Chiang Dao-lee
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| Current Title | President Chiang Dao-lee |
| Other names | Lee Chiang |
| Current Positions: |
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| Previous Positions: |
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| Term of Office: | 4th July 2008 to present |
| Predecessor: | Lien Chan |
| Successor: | Incumbent |
| Birthdate: | 29th September, 1946 |
| Place of Birth: | Hong Kong |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Profession | Politician, Army Officer, Air Force Officer |
| Political party | Kuomintang |
| Languages spoken | Cantonese English Mandarin Vietnamese Russian |
| Degrees |
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| Honours | Air Force Cross (Britain) |
Chiang Dao-lee is the 7th post-1947 President of the Republic of China. He was born in Hong Kong, and is known in the English-speaking world as Lee Chiang.
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Early Life
Chiang Dao-lee was born in Kowloon on the 29th of September, 1946 to Chinese parents. He was educated in a public school, and graduated with good marks. From his earliest days, he was interested in aviation, and after obtaining his leaving certificate in 1964, he applied to join the Royal Hong Kong Auxiliary Air Force, and was accepted for pilot training.
Military Service
After initial officer training, Chiang was offered a placement at the RAF College at Cranwell, in the UK. He refused on the grounds that his first priority was flying. His wishes were respected, and Pilot Officer Lee Chiang reported to RAF Kai Tak for pilot training, and in 1966, Chiang was assigned to helicopter training in the UK, and returned to fly Alouette III's for the RHKAAF.
In 1969, Chiang conducted a hazardous search and rescue mission, in defiance of orders to return. His actions saved three lives, and he earned the Air Force Cross.
On an exchange posting to Taiwan in 1970, then Flying Officer Chiang met, and fell in love with his future wife. Having done his six year short-service commission, Chiang left Hong Kong for Taiwan to be with his sweetheart. They married shortly after, while Chiang joined the Republic of China Army as a helicopter pilot, with the rank of Captain.
Chiang loved the tough, and simple UH-1, finding it to be more of a pilot's aircraft than the Alouette III he had flown in Hong Kong. He became an expert in the flying side of the air cavalry tactics American advisors were showing the Taiwanese. His skill, and obvious talent for leadership soon earned him a promotion to Major, and command of a Helicopter Troop. Chiang's training in Hong Kong was of course steeped in the history, and exploits of the RHKAAF's parent service, the Royal Air Force. Chiang told his men to adopt a practice that the British had used in World War II, naming their aircraft, and using 'nose art'. The Kai Tak Leopard (Chiang's helicopter) became a welcome sight for Taiwanese troops. In 1973, his unit was requipped as a fire support/assault transport unit, with his five Hueys being equipped with Miniguns, and rocket launchers. Chiang participated in the development of counter-infiltrator/counter-special forces tactics, using gunship helicopters, dog tracker teams, and infantry.
