Life is a practice, some people chase fame and fortune all their lives, never stopping; some people live a lifetime of obscurity, indifferent to fame and fortune. At the beginning of the founding of New China, many revolutionary devotees devoted themselves to the construction of the motherland, laying a solid foundation for the development and growth of New China.
As the saying goes, weak countries have no diplomacy. So where is the strength of the great powers? Obviously, the strength of national defense forces is an important confidence to ensure that the country is not invaded by foreign enemies. Therefore, in the early days of the founding of New China, China vigorously developed army building and enhanced the country's overall national defense strength.
In the arms race, one branch of the army, the armored corps, gradually occupies a larger and more important position. The construction of new China's armored forces only officially began in 1950, and although there was a heart before, it lacked military equipment such as tanks and motorcycles. Later, our army captured many tanks and motorcycles from the battlefield of the Liaoshen Campaign, which was able to formally form an armored corps in 1950.
In the construction of our armored forces, there is a general whose contribution has to be mentioned. He was the first dean of the Armored Corps Academy, which laid the foundation for the development direction of our country's armored forces. furthermore
He was also the youngest founding general in our country, and was not yet 50 years old when he was awarded the title. This person has made outstanding contributions to the cause of China's armored forces and is known as the "father of China's armored forces".
This person's name was Xu Guangda, and he struggled unremittingly for the revolutionary cause all his life.
Join the Communist Party and embark on the revolutionary road
In 1908, Xu Guangda was born into a poor family in Changsha. Parents do not have a high level of education, but they pay special attention to the education of their children. With this enlightened elder, Xu Guangda also had the opportunity to receive an education. When Xu Guangda was eight years old, he entered a primary school in Changsha County.
Xu Guangda has been a hard-working and intelligent child since childhood, and after three years of hard study in primary school, he was admitted to the high school of the local first primary school. At the age of thirteen, Xu Guangda was admitted to Changsha Normal School and became a college student. In the environment at that time, it was a very remarkable thing to be able to produce a college student at home. And Xu Guangda's life has also changed here.
The university campus has been the place of enlightenment and development of new ideas since ancient times, so Xu Guangda has been exposed to many advanced ideas on campus. Under the guidance of the Communist Party's ideological trend, Xu Guangda joined the Communist Party in 1925, becoming one of the earliest members of the Party and beginning the revolutionary career of the second half of his life.
In 1926, according to the instructions of his superiors, Xu Guangda was admitted to the Fifth Artillery Section of the Whampoa Military Academy.
Here, he was first exposed to systematic knowledge of military theory and graduated from the Whampoa Military Academy with excellent results. This learning experience effectively improved Xu Guangda's military qualities and made him one of the few senior Communist generals to graduate from the Whampoa Military Academy.
In 1927, Xu Guangda led his troops to participate in the Nanchang Uprising; in 1929, under the instructions of his superiors, Xu Guangda entered the Shanghai Military Training Class. After studying all the courses, he was elected as a party representative by the Party Central Committee, and the Honghu Su District of Shanyang presided over the local work.
The war was brutal, and during a battle with the Nationalists, Xu Guangda was seriously wounded. The Party organization took into account his actual situation and sent him to the Soviet Union to recuperate