Little girl’s lament

The daughter of PLA Navy pilot Zhang Chao sleeps on his uniform. Her father died after ejecting from his fighter plane when it malfunctioned during a training exercise in April. Zhang’s widow, Yu, tells how her husband inspired her to eventually join the Navy, and she one day hopes to board the carrier, the CNS Liaoning. Fighter pilots face risks as the PLA builds up its carrier-based unit to safeguard China’s maritime interests.

Imet Zhang Chao in 2009, and we married in September 2011. When he was with me, he often told me things about flying and his training. He also showed me how he flewa fighter jet and what he had learned from his instructors. He was frugal, but would spend hundreds of yuan on model aircraft. I could see thatmy husband was very proud to be a Navy fighter pilot and I know he really loved his job.

I knewlittle about aircraft when we married, even though I was a flight attendant. Because ofmy husband, I started to learn about planes and pilots.

I had heard about all the risks pilots on aircraft carriers face, so I was worried when Zhang decided to leave his previous squadron and join the carrier-based aviation force. He said China must develop an aircraft carrier force to safeguard the nation and our interests overseas, and that he aspired to serve on a carrier, no matter how risky that would be.

The first days after his death were extremely painful for me, but now I understand that it was his life and he was what he was. I believe that if he could be given another life, he would choose the same thing.

NowI aman officer in the Navy, too. I joined because I want to serve with theNavy until I retire. This is what Zhang would have wished me to do. I hope that I can get onboard the CNS Liaoning someday to see what it’s like on the carrier, formy husband’s sake.

When he was at home, he would hold up our daughter to make her feel as though she was flying. Sometimes he would put hisNavy cap on her head and take photos. When our daughter is older, I will tell her that her father is a hero and he is flying in the sky to protect us.

PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY

PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY Zhang Chao’s daughter, Shangmingzhu, looks at a photo of her father on a smartphone.

PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY Zhang Ya, Zhang Chao’s widow.