My Family

          As  a young greenhorn pilot officer stationed in north China,  I married Miss Vivian Wang of Peking on 27 December 1947.  Miss Wang, a very fine amateur skater, used to figure skating beautifully with a group of teenagers in Peihai (North Sea) Skate Link, a nature frozen lake. Peihai (North Sea) Lake lies in the backyard of the Forbidden City (National Palace Museum), the most beautiful Royal Garden around Peking's major landmark White Tower. In this magical garden, people come to enjoy flowers (such as peach trees and plum trees) blossom in the spring, boat rowing in the summer and chestnut picking festival in the fall. When the lake freezes in the winter, the lakebed becomes a huge ice rink. It was in this beautiful Royal Garden where I first met her and we went boating, fishing, skating and eventually fell in love. 

          Then, communists took over mainland and we had to leave with our new born daughter.  In Taiwan, Vivian and I went through many years’ hardship raising our four children – Kitty, Bobbie, David and Peony.  Life started getting better and better after 1960. 

          After many years’ in the military and diplomatic services, I decided to retire in 1989 to travel around the world with Vivian.  Unfortunately, she was diagnosed with breast cancer and died on August 1, 1990.

          Now I enjoy my life with my four children and three grand children – Michelle Liu, Mary Anne Pao and Juanita Pao.  Michelle was married to Angus Maclaurin on September 26, 2009.

Written by Kitty Liu, Gen. Pao’s daughter in Waterbury, CT.