Comrade Zhang Shenyan was born on January 25, 1924 (December 20, 1923 in the lunar calendar) in Longwan Village, Xiong County, Hebei Province. In the spring of 1937, he was introduced by his fellow villagers to a tailor shop in Zhengzhou to study; in November 1938, he was introduced by Comrade Ding Dongfang (formerly vice president of the Chinese Minmin Bank) to join the revolution, and joined the Communist Party of China in June 1943. He successively served as a propagandist of the 129th Division of the Eighth Route Army, a political instructor of the North China Military and Political University, a political coordinator of the Cultural and Labor Corps of the Political Department of the Air Force of the people's liberation army of the Chinese, the chief of the propaganda section of the Third Aviation School of the People's Liberation Army Air Force of the Chinese, the director of the Party History Teaching and Research Office of the Political College of the Air Force of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, and the deputy director of the Political Department of the Eighth Aviation School (Shenyang) of the Air Force of the People's Liberation Army of the Chinese. Ranked Colonel in 1965.
In the years of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, Comrade Zhang Shenyan fought bravely and was not afraid of sacrifice, but after being unfortunately captured, he was indomitable, escaped from the clutches of the devil after suffering hardships, and continued to resist the Japanese invaders after returning to the army.
During the ten years of turmoil, Comrade Zhang Shenyan was brutally persecuted by Lin Biao, the Gang of Four and their accomplices, and was deeply physically and mentally devastated. But he unswervingly adhered to the communist belief, always believed in the party and the people. It was not until 1975 that the central military commission resumed its work after the enlarged meeting. After leaving, he treated life with an optimistic spirit, cared about national affairs, insisted on studying and working, cared for his family to educate his children, and cared about helping his neighbors.
Comrade Zhang Shenyan was unfortunately diagnosed with kidney cancer in July 1984 and died at 14:20 on January 15, 1987 at the Zhengzhou Hospital of the Air Force at the age of 64.
Throughout his life, Comrade Zhang Shenyan was loyal to the party, loved the motherland, and loved the people's army, always adhered to Marxism-Leninism and Mao Zedong Thought, adhered to the party's basic principles, was bright and upright, was upright and upright, and never tended to be inflamed and attached to the situation. He is an excellent member of the Communist Party of China, a good father and a good example for his children.