There was once a saying in the army, "First class merit, take life in exchange; second class merit, there are injuries and disabilities; third class merit, sweat." Popularly speaking, it is "the third class merit standing collar, the second class merit lying collar, the first class merit family member collar." ”
It can be seen how rare it is to make a first-class merit in the army, most people are posthumously awarded after sacrifice, but the combat hero introduced by the author today has made 9 first-class merits alive, is a legendary "soldier king", and is still alive.
In February 1924, Zhang Yingcai was born in a poor family in Wanrong County, Shanxi, and from the age of 6 he worked for the landlord's family, but he still did not have enough to eat all year round, and then the Japanese army invaded, and the Eighth Route Army went to Shanxi to resist the Japanese and went to their county.
At that time, Zhang Yingcai wanted to join the Eighth Route Army, but he was too young, until July 1939, when he waited for an opportunity, when he herded sheep for the landlord, due to the storm caused by the loss of more than 20 sheep, he knew that he would definitely be killed by the landlord when he returned.
So he was too frightened to go home on the mountain, and stayed on the mountain for a few days, and when he was hungry, he ate some wild fruits, fortunately he met the team passing by the Eighth Route Army, the cooker gave him a little food, and he pestered him to join the army, when Zhang Yingcai looked thin and was rejected by the team.
Unexpectedly, Zhang Yingcai was not angry at all, and he always followed the troops, so he was taken in by the troops, and at first he was arranged to do propaganda work, write slogans and do mass work, but Zhang Yingcai always wanted to go to the battlefield, but it was not until March 1941 that Zhang Yingcai had the opportunity to go to the battlefield.
At that time, the Japanese army attacked the town next to the 212 brigade of the Taiyue Military Region, the 212 brigade went to block the Japanese army, the battle was very fierce, many soldiers were wounded and withdrawn, Zhang Yingcai looked at the wounded comrades and took the initiative to ask for battle, and finally the superior agreed to let him participate in the battle.
Zhang Yingcai showed great bravery on the battlefield, he also saved the life of the brigade commander, when the Japanese army approached, a shell hit the brigade commander's side, Zhang Yingcai pounced on the brigade commander, with his body to protect the brigade commander, but he himself was injured, after a simple bandage he rushed up.
Sun Dingguo, the brigade commander of the 212th Brigade, called Zhang Yingcai "Desperate Sanlang", and later in 1945, Zhang Yingcai first emerged in the Shangdang Campaign, when Zhang Yingcai participated in the attack on Changzhi, he led 9 companies to attack Changzhi Beiguan, and was suppressed by the enemy in several houses.
Zhang Yingcai led the fighters to repel more than a dozen enemy attacks, and finally led his troops to successfully break through after killing more than 300 enemy troops, and after the war, Zhang Yingcai's 9th Company was awarded the honorary title of "Iron Nine Company", and later in the Battle of Kaifeng in 1948, Zhang Yingcai made meritorious contributions again.
Six enemy tanks came to our army's position, Zhang Yingcai commanded the soldiers to use grenades to paralyze the tanks one by one, this battle wounded more than 700 enemy troops, captured more than 150 people, Zhang Yingcai made a special merit, from his joining the army to the liberation of the whole country, Zhang Yingcai a total of 9 times to make special merits.
In 1955, when the national grand title was awarded, Zhang Yingcai was awarded the colonel's military academy, and later he also served as a division commander, deputy commander and other positions, and now Zhang Yingcai is 97 years old, still in good health, and wishes him a long life than Nanshan.