1950s Part 3: Unknown battles

Major General 李學正 (1902-?)

In the early years after the founding of the PRC on Oct 1, 1949, at least 244 KMT generals were executed. Most had previously defected or surrendered to the PLA, or had already retired from KMT military services. Very little known, however, is that a few were captured in battles against the PLA inside mainland China that had continued into 1950. One of them was Major General 李學正Lee Shue-Cheng.

Lee was captured twice by the PLA, the second and final time on Mar 30, 1951 in 檬垻 while disguised as a private tutor, having escaped from the first on Jan 10, 1950 in 通江雲霧山 while being held as a POW after a fierce battle. This was particularly tragic as Lee and his wife and 4 children had already retreated safely to Taiwan in July, 1949, from fighting against the PLA in northern China as a division commander. He was ordered by CKS to return to mainland China to continue fighting the communists. Prompted by loyalty to the Republic and a strong sense of duty, he left his family behind in Taiwan and flew with Gen Hu Zhong-Nan 胡宗南 from Chungking to Shangxi陝西 on Aug 21, 1949, and in Nov, 1949, appointed by Hu to organize 4 Armies: the New 4th, New 5th, New 8th and the 127th. Lee later became the commander of the New 4th Army.

With the New 4th, New 5th and New 8th Armies of 10,000 men, commanded by General Wang Ling-Yun王凌雲, a tri-provincial periphery advancing army group named 川陝豫邊區挺進軍 was formed. The group reached 通江TongJiang in Szechuan on Nov 11, 1949. In operation in TongJiang at the same time were also the irregulars: “反共救國軍第十五縱隊第八師" led by 鮮熾賢 with 2,000 men, and “紅羅黨” (600 men), plus “中華保民救國軍第六挺進軍”, and “巴山游擊活動隊” (Note: These were eventually eliminated after the demise of the army group.)

On Dec 26, 1949, the PLA entered TongJiang and after 3 days of intense fighting, defeated the New 5th Army on Jan 2, 1950, accepting the surrender of 1,500 men. In a separate battle, the PLA also neutralized part of the New 4th Army capturing 200 with 70 family followers, and overtook another KMT stronghold soon after. The bulk of the KMT forces was essentially exterminated in the first week of Jan.

Facing overwhelming PLA forces, on Jan 7, 1950, Gen Wang convened an emergency meeting and decided that his deputy Maj Gen Lee was to set up defense posts at 雲霧山 with Wang himself holding 青峪口 and 涪陽壩. Lee led 3,000 men and took up positions on Jan 9. Unfortunately, General Wang was captured by the PLA on the same day, allegedly turned in by a local family that he was visiting. On the next day, Maj Gen Lee was also captured having lost the final battle to PLA.

To this day, the Lee family still has no idea as to what had transpired following Lee's capture. An unconfirmed report has it that on June 28, 1953, an announcement was posted outside the west gate of 河南靈寶 asking for Lee's family to come forward and arrange for his funeral.

On Nov 30, 1989, the ROC declared the death of Maj Gen Lee as being equivalent to combat-related without offering any explanation, and the official date of his death set as Oct 22, 1983 as well. Inexplicably, Lee was yet to be inducted into the Martyrs' Shrine as the declaration would have called for.

[Main source: a post by Dr Li Tai, Maj Gen Lee's son, here]