In 2009, the founding general Lü Zhengcao died in Beijing at the age of 106, General Lü Zhengcao, who was also the last founding general of our army to die, his life was full of legends, Lü Zhengcao said that he only did three things in his life "playing Japan, managing the railway, and playing tennis" And when it comes to the general's preference for playing tennis, it is necessary to talk about another important person, he is the young marshal Zhang Xueliang, General Lü Zhengcao said that he can play tennis, that is also because he studied with Zhang Xueliang when he was in the Northeast Army.
In 1904, Lü Zhengcao was born in a poor family in Haicheng County, Liaoning Province, people born in the northeast of that era, the most intuitive can see the Japanese army's burning and plundering of our country, all of which has a deep impact on Lü Zhengcao, he is determined to join the army to serve the country, at the age of 18, Lü Zhengcao joined the Northeast Army and became a member of Zhang Xueliang's guard.
Zhang Zuolin opened the Northeast Lecture Hall, the purpose of which is to train knowledgeable military generals for the Northeast Army, Lü Zhengcao was admitted to the Northeast Army in 1923, he and Zhang Xueliang became classmates, and then he served as Zhang Xueliang's secretary, adjutant and other positions, although the relationship between the two was superior and subordinate, but there was also a special comradeship, after that, Lü Zhengcao has been holding positions in the Northeast Army, until the Xi'an Incident in 1936, Lü Zhengcao and Zhang Xueliang lost contact, in 1937, Lü Zhengcao joined the Communist Party.
Soon, Lü Zhengcao received orders to lead the 691st Regiment to fight the Japanese army in the Meihuazhen area of North China, in this battle, Lü Zhengcao led his troops to eliminate more than 800 Japanese troops, and achieved good results, but unfortunately, the next day, the Japanese army came here, innocently slaughtered more than 1500 unarmed ordinary people, decades later, Lü Zhengcao returned to Meihua Town again, he pulled the only remaining people and said one after another, "I am really sorry for you, I caused trouble for you."
After the victory of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, Lü Zhengcao served as deputy commander-in-chief of the Northeast Democratic United Army and minister of the Railway Department of the Northeast Government; after the founding of New China, Lü Zhengcao served as vice minister of railways and deputy commander of the railway corps; in the Campaign to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea, the railway soldiers led by Lü Zhengcao made great contributions.
In 1980, when cross-strait relations eased somewhat, Lu Zhengcao wrote to Zhang Xueliang many times asking him to return to the mainland to see; in 1991, Zhang Xueliang was released by the Taiwan authorities, and he took his wife Zhao Yidi to settle in the United States.
In the same year, Lü Zhengcao came to the United States with the commission of Deng Yingchao and others, met Zhang Xueliang, and Zhang Xueliang's first words when he saw Lü Zhengcao were "You call the rat of the earth" General Lu Zhengcao smiled and said, "You are talking about tunnel warfare, a form of combat created by the people of Jizhong, what can I personally do." ”
After a friendly greeting to Zhang Xueliang, Lü Zhengcao solemnly handed Over Deng Yingchao's letter to Zhang Xueliang, inviting him to return to the mainland to see it when it was convenient for him, Zhang Xueliang said that he wanted to go back, but the time was not up, although there was no clear expression of when he wanted to go back, Zhang Xueliang also gave Lu Zhengcao an answer, he would write a letter to Deng Yingchao, if he went back, he would definitely return to the mainland.
Unfortunately, although many people are working hard for this matter, Zhang Xueliang still did not return to the motherland in the end, in 2001, Zhang Xueliang died, and Lu Zhengcao gave him a high evaluation in the condolence telegram: "General Zhang Xueliang was born to cover the motherland, and his death was heavier than Mount Tai, worthy of the great title of the people of the motherland as a hero and a national hero throughout the ages." ”
Zhang Xueliang's failure to return to the motherland also became General Lü Zhengcao's biggest regret.