Veteran with hidden glories dedicates to lifetime grassroots service

Born in 1936 in Xiaoxian county, East China's Anhui province, Wang Yuchang joined the military in 1954, and became a technician in a surface-to-air missile unit four years later.

Responsible for missile fueling and maintenance, Wang managed to improve operational procedures through intensive training and technical research. Together with his fellows, he substantially contributed to faster preparation and higher combat readiness of the missile and radar systems.

Wang served on two operations in 1963 and 1964 that successfully shot down U-2 reconnaissance aircraft that had entered Chinese airspace. "The U-2 flew higher, faster and farther than most aircraft at the time, and few of us believed it could be brought down," Wang recalled.

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