Former minister of national defense Lee Tien-yu (李天羽) passed away at the age of 79 i Tri-Service General Hospital in Taipei this morning after a long illness, the military said.
There would be no public funeral or mourning period, it added.
His cremains are to be placed in the Air Force Cemetery in Bitan (碧潭), it said.
Photo: Taipei Times
He was most notably the defense minister under former president Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁), as well as commander-in-chief of the air force and a four-star general.
In his leadership roles, he was an integral proponent of modernizing Taiwan’s fighter jets and carrying out Chen’s strategy of deterrence and self-defense.
He was born in Linzi, Shandong Province, China, on May 23, 1946.
He moved to Taiwan with his father.
Lee graduated from the Air Force Academy in 1959, receiving his pilot’s wings in 1965.
He also served as director in the Air Force Command Headquarters’ Legislative Communications Office, chief instructor at the Air Force Command Headquarters, director of the Political Warfare Department and head of the Air Combat Command.
In 2001, Chen promoted him to lieutenant general and deputy commander-in-chief of the air force, before promoting him to full general and commander-in-chief of the air force in 2002.
At the time, he was the youngest air force commander in 35 years.
He was awarded the Order of Blue Sky and White Sun with Grand Cordon medal by Chen for his contributions to the military and national defense.
In 2004, he rose to the highest rank in the armed forces and assumed the role of chief of the general staff.
In 2008, he resigned from his role as defense minister following controversies about the establishment of the now-defunct private weapons firm Taiwan Goal (台灣鐽震), of which the ministry was the largest shareholder.
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