General Wan Haifeng, a native of Guangshan County, Henan Province, was born in a very hard life, died at the age of 3, his father had a leg disability, and he herded cattle for the landlord since he was a child. In July 1933, two months before the age of 13, he ran dozens of miles of mountain roads with his second uncle and joined the Red Army.
In the Red Army, he was originally a soldier.
However, once in battle, the second uncle was seriously wounded by a bullet, and the troops were to be transferred, so that he could send the second uncle back to his hometown. Just when he saw the door of the house, the second uncle lost his breath. Wan Haifeng buried his second uncle on the spot and went to find the Red Army. As a result, he fainted from hunger on the side of the road and was found by the Red 28 Army, and the military political commissar Gao Jingting accepted him, and Wan Haifeng became the attendant of the high political commissar from then on.
Gao Jingting liked Wan Haifeng very much.
At this time, Wan Haifeng did not even have a name, only a nickname "Maotou", and Gao Jingting gave him a big name "Haifeng" - this name, which he used all his life.
After the outbreak of the War of Resistance, Gao Jingting was killed by mistake. Wan Haifeng was already the guard squad leader of Gao Jingting, and later joined the teaching team, and after graduating, he was assigned to Su Yu's side as a staff officer. Soon, Su Yu discovered that he was a talent and sent him to an independent brigade as a battalion commander.
At this time, although Wan Haifeng was 21 years old and had been a soldier for 8 years, he had only been a guard squad leader, and had never been a platoon leader or a company commander. Su Yu sent him to be the battalion commander directly, with two or three hundred people, can he do it?
Soon the facts proved Su Yu's vision.
As soon as Wan Haifeng took office, he led the whole battalion to fight two battles in three days, two battles and two victories, and annihilated more than 600 enemy people. At this moment, everyone believed in Su Yu's bold appointment and said, "This Wan Haifeng can fight!" Soon, Wan Haifeng was sent to the Taixing County Guard Regiment as deputy regimental commander. He attacked again, annihilating a Japanese squad, killing more than 20 enemy people and capturing 2 enemy people, and hitting all the fearsome little devils - this was the first time that the Soviet and Chinese anti-Japanese soldiers and civilians captured the Japanese army - Wan Haifeng set a new record.
Later, Wan Haifeng went to Jingjiang and the Ruxi County Independent Regiment, where the foundation was weak, as deputy regimental commander, and led his troops to fight a lot of good battles, several battles, he was completely annihilated by the enemy army, and he did not suffer any casualties. "Transferred him back to the main force, the 1st Brigade of the 1st Division of the New Fourth Army, and served as the deputy section chief of the Operations Section." After the victory of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, Wan Haifeng went to the main regiment as deputy regimental commander and led the troops in actual combat.
In the War of Liberation, Wan Haifeng led his troops to participate in the Seven Victories of the Seven Battles of the Soviet Union and China, the Battle of Lianshui, the Battle of Laiwu, the Battle of Menglianggu, the Battle of Pinghan Road, the Battle of Eastern Henan, the Battle of Huaihai, the Battle of Crossing the River, the Battle of Liberating the Changshan Archipelago, and he participated in almost all major battles in East China. However, at the military level, he was promoted only one level, and by the summer of 1949 he was only a regimental commander.
As a veteran soldier who joined the Red Army in 1933, Wan Haifeng's position was low.
After the founding of New China, he was promoted to chief of staff of the division, and then participated in the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea, was promoted to deputy division commander, and then became the director of the artillery division of the army - responsible for commanding the artillery units of the whole army. After returning from Korea, he served as division commander — wan haifeng was awarded the rank in 1955 when he was awarded the rank — not even a general.
In this regard, The veteran Wan Haifeng did not throw hats and did not wear military uniforms like some people, but was at ease, still conscientious about his work and strict requirements for himself, and later promoted to deputy commander and commander, and then became deputy commander and deputy political commissar of the military region. In 1982, he was appointed political commissar of the Chengdu Military Region, and in 1988 he was awarded the title of general — the only person in the history of our army to be promoted directly from colonel to general.
Wan Haifeng spent 65 years in the military and retired in September 1998 at the age of 78.
After retiring, he hung two calligraphy banners in his living room at home, one of which was the inscription of Admiral Zhang Aiping:
"Don't shame yourself from fame and fortune, but distinguish between false and true faces."
Another frame is an ink treasure given by a calligrapher:
"Wan Shixun famous police officer Bihai, Qianqiu Hongye Qingfeng."
These two frames of banners are one meaning: do not chase fame and fortune, but be vigilant and self-disciplined.
This is also the portrayal of Wan Haifeng after being in a high position.
He was in a high position, but he was very strict with his children and family.
In 1970, his eldest son graduated from college, and Wan Haifeng sent him to a factory to work as a technician.
After the second son enlisted in the army, Wan Haifeng ordered him to be assigned to a boat and bridge regiment of the engineers—doing manual work, carrying iron plates every day, carrying wooden pillars, and building pontoon bridges—as a bridge-building soldier.
His daughter Xiaojing also joined the army, and was ordered by Wan Haifeng to be assigned to a new hospital in the suburbs. The barracks had to be built by themselves. Every day, she worked with male soldiers to pick up mud, move stones, build bricks—and become brick-carrying soldiers.
His youngest son, who also became a soldier after graduating from junior high school, was ordered by Wan Haifeng to serve as a soldier in the Navy's more difficult submarine force— sometimes sailing on the seabed for more than a month without seeing the sun — and later became a rear admiral — the only general among the children of the Wan family.
General Wan Haifeng is still alive, one of the oldest party representatives at the 19th Party Congress, and is exactly 100 years old this year.