A retired female lieutenant colonel started a business to care for veterans. Huang Minning was awarded the honorary model

Huang Minning (right), chairman of Yasheng Orchid Technology Co., Ltd., was selected as a model honorary citizen for his legendary story of successfully transitioning from a "military academy instructor" to a "technological flower farmer" and his long-term contribution to selflessly caring for retired officers and soldiers. Yan Defa (left), chairman of the Retired Auxiliary Association, presented the award and commended him.

[Reporter Luo Tianbin/Reporting from Taipei] The National Army Retired Officers and Soldiers Counseling Committee recently held the 48th Veterans Day Celebration Meeting. Chairman Yan Defa personally presided over the ceremony and commended 20 veterans who are enthusiastic about public welfare. Among them, Huang Minning, the chairman of Yasheng Orchid Technology Co., Ltd., recommended by the Chiayi Veterans Service, became the focus of attention this year with his legendary story of successfully transitioning from a "military academy instructor" to a "technical flower farmer" and his long-term concrete contributions in selflessly caring for retired officers and soldiers.

Huang Minning's starting point for entrepreneurship is legendary. She graduated from the National Defense Management Institute. In the past, she was known for her rigorous management of the military and was promoted to lieutenant colonel chief instructor. It was the day before she was discharged from the army that she came into contact with orchid cultivation for the first time. Against the pressure of laymen, Huang Minning exerted the perseverance cultivated during his military career and boldly invested in a modern high-tech greenhouse of about 5,000 square meters. He introduced scientific management and international standard equipment into traditional agriculture, and successfully built Yasheng Orchid into a biotech enterprise with an annual output of 300,000 plants. The products are exported to European, American, Japanese and Middle Eastern markets, becoming the export pride of Taiwan's refined agriculture.

"I have succeeded in starting my own business, but I can't forget Paoze who is still working hard in the society!" After Huang Minning established his foothold in the shopping mall, he always kept the spirit of "honorable people taking care of veterans" at heart. She took the initiative to sign an employment cooperation memorandum with the Chiayi Veterans Service Office in 2013, promising to give priority to retired officers and soldiers and their families in the company's operations, and to help the underachievers stabilize their lives with the most realistic salary and job opportunities. In addition, she also provided the biotech orchid garden area she carefully built for free to the staff and students of the Department of Veterans Affairs as an ecological and environmental education base, using actions to support national defense and local exchanges.

In addition to providing substantial job opportunities, Huang Minning also acted as a guide for his fellow soldiers to "turn around physically and mentally". She has promoted and participated in many lectures and workshops organized by the Department of Veterans Affairs, and has shared her entrepreneurial journey and business practices in cross-border agriculture from the military without reservation. So far, she has mentored and benefited more than 100 retired officers and soldiers. On weekdays, whenever an organization affiliated with the retreat organization holds a caring or visiting event, she always provides her own high-quality orchids for free to decorate the venue without saying a word, or generously gives them to visitors, using beautiful flowers to add a sense of warmth and honor to the veterans' activities.

Yan Defa, chairman of the Retired Auxiliary Association, said at the celebration meeting that senior veterans defended the country and participated in major national infrastructure construction, which is an important cornerstone of Taiwan's prosperity and development. Chairman Huang Minning's outstanding performance in promoting local employment and actively taking care of Paoze is the best example of successful cross-border entrepreneurship for veterans. Chairman Yan also emphasized that the retired veterans association will actively promote the "digital transformation of veterans' care" in the future, combining medical and local resources through digital technology to build a more complete dynamic care network, so that veteran heroes like Huang Minning, who have dedicated their lives to the country and society, can have the most honorable and secure later life.