Military commanders

[chel 316]

On December 25, 2022 Alexei Maslov, the former Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Ground Forces (2004-2008), died. He was 69 years old. 

He was later the chief military representative of the Russian Federation to NATO.

In recent years, Maslov served as a special representative of Uralvagonzavod (Nizhny Tagil, Sverdlovsk Region) for military-technical cooperation.

He died in Moscow at the N.N. Burdenko Main Military Clinical Hospital. 

tass.ru kommersant.ru

[YoungWillz 18,967]

Death Notice for Vice Admiral Sir Robert Gerken, aged 90: http://announcements.telegraph.co.uk/deaths/261394/gerken

[arghton 6,114]

On 12/09/2022 at 22:17, arghton said:

Went through a 38-name list of living Long March vets from 2 years ago, seems like the most fitting thread for this as multiple of these people have been discussed here:

 

1. Su Li 苏力 (1927-2022) "Youngest veteran of the Long March", joined the Red Army at the age of 7 after fleeing an abusive landlord her mother had sold her to. Lived in Ruijin Hospital her last years, died on the 21st of May 2022. 

2. Jian Xianfo 蹇先佛 (1916-) Guerrilla, propagandist and later cadre and Vice Minister of Electricity. Married Xiao Ke (1907-2008) and gave birth during the Long March. 

3. Wang Xinlan 王新兰/王新蘭 (1924-) She was also very young during the Long March, later became a Colonel and worked as the Consultant of the Logistics Department of Lanzhou Military Region.

...

Colonel Wang Xinlan, Long March veteran, politician and widow of Colonel General Xiao Hua dead at 98. Article says that there are 4 living women who fought or participated in the Long March (Jian Xianfo, Wan Manlin, Wang Quanying and Wang Shaolian - ages 106/107, 96, 101 and 101), Chen Qi who as far as I know is a woman isn't included which makes me think she's dead. Lots of places however say that she's still alive. A really annoying case. 

 

 

Also here's a video of Jian Xianfo from last year. Looks so alive in it. Also according to the video born (8th of July) 1915, not 1916. 

[drol 10,035]

Li Jing, former commander of Chinese Naval Air Force, dead at 92. He was being treated at 301 military hospital in Bejing, likely being the "high profile" figure rumoured to be admitted there in the past few days.

[arghton 6,114]

Jian Xianfo dead at 107 from a lung infection. Couldn't you last one day to become a Centenarians DP hit for me?

[chilean way 1,724]

Just now, arghton said:

Jian Xianfo dead at 107 from a lung infection. Couldn't you last one day to become a Centenarians DP hit for me?

sorry for you arghton, I will need a sub for the pool

[Kenny 282]

On 31/12/2022 at 19:27, arghton said:

Jian Xianfo dead at 107 from a lung infection. Couldn't you last one day to become a Centenarians DP hit for me?

 

There will be others who are whinging similarly about Benedict XVI Poping his clogs a day early.

[drol 10,035]

On 12/09/2022 at 21:17, arghton said:

 

 

67. Li Li'an 李力安 (1920-) Politician, with Haifeng one of the two remaining Deng's advisors

 

As reported elsewhere Li Li'an has prematurely died at 102.

[arghton 6,114]

On 12/09/2022 at 22:17, arghton said:

50. Wang Shaolian 王少连 (1921-) Wheelchairbound in 2021. 

Long March veteran Wang Shaolian dead at 101. Died on the 9th of January, hasn't gotten a proper obituary yet but was mentioned as he was apparently recently interviewed (along with the late Jian Xianfo and 4 other Long March centenarian vets, names of the 4 not mentioned) for a new Chinese state tv show.

[arghton 6,114]

On 12/09/2022 at 22:17, arghton said:

42. Cao Soucheng 曹守成 (1915/1916-) Interviewed this year. (Likely) Suffers from PTSD. 

Old Chinese military guy and Long March vet Gao Soucheng visited last week:

Seems to be doing fine for 106/107/108. Half or more than half of the green names on that list seem to live in hospitals.

