After serving in the prison for less than a year , the Second Sino-Japanese War broke out , his senior classmate Wang Yaowu successfully bailed him out of prison and appointed him as a regiment commander , Zhang participated the brutal street fighting in the Battle of Shanghai and Battle of Nanjing . In 1938 he was promoted to brigade commander , during the Battle of Wanjialing of the Wuhan theatre , he personally led a detachment that cut off the Japanese retreat route and ensured the final Chinese victory . In 1939 he was wounded in his left leg during the Battle of Nanchang . Although his doctor told after one more month of treatment his wounds could be healed , he returned to the army and participated in the Battle of Changsha . As a result , he was unable to recover from his injuries and his colleagues nicknamed him '' ' The lame legged general ' '' . Afterward , he was promoted to assistant division commander of the 51st division and deputy commander of 74th corps . In 1943 , Zhang personally led a task force which relieved the besieged Chinese defenders in the ferocious Battle of Changde and forced the Imperial Japanese Army to retreat , and Chiang Kai-shek called him the '' ' model soldier ' '' . Although he failed to save General Fang Xianjue from the Japanese attacks during the Defense of Hengyang in 1944 , his unit fought well and he tried his best , so the National War Council did not take any action against him . After this rather unhappy episode in his military career , his old superior officer Wang Yaowu helped him again by sending Zhang to the Army War College to study , and Zhang graduated with top grades . In the May 1945 , he fought under Wang Yaowu in the Battle of West Hunan and was decorated with Order of Precious Tripod and Medal of Freedom , and He Yingqin promoted him as commander of 74th corps
Medal of Freedom
Medal of Freedom (1945)
Zhang Lingfu