Kuang-Yue Wu

Honored as Taiwan "Air Force Hero" Kuang-Yue Wu, 93, Taiwan Air Force Lieutenant Colonel, airline pilot, loving husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, passed away peacefully on May 31, 2022 of natural causes. Kuang-Yue was born in 1928 in Su-Zhou, Jiang-Su province, China, but his father and grandfather were from Hunan. He was the eldest of five brothers and two sisters. At the age of twelve, he was one of only 40 boys selected to enter the Air Force Youth Academy as a member of the Third Class. At thirteen, he and the other boys went to Sichuan, leaving their families. It took tremendous courage to choose this path at so young an age. In 1949 when the Communists took over, Kuang-Yue left China with the Academy for Taiwan, not knowing if his family were able to leave as well. He later found out that his parents and siblings all made it to Taiwan. In Taiwan, Kuang-Yue trained in Gang-Shan for two years. Upon graduation, he was transferred to Tao-Yuan Air Force Base and joined the Fifth Troop. He rose through the ranks and became Captain of the Sixth Troop as well as Lieutenant Colonel. In the 1960's, he started flying dangerous reconnaissance missions over mainland China. In 1964, Kuang-Yue married Yang Teh-Cheng (Louise Wu) and became a loving father to four year-old Joyce Chung, whose father, Chung Zhong-Yue (a fellow Air Force pilot), died in an aeronautical accident. In 1967, daughter Nancy was born. Soon after, while on a mission, Kuang-Yue's plane was shot by the Communists. However, he still managed to return safely to Taiwan. Because of his courage and level-headedness, he was honored as Air Force Hero in 1969 by President and Madame Chiang-Kai Shek. From 1972-1975, he worked as a commercial airline pilot. In 1975, Kuang-Yue emigrated to the U.S. to join his wife and daughters who were already in the States. That same year, the family moved to Staten Island. After working several different jobs, he retired from his last job at an electronics company. Throughout his years on Staten Island, he was the behind-the-scenes, dedicated partner and supporter of his wife, Louise, in her many musical events, from the hundreds of piano student recitals held at their home, to hosting rehearsals and performances of St. Cecilia Music Society for 33 years. He demonstrated his kindness and unconditional love for his family as he helped care for and doted on all of his grandchildren. Kuang-Yue is survived by his daughter Joyce Chung and son-in-law Paul Liu, daughter Nancy Wu Downing and son-in-law Richard Downing, his grandchildren Thomas Liu and his wife Teal Shepley-Blair Liu, Katherine Liu and her husband Michael Cantor, Peter Liu, Lia Downing, and Valerie Downing, and his great-grandchildren Oliver Liu and Sydney Louise Cantor. Visitation will take place on Sunday, June 5 from 2:00pm-4:00pm at Harmon Funeral Home, 571 Forest Ave, Staten Island, NY 10310.

LINKS

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