[OneManJury 84]

18 minutes ago, arghton said:

Old Chinese military guy and Long March vet Gao Soucheng visited last week:

Seems to be doing fine for 106/107/108. Half or more than half of the green names on that list seem to live in hospitals.

Like the incontinence towels.

[arghton 6,114]

On 12/09/2022 at 22:17, arghton said:

Zhang Mei 张梅 (1919-) Joined the Red Army in 1935. Widow of Marshal Lin Biao who was likely killed after trying to coup Mao Zedong. One of the two living spouses of the Ten Marshals with Li Gang 李刚 who is around 95. Was on an NG tube in 2019. 
...

Zhang Mei, widow of Marshal Lin Biao dead at 103 (or 102) according to zh wikipedia. Can't find any proper confirmation though.

[drol 10,035]

4 minutes ago, arghton said:

Zhang Mei, widow of Marshal Lin Biao dead at 103 (or 102) according to zh wikipedia. Can't find any proper confirmation though.

Hmmmmm.... Sohu covered her in an article this morning.

 

Seems it is to deny death rumours.

[arghton 6,114]

On 12/09/2022 at 22:17, arghton said:

Went through a 38-name list of living Long March vets from 2 years ago, seems like the most fitting thread for this as multiple of these people have been discussed here:

 

65. Feng Zigen 馮自根 (1918-) Interviewed very recently. Zhu De's bodyguard.

Feng Zigen hospitalised for 20 days, recovers from covid, double pneumonia, bilateral pleural effusion, anemia, abnormal kidney and liver function, bacterial infection and hypoalbuminemia and gets discharged. Yes, at 104.

 

(Article also lists his other ailments, he's been near-blind and has had a shrapnel in his femur since the long march, bedridden for the last three years, fed through a tube for a longer time and suffers from brain atrophy and severe intestinal problems. Another name to the long, long list of Chinese medical miracles.)

 

Also, Li Yuguang dead at 101. Should've picked him in the Centenarians DP instead of all those immortals.

[arghton 6,114]

On 20/10/2021 at 13:38, arghton said:

Remaining Chiefs of Defence who served in WWII/born before 1930:

Tahar Zbiri (1929-) Algeria's first Chief of Staff of the People's National Army, 1964-1967. Frail and was hospitalised with covid a year ago.

David Musuguri (1920-) Chief of Tanzania People's Defence Force 1980-1988. Has diabetes, Uganda's Idi Amin was Musuguri's pupil. Also helped overthrow Amin. Served in WWII

Ángel Aníbal Guevara (1924-) Commander of the Guatemalan Armed Forces 1979-1980. Currently wanted for forced disappearances.

Sumio Murai (1925-) Chief of Staff, Joint Staff of the Japanese Self-Defence Forces 1983-1984

Hiroshi Mori (1928-) Chief of Staff, Joint Staff of the Japanese Self-Defence Forces 1986-1987

Tin Oo (1927-) Myanmar Commander-in-Chief of Defence Services 1974-1976. Frail.

Rahimuddin Khan (1926-2022) Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee of the Pakistan Armed Forces 1984-1987

Fidel V. Ramos (1928-2022) Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines 1984-1985, 1986-1988 and later President of the Philippines

Liu Ho-Chien (1926-) Chief of the General Staff (Republic of China) 1991-1995

Karel Pezl (1927-2022) Chief of the General Staff (Czech Republic) 1993 and Chief of the General Staff (Czechoslovakia) 1991-1992

Jaakko Valtanen (1925-) Chief of Defence (Finland) 1983-1990. Served in WWII

Wolfgang Altenburg (1928-) Inspector General of the Bundeswehr (Germany) 1983-1986, Chair of the NATO Military Committee 1986-1989

Stamatis Vellidis (1928-2021) Hellenic National Defence General Staff (Greece) 1989-1990

Ion Coman (1926-) Chief of the Romanian General Staff 1974-1976

David Craig, Baron Craig of Radley (1929-) Chief of the Defence Staff (United Kingdom) 1988-1991

Phillip Bennett (1928-) Chief of the Defence Force (Australia) 1984-1987 first as Chief of Defence Force Staff

Wolfgang Altenburg dead at 94.

