On the afternoon of October 14, 1959, the Air Force held a grand celebration meeting for the Second Battalion in the auditorium of Tongxian Airport and rewarded those who had made meritorious contributions to the operation.
At the zhujie meeting, Zhang Bohua, director of the Third Training Base, first read out the commendation order signed by Defense Minister Lin Biao on October 10, 1959. The commendation order says:
"At 12:40 on the seventh day of October, your victory in shooting down one of the enemy RB-57D aircraft marked that you had achieved great achievements through diligent study and hard work. I hope that you will step up your study, skillfully master the weapons and equipment in your hands, be ready to strike at the enemy who dares to attack at any time, and redouble your efforts to win new victories.
The chief of the Air Force also gave a commendation.
The commendation order said: "This is the first time that the enemy has shot down a high-altitude and high-speed reconnaissance plane, which is a serious blow to the enemy and a great encouragement to our army." A good start has been made for continued victories ahead. ”
The commendation order also said: "Under the leadership of the party and your superiors, you have summoned up all your energies, overcome difficulties, studied and practiced diligently, correctly commanded and skillfully mastered modern technology and tactics, and thus won this victory." For this reason, a general order is specially awarded. ”
In the commendation order, the second battalion was encouraged to continue to muster up all its vigor, make positive efforts, guard against arrogance and impetuosity, sum up experience well, further consolidate and improve on the existing basis, and constantly leap forward to strive for greater victories!
Commander Liu Yalou of the Air Force personally awarded Yue Zhenhua, the battalion commander who had made meritorious contributions in combat, and sixteen other comrades with rewards for their early promotion and promotion.
The commendation order specifically mentioned: "Comrade Yue Zhenhua, commander of a certain unit of the Air Force, was calm and determined in the course of the operation, correctly commanded the troops to shoot down the enemy aircraft, and was promoted from the rank of major to the rank of lieutenant colonel in advance. ”
Deputy Commander Wang Bingzhang of the Air Force personally awarded four collective units and forty comrades who had made meritorious contributions in combat with rewards for meritorious service. The whole camp was awarded the collective second class merit.
At the meeting, a congratulatory telegram from the Headquarters, the Political Department, the Naval Command, the Political Department, the Naval Aviation Command, and the Political Department of the Beijing Military Region was also read out, saying: This is a major victory, a heavy blow to the enemy, and fully demonstrates the powerful power of the people's air force. The congratulatory message hopes to continue to work hard and create greater victory results.
The air forces of Shenyang, Nanjing, Guangzhou, Fuzhou, Lanzhou, and other military regions and the 15th Aviation School also sent congratulatory messages. The congratulatory telegram said: This victory has inspired all comrades of the Air Force and set a brilliant example for everyone to actively annihilate the enemy. The congratulatory message unanimously stated that under the leadership of the party committee of the Air Force, we will continuously improve our political and technical level, make joint efforts, and actively cooperate to deal a more devastating blow to the enemy who dares to invade the sacred territorial airspace of our motherland.
Wu Faxian, political commissar of the Air Force, and Deputy Commander Cheng Jun spoke at the meeting. After explaining the great significance of this victory in battle, they emphatically pointed out: The victory in this battle is the result of the correct leadership of the party and the higher levels and the close coordination of all departments participating in the battle. Summarize the experience well, continue to study hard, and achieve red penetration. We should resolutely follow Chairman Mao's instructions to "go all out to annihilate the invading enemy" and be ready at any time to strike at enemy planes that dare to invade and strive for still greater victories.
Lieutenant Colonel Yue Zhenhua, commander of the battalion, and Warrant Officer Liu Shuchen, the operator of the display vehicle azimuth, spoke on behalf of all the officers and men of the award-winning units. Yue Zhenhua said:
"Our unit won the victory in shooting down a us-made RB-57D fighter in the operation on October 7. After the battle, we received commendation orders from Minister Lin Biao of The Ministry of National Defense and the head of the Air Force, as well as congratulatory messages from leaders at all levels. And having been rewarded by the party and superiors for the advance promotion, promotion, and meritorious service of the troops and many comrades, we feel ashamed and uneasy from the bottom of our hearts, feel that our responsibility is heavy, and that the little things we have done are extremely incompatible with the lofty honors given to us by the party and our superiors. Our whole battalion unanimously held that the victory in this battle was mainly the result of the wise leadership of the Party Central Committee and Chairman Mao, the correct instructions of the leaders at higher levels, and the vigorous support of the local Party committees, governments, and the masses of the people. We expressed to the chiefs and all the comrades present at the meeting: In the future, we must follow the instructions of the head of the Air Force, be more modest and prudent, study assiduously, redouble our efforts, make all preparations for battle at any time, and resolutely annihilate the enemy who dares to invade. Answer the party's rewards and expectations with greater achievements. ”
All air force leaders attending the celebration attended. At the banquet, everyone raised a toast to each other, and everywhere there was laughter and laughter, and everyone was full of joy and joy, full of victory. Cadres and fighters took turns to toast the air force leaders. The leaders of the Air Force were extremely pleased to see this group of young, lean, energetic, and individual cadres and fighters who had performed very well in battle.
