During the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, the Eighth Route Army led by our Party had three main divisions, of which the 115th Division was also called the First Division of the Eighth Route Army, because it was not only the first division in the eighth route army, but also the first division of the Eighth Route Army to depart from northern Shaanxi, cross the Yellow River, and engage the Japanese army.
At that time, Lin Biao was the first division commander of the 115th Division, the deputy division commander was Nie Rongzhen (who later served as the political commissar of the division), the chief of staff Zhou Kunren, the director of the Political Training Office (later renamed the director of the Political Department) Luo Ronghuan, and the deputy director Xiao Hua. The 115th Division had five regiments under its command, namely the 685th Regiment, the 686th Regiment, the 687th Regiment, the 688th Regiment and the Independent Regiment. This article introduces Chen Jinxiu, commander of the 688th Regiment of the 115th Division.
A native of Gushi County, Henan, he joined the Red Army at the age of 19, served as a battalion commander in Xu Haidong's Red 25th Army, and completed the arduous Long March with Xu Haidong. After arriving in northern Shaanxi, the Red 25th Army and the Northern Shaanxi Red Army led by Liu Zhidan were reorganized into the Red 15th Army, and he served as the commander of the 223rd Regiment of the 75th Division of the Red 15th Army, the commander of the 73rd Division and the 75th Division. He participated in the battles of Yulin Bridge, Laoshan, Zhiluo Town, Eastern Expedition, and Western Expedition.
After the outbreak of the War of Resistance Against Japan, he served as the 688th Regiment of the 344th Brigade of the 115th Division of the Eighth Route Army, and soon participated in the Battle of Pingxingguan under the command of Lin Zong, and soon after the victory of Pingxingguan, he was ordered to lead the 688th Regiment to Huntang Hongzidian in Pingshan County, Hebei Province to ambush the Japanese army. The enemy's firepower was fierce and numerous, and what was even more heinous was that the cunning enemy discovered his whereabouts, so he adjusted the gun port to bombard him, chen Jinxiu and a battalion commander were killed on the spot, and there was no corpse left in the capital.
The heroic commander of the Eighth Route Army was only 27 years old at the time, and if he could live to be awarded the rank of general in 1955, he should be able to award the rank of general, because almost all the surviving regimental commanders of the 115th Division were awarded the rank of general, and Han Xianchu, deputy commander of the 688 regiment, and Liu Zhen, director of the Political Training Office, were also awarded the rank of general.
New China was forged with blood and life by countless martyrs like Chen Jinxiu, regardless of personal gains and losses. We can enjoy today's happy life is inseparable from these martyrs, so when enjoying a beautiful and happy life, do not forget them who sacrificed for the motherland, only in this way can our country become rich and strong.