Shortly after the outbreak of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression in full swing, Liu Xiang, then chairman of the Kuomintang Sichuan Province, asked Old Chiang Kai-shek to come out of Sichuan to resist Japan, and he preached at the pre-war mobilization meeting: "In order to consolidate its own survival, the Chinese nation cannot but actively resist Japan's aggression and atrocities!" All our people must go through hardships and seek the final victory from the mountains of corpses and blood! The enemy army will not withdraw from the country for a day, and the Sichuan army will not return to its hometown for a day! Under The call of Liu Xiang, countless enthusiastic young people in Sichuan signed up to join the army, among which Wang Jiantang was the most famous, because he carried the dead flag on his back!
Wang Jiantang, a native of Qushan Town, Beichuan County, was born in 1912, and his ancestors were once officials in the Qing Dynasty. After graduating from high school, Wang Jiantang's family could no longer afford the tuition fees, so he had to drop out of school and return to his hometown to teach at a primary school in the town to earn a living. After the outbreak of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression in full swing, Wang Jiantang decided to throw his pen into the army, and after many contacts, he gathered more than a hundred like-minded and enthusiastic young people and asked the county magistrate Cheng Yunzhang to go out to resist Japan under the banner of "young people in northwest Sichuan please kill the enemy team," and was quickly approved.
In the winter of that year, all walks of life in the county held a farewell party at the Da'an Amusement Park, and when the team was about to go out, Wang Jiantang's father entrusted him with a package. There was nothing in the package but a flag of departure. When the crowd unfurled the flag, they were all taken aback. Because what is written above is not a blessing such as a safe return, but a big "death" word, and there are a few small lines on the left and right sides. The top right reads: "I don't want you to be filial to me in front of me, only that you are loyal for the sake of the nation!" The top left reads: "The country is in trouble, and the Japanese are vicious." The rise and fall of the country, the puppet has a share. I wanted to serve, but I was too old. Fortunately, I have a son, and I consciously ask for help. Give a flag and carry it with you at all times. Wipe blood during injuries and wrap yourself after death. Go forward and don't forget your duty! ”
When the county magistrate read these words aloud, the applause at the scene was thunderous, and people all admired this good father who understood the great righteousness. Wang Jiantang and his comrades-in-arms then walked to Chongqing carrying this dead flag, and were incorporated into the Field Supplementary Regiment of the 29th Group Army of the Nationalist Army, and after a brief training, they went to the anti-Japanese front. After that, Wang Jiantang and the 44th Army successively fought in Hunan and Hubei, and fought in the Battle of Wuhan, the Battle of Western Hubei, the Battle of Dahongshan, the Battle of Changde and the Battle of Changsha.
Because the Sichuan Army was a local unit, its equipment and logistical support could not be compared with chiang Kai-shek's Central Army, and most of the weapons in the hands of the soldiers were Hanyang-made and old sleeves that had long been obsolete, and there were very few machine guns and almost no cannons. Therefore, he made a major sacrifice in the battle against the well-equipped Japanese Kou, and Wang Jiantang himself also rubbed shoulders with the god of death many times, accumulating more than ten wounds. Because of his bravery in combat and many meritorious service, his personal positions have also been continuously promoted, and he has successively served as a platoon commander, a company commander, a headquarters staff officer and a deputy battalion commander.
On the eve of the liberation of Sichuan in 1949, Wang Jiantang rebelled with the troops in Chengdu, and later retired to his hometown, became a CPPCC member in the county, and contributed to the construction of new China.