Among the founding generals, there were not many generals who came from doctors, and General Ding Shifang was one of them. He was not famous, contributed a lot, saved lives and helped the injured, and gave many soldiers a new life. It is a pity that he died unexpectedly.
Ding Shifang was born in 1913 in Jinzhai County, Anhui Province. At the age of 14, he studied medicine in the Xiechang Medical Training Class in Mabu, and at the age of 17, he returned home to join the peasant Red Guards. Since then, it has embarked on the revolutionary road.
He first went to work in northwestern Anhui for two years, during which time he did not practice medicine. By 1932, he was sent to work at the Red Fourth Front Combat Hospital in Eyuwan, where doctors like him were too scarce.
Not long after arriving at the Red Fourth Front, he moved west with the main force.
When opening up the Sichuan-Shaanxi base area, he served as the president of the Red Fourth Front Military Hospital, and in the absence of medical treatment, he led his troops to cross the mountains and mountains to collect Chinese herbal medicines, saving the lives of countless Red Army soldiers.
In 1936, the 30th Army, Ninth Army and 5th Army of the Red Fourth Front, totaling 21,800 people, were ordered to cross the Yellow River to the west to carry out the Ningxia Campaign Plan. After arriving in the Hexi Corridor, he was besieged by the Majia Army, fought heroically for 4 months under extremely difficult conditions, annihilated more than 20,000 enemies, and was defeated because he was outnumbered.
As a doctor, Ding Shifang, together with more than 1,000 hospital personnel of the Ministry of Health, wounded and sick, fought guerrilla warfare with the enemy in the snow-covered Qilian Mountains. During the battle, he was shot in the leg and lost contact with the large troops.
Ding Shifang and several people walked around the Qilian Mountains for more than 40 days, and the longest time was 12 days without eating. In order to get out of the predicament, he disguised himself and went to the area of Zhangye County in Gansu Province, where he was rescued and injured by well-wishers. After his wounds were cured, the people wanted him to stay and live, and he was determined to find the big troops, although he did not know where the troops were.
After the defeat of the Western Route Army, the Central Committee sent reinforcements to the Western Army to meet them, and also searched for the lost Red Army soldiers through various hidden channels.
It was not until August 1937 that Ding Shifang got in touch with the organization.
After arriving in Yan'an, he went to Kang Da to study, and after graduation, he continued to engage in the profession of doctor, serving as the president of the Third Rear Hospital.
After the end of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, Yan'an sent many cadres to the northeast, and Ding Shifang was one of them.
After arriving in the northeast, the minister of health of the Andong Military Region in Southern Manchuria expanded the medical team.
After the founding of New China, he was transferred to the Navy to work, served as vice minister and minister of naval health, and became the founder and pioneer of naval health work.
In 1955, he was awarded the rank of major general, and on June 23, 1965, he died of a heart attack while swimming in Beijing, at the age of 53. It has to be said that this is a loss to the health system of the new Chinese army.