[drol 10,035]

Chen Qizhi, PLA lieutenant general and former president of the National University of Defense Technology, prematurely dead at 97.

 

NUDT political commissioner Wang Hao predeceased him, dying on 1 January at 92.

[drol 10,035]

On 29/01/2023 at 18:00, arghton said:

Zhang Mei, widow of Marshal Lin Biao dead at 103 (or 102) according to zh wikipedia. Can't find any proper confirmation though.

Zhang Mei confirmed dead at 102.

[arghton 6,114]

Russian Colonel General Anatoly Romanov has lived with severe brain damage and a fractured skull since an assasination attempt in 1995. At 74 he's now eight years past the life expectancy of an average Russian man.

 

Chinese PLA Major General and award-winning novelist Xu Huaizhong is 93 

[drol 10,035]

On 12/09/2022 at 21:17, arghton said:

Went through a 38-name list of living Long March vets from 2 years ago, seems like the most fitting thread for this as multiple of these people have been discussed here:

 

 

11. Xiang Yuan 向轩 (1926-) Apparently the youngest male Long March veteran. Also a minor name in politics.

 

Xiang Yuan dead at 96.

[arghton 6,114]

Xiang Yuan wasn't even 10 when the March ended. Not many left, there should be four child soldier veterans born in/after 1924 still alive:

Chen Qi (1924) Not 100% sure if still alive - most articles seem to say she is. As far as I know Chen Qi is a woman, but wasn't mentioned when the remaining Long March women were listed back when Jian Xianfo died.

Wan Manlin (1926) Youngest living woman to participate in the Long March. Definitely alive but already wheelchairbound in 2019. 

Li Zhangfan (1927) Most recently interviewed in 2019 when he was in great health.

Deng Yuquan (1929) Said to be alive. Long time since the last time he was interviewed. 

 

There are twenty or thirty something others aged 99 to 109. We're going to run out of them pretty soon, maybe earlier than the Spanish Civil War vets, and some of those yellow names could've already died.

[The Old Crem 3,164]

Gary L. Harrell, retired United States Army general has died aged 71 Obit

[drol 10,035]

On 24/01/2023 at 23:32, arghton said:

Old Chinese military guy and Long March vet Gao Soucheng visited last week:

Seems to be doing fine for 106/107/108. Half or more than half of the green names on that list seem to live in hospitals.

Cao Soucheng dead at 107.

[The Old Crem 3,164]

Peter Bonnet, a British Army officer has died aged 86. Telegraph announcement

[The Old Crem 3,164]

Richard Trefry,  a lieutenant general in the United States Army, has died aged 98. Obit

[arghton 6,114]

Chinese full General (promoted 1994), WWII veteran and Commander of the Beijing Military Region 1993-1997 Li Laizhu dead at 90.

 

As far as I know there are a few older Generals living, by far the oldest being Wan Haifeng who fought in the Long March.

 

Edit: Wan Haifeng's the oldest, Tiananmen butcher Chi Haotian is the second-oldest (but nine years younger than Wan Haifeng) and then there's Fu Quanyou, Cao Pengsheng and Dai Xuejiang from 1930, Yu Zhenwu, Zhang Lianzhong, Yu Yongbo, Ding Henggao, Wang Ke and Gu Shanqing from 1931, Sui Yongju from 1932, Liu Jingsong from 1933 and Zhang Zhijian from 1934.

 

Wan Haifeng, Chi Haotian and Wang Ke are the last ones to have enlisted before the end of WWII/fought in it.