Among the cadres and soldiers who went to toast the chiefs, there were those who could drink and those who could not. Those who can drink, in order to show their arrogance and respect for the chief, naturally drink it all, and deliberately turn the wine glass upside down, ask the chief to see what I am doing, and there is no fraud. But there are also those who will not drink, choke on their throats when they drink, blush like a Guan Gong, and have to make a look of drinking under the cover of everyone, and then spit the wine in the wine glass and hide it in the sleeve of their clothes, thinking that this can be indiscriminately mixed up. Who knows this little bit of a trick, in front of Liu Yalou, who loves to drink, is really a small witch, who became a banmen axe and was caught by Liu Yalou one by one. They hurried to ask the commander for forgiveness, honestly saying that they would not drink.
Liu Yalou said, "Good! You have used all the cleverness of your battalion commander to me. Today I don't care if you can drink or not, whether you can drink or not, you give me a toast, you have to dry. You lied to me and fined you three cups. ”
These three glasses of wine frightened the cadres and soldiers who later toasted and had to obediently drink the wine.
The simple, sincere, generous, and vigorous demeanor displayed by the cadres and fighters in front of the air force chief made Liu Yalou, who was full of wine, very happy; he held a wine glass in one hand and a wine bottle in the other, and said to Yue Zhenhua: "Go, people salute us, and we will also toast the cadres and fighters with a toast." ”
Yue Zhenhua followed Liu Yalou, and every time he walked to a table, he first introduced commander Liu to what unit it was, what it did in battle, and this time its performance in battle.
From far and near, they first came to the table of the test vehicle personnel of the technical support company. Yue Zhenhua introduced to Liu Yalou: "This table is the technician and operator of the test car. They tested the missiles. All three missiles in this war hit the target, indicating that the parameters of the missiles they tested and adjusted were very accurate. ”
Liu Yalou said: "You are like a mechanic in the flying unit, if the mechanic's work is not done well, the plane will not fly well, and it will not be able to fight." ”
Yue Zhenhua said: "The commander is a very appropriate metaphor, most of the personnel of this company are transferred from the aircraft maintenance unit. ”
Liu Yalou said: "Young man, congratulations, toast to your victory!" ”
The soldiers also replied in unison: "Cheers to the commander's health!" ”
Sitting next to the test vehicle personnel were the soldiers of the launch squad, and as soon as they saw Commander Liu Yalou arrive at the dining table of the test vehicle personnel, the squad leader quietly told the whole table personnel that the next one should come to our table, and we should show the spirit of our launch company. When the commander came to our table, everyone looked at me and commanded, stood up together, and greeted the chief. Cheer for the chief, win glory for the battalion commander.
When Liu Yalou walked from the dining table of the test car technician and the operator to the table of the launch squad of the launch company, the soldiers of this squad were already ready for the commander to toast. As soon as Liu Yalou arrived, the squad leader made a gesture, and the whole table stood up in unison and said in unison: "Hello chief!" ”
How well-trained, Liu Yalou was very happy to see it.
Yue Zhenhua said: "This is the launch squad of the launch company, and the missiles that hit the plane are launched from their launchers." The launcher is bulky and physically draining during combat operations. Eat a lot, a young man can eat seven or eight steamed buns in a meal. ”
Liu Yalou said: "No wonder I watch the boys each grow so thick and thick, and the body is not strong enough to fiddle with the launcher." ”
Yue Zhenhua said: "Their work is thick and thin, and the orientation calibration of the launcher requires them to be meticulous, the error is large, and when the missile is launched, it will not fly the guided radar beam and will not accept instructions." In this battle, each of their launchers was accurately calibrated without any mistakes. ”
Liu Yalou said: "In ancient times, fighting wars was to shoot arrows with bows and arrows, and in modern times we are firing missiles on launchers. The archer can only shoot a few tens of meters with strength, and a hundred steps through Yang, even if he is powerful, he can shoot accurately. Our arrows are thirty or forty kilometers in one shot. Or science and technology out of combat effectiveness! He raised his glass and said, "Well, boy, you have worked hard, congratulations, make a drink!" ”
The whole class said in unison, "Cheers to the commander's correct command!" ”
Liu Xinwu is a very loyal and honest young man, who has been a soldier for many years, and for the first time he wants to meet such a big chief face to face, he also has to drink with the chief and celebrate the victory, and his mood is very excited. He couldn't drink, he never drank, he didn't know what it tasted like. Seeing that the commander of the Air Force was about to toast at their table, and he was the head of the table at this table, he knew that he could not hide without drinking, so he was embarrassed. He asked his comrades-in-arms, "What do you say I should drink?"
There was white wine on the table, as well as cider. The comrades-in-arms said to him: "Liquor is spicy and choking on the throat, you are so close to the commander, choking on the throat, it is not good to spray the commander with a body of wine." The cider is sweet and delicious, and the first time you drink, you still have to drink some fruit bars first! ”
He picked up the cider bottle, filled it with wine, tasted it, and it tasted good, and then he said to his comrades-in-arms: "Hey, how hard is it for me to drink wine, what is so difficult about this, isn't it just drinking sweet water?" Our car gave the commander a performance today, making the commander happy. ”
Between words, Liu Yalou, accompanied by Yue Zhenhua and Xu Fu, came to the table of the coordinate car personnel. The whole table stood up in unison and saluted the commander. Yue Zhenhua introduced himself to Liu Yalou: "This is Liu Xinwu, a coordinate technician, and also the captain of the coordinate car. The coordinate car is actually an electronic computer, which calculates the coordinates of aircraft and missiles, and is the most difficult part of the guidance radar to learn and understand. ”
Liu Yalou said: "Three shots and three middle schools show that your task has been completed very well." Lads, raise your glasses and congratulate you on your victory! ”
In order to behave proudly in front of the commander, Liu Xinwu took the lead and drank it all by his neck. He did not know that the cider had stamina, and then drank three cups in a row, paying tribute to the chief and wishing him good health.
Liu Yalou said: "Good boy, you can fight and drink." You drink fruit wine, be careful of the stamina! ”
As soon as Liu Yalou left, his wine came up, his head began to hurt, he also fainted, he hummed and screamed, and he felt that the sky was spinning, the ground was also turning, and he was crooked on the side of the table and did not move.
Liu Yalou turned around and finally came to the table showing the car crew.
Yue Zhenhua introduced: "This is the person in the car I was in during the war. ”
He introduced himself to Liu Yalou one by one: "This is the guidance technician Xu Peixin, who presses the launch button; this is the distance manipulator Zhang Baolin, this is the azimuth angle manipulator Liu Shuchen, this is the high and low angle manipulator Liu Zhendong, and the three people are catching and tracking the aircraft." As soon as the plane flew the detection range of the system guide radar, they were told to catch it. ”
The people on the car were selected from the whole battalion. They stood in front of Liu Yalou in a heroic posture, brushing together, and Liu Yalou was very happy.
Liu Yalou said: "You are the first person in the world to operate a missile to hit an airplane, a great hero, and it is going to go down in history. I hope that you will carry forward your achievements, win the battle again, and win the cup for your victory! ”
Everyone shouted in unison: "Cheers to the health of the chief!" ”
The atmosphere of the dinner was lively and impressed the head of the Air Force.
After the banquet, the Air Force Cultural and Labor Troupe performed a splendid cultural program to comfort the troops participating in the war.
However, there are also regrets in the victory. The most regrettable thing is that the day before the war, because the special war preparation period for the tenth anniversary of the National Day ceremony ended, the troops could take turns to rest and make up for their leave, and a small number of cadres living in Beijing went home to visit their families.
In peacetime air defense operations, it is not easy to encounter a fighter plane, and in the air defense unit, there is such a proverb: "It is better to run ten thousand times in the air than to miss a single situation." "On the one hand, it means that I would rather run in the air ten thousand times than miss an enemy situation; on the other hand, it also shows that the enemy situation may often exist, but it is not easy to fight a war.
These cadres struggled hard for nearly a year from formation to receiving training and target shooting, to national day combat readiness, and when they first went home, they lost the opportunity to participate in the war before they could finish their breath, and they did not make meritorious contributions, did not receive awards, and became a lifelong regret, and some secretly shed tears of regret for this.