canadian-made Mosquito fighter-bomber.

Although he was already the deputy chief of the first combat group of the government's air force, Chen had to listen and learn from the much-younger Stewart.

Although younger, Stewart was an accomplished pilot and had earned an international reputation for having flown across the Atlantic Ocean in a Mosquito.

Under Stewart's instruction, Chen became the first pilot of the KMT forces to fly the Mosquito on his own.

On Monday, Chen reunited with his former flight instructor but he was unable to clearly see how Stewart looks now, as Chen is almost totally blind.

Despite his physical frailty, Chen still managed to give a 10-minute speech -- in fluent English -- ?at the reunion with Stewart to welcome the old friend, according to an air force official who was present at the event.

The reunion was witnessed by incumbent air force Commander-in-Chief General Lee and several other senior air force officials.

It was Lee who invited Stewart to visit Taiwan. Lee treated the former flight instructor like a state guest.

The air force was able to contact Stewart mainly because of a message Stewart had sent to a Japanese magazine in the middle of last year.

Stewart had written the magazine asking for information that might help him to find some of the former student pilots he had taught in China.

The message was posted in connection with an interview that Stewart gave to the magazine. Officials here saw the magazine and contacted Stewart.

Stewart arrived in Taiwan last weekend and is scheduled to leave on Sunday.

During his stay here, he will visit several air bases around Taiwan and give a speech to local aviation fans.

Before coming here, Stewart gave an interview with the Hamilton Spectator newspaper, which featured him in a full-page story.

The article describes Stewart as a man who contributed to the security of Taiwan in the face of constant military threats from Communist China.

"In December 1950, the KMT's three Mosquito squadrons inflicted massive damage on a large Communist invasion fleet in the South China Sea, quite possibly one of the determining factors in convincing Mao Tse-tung (毛澤東) not to invade Taiwan," the article says.