Lost Black Cats

By H. Mike Hua and Xijun Hua

Book Overview

On May 1, 1960, a U-2 was shot down over Russia and its pilot, Gary Powers, was captured, followed by Premier Khrushchev using the long-waited summit meeting in Paris as a public platform to denounce... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 141849917X
• ISBN13: 9781418499174
• Release Date: March 2005
• Publisher: Authorhouse
• Length: 220 Pages
• Weight: 1.00 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Lost Black Cats -- Story of Two Captured Chinese U-2 Pilots

Lost Black Cats tells the stories of two Taiwanese U-2 pilots, while engaging in secret reconnaissance missions, were shot down by missiles deep inside the Chinese territory. The event took place during the Cold War period, and since the U-2 activities were largely the brainchild of the US CIA, the incidence had been cloaked in secrecy. The incidence shared the same significance of the Gary Powers' failed U-2 mission in the 1960. Yet, because of the hostility existed between the governments of Taiwan and China at that time and the Oriental military culture, in which captivity was considered as a disgrace, these two pilots were treated poorly especially after their release from the Chinese imprisonment. They were denied requests for return to Taiwan. Fortunately through the arrangement of the US CIA, they were able to immigrate to the US and secure permanent residence status. When they finally returned to Taiwan after a long waiting period, their broken families greeted them. The author, being one-time a U-2 pilot himself and a roommate of one of those downed pilots is distinctly qualified to write this part of the Taiwanese history. Being empathetic to their circumstances, the author described in great detail how these pilots were shot down and their lives behind bars. Their long imprisonment covered the entire period of Chinese Culture Revolution. They were thus required to do hard labor at countryside, which further added to their hardships. Finally the tide turned for China to open up to the outside world and they were released. Yet, to these pilots the journey to freedom was treacherous, and quick reunification with their families proved to be a pipe dream. The book offers much insight into the U-2 mission in Taiwan during the Cold War period. Interspersed with the chronicle of the Chinese Culture Revolution and the report of the life inside China during this time of the political upheaval, the book rivaled such best sellers as Life and Death in Shanghai by Nien Cheng and Wild Swans by Jung Chang in the vividness of reporting Chinese history. The tragedy also presented itself as a moving coherent story and the author tells it well. The book provides much food for thought and comparison of East and West cultural differences -- a book interesting to read.

Great insight into an interesting time

This is an interesting story about a difficult time in history. The pilots profiled in this book were stuck in political chess match, yet made the best of their experiences. What I found most interesting was the detail on their life in China under the communist rule. It was incredible how, instead of execution or years of prison and torture, the government saw the opprtunity to "reeducate" them and use them as political tools of their own. A must read for anyone looking for a better understanding of the East-West cold war beyond the USSR.

Story of Two Captured Chinese U-2 Pilots

During the 1950's and early 1960's in the height of the cold war, US was conducting air spy missions over the Soviet Union and China. In 1960, Gary Powers, an American U-2 pilot was downed by Soviet missiles while flying the plane over the Soviet Union. The air intrusion created an international incident. The US government, anxious to avoid similar incidents, started to recruit Chinese pilots in Taiwan and organized the renowned Black Cats Squadron to fly spy missions over China and its vicinities. The book tells the story of two Chinese U-2 pilots from Taiwan who flew spy planes over China's northwest provinces during the 1963-65 period. On separate missions, their planes were shot down by Chinese missiles. They were captured. The author was also a U-2 pilot during the period and thus a member of the Black Cats Squadron. He knew the two pilots very well. Major Yeh, one of the pilot, married only for one year before he was shot down and captured. Major Chang, the other pilot, had married for 9 years and had three young children when he was captured. The book describes the long 19 harsh and miserable years of the two while in China and the political and economical background for the story. It is no surprise that they longed for reunion with their families day in and day out. Finally in 1982 the Chinese government allowed them to leave and to return to Taiwan. To their shock and to the shock of the world, the Taiwan Government refused to accept them. They were denied entrance back to their own country for who they made great sacrifices and to unite with their families. They were stranded in Hong Kong. By then, some of their former colleagues had achieved the status of high ranking officers and administrators in the Taiwan government. They tried to help but in vain. Fortunately their former US U-2 colleagues came to their aid. They were granted special visas to come and stay in the US as immigrants. In the United States, Yeh arranged to meet with his wife who had been remarried in this country. Even a pre-arranged brief meeting was interrupted by the jealous husband. What an irony and what a poignant story. Chang's wife remarried to a Mr. Ho in Taiwan, but there was a twist to the marriage. Ho agreed to leave should Chang show up. Destiny played a trick on him and his wife. The unexpected happened. Mr. Ho had to leave his wife and let Major Chang reunite with her. The author, General Hua, is an excellent story teller and a good writer. He tells the stories with simplicity and elegance. He is the author of two other books, both in Chinese. I recommend the book to any one who is interested in the history of the U-2 planes. It is an excellent addition to their collection.

Spy Plane Pilots' Ordeal

On 1 November 1963, Major Changti "Robin" Yeh's U-2 was shot down over mainland China and he was captured by Communist forces. The saga of Yeh's 19 year captivity and that of Major Liyi "Jack" Chang whose U-2 was shot down in 1965 is well-told in a new book by General H. Mike Hua. Hua, himself a former U-2 pilot in the joint CIA/ROCAF program, has conducted numerous interviews with his former squadron-mates to get the story of their captivity and of their disgraceful treatment by their own government on Taiwan when the Communists finally released them in 1982. Surprisingly to me, the Communists, by their standards, did not physically mis-treat the two captured U-2 pilots. After 5 years in solitary confinement (although not in a prison environment), both were released to communes for "re-education." But the hard labor and poor rations that they had to endure were the norm for the average peasants in the communes. The cruel and unforgivable action of the Chicoms was the failure to admit that Yeh and Chang were still alive. The chapters on life in the communes and the effects of the Red Guards and Cultural Revolution on the lives of the Chinese peasants and the two grounded aviators are a mini history lesson on the period. As a result the silence of the People's Republic of China government on their fate and the Nationalist government's declaring the pilots Killed In Action, both their wives eventually remarried and both US and Republic of China intelligence circles as well as their families were amazed when Robin and Jack turned up alive in Hong Kong. Given a very cold shoulder by the ROC government which refused these ROC Air Force officers entry to their homeland and even threatened courts martial if they should make it to the island, the two were helped by a network of former ROCAF pilots and former Chinese and American U-2 squadron mates who put them in touch with the CIA which - under no legal obligation - recognized a moral duty to these brave men. There are eventual happy endings including a home-coming to Taipei in 1990 but the lost years can never be regained. General Hua tells the story of these two lost Black Cats and their families with compassion and - often - in their own words. Among many surprising details: Yeh was shown a recent photo of Chinese and American U-2 squadron personnel relaxing at the secret U-2 base in Taiwan during his interrogation; the Chicom money in Jack Chang's survival kit was out-dated and would have given him away even if he had not been wearing his high altitude pressure suit. This book is a very readable account of a little-known episode in the history of US- ROC-PRC relations and the cost exacted on two families. This writer, being familiar with many aspects of the story, can attest to the accuracy of General Hua's account.