In fact, Liu had already experienced fighting with Imperial Japanese Army in 1933, during the Defense of the Great Wall, in which he suffered a minor wound.

Chiang and nationalist overall commander in Manchuria, General Wei Lihuang agreed their proposal.

Liu's 52nd Army fought in rear guard actions to help those 50,000 men retreat to friendly territories such as Shanghai by sea.

On 31 October 1948 Liu boarded the last KMT naval ship to leave port when communist rocket and mortar fires fell on the beach.

At this point he became extremely emotional and cried because he knew that KMT had lost the whole of Manchuria forever.

Liu succeed his classmate Hu Lien as commander of Kinmen defense area and was sent to United States to study by Chiang Kai-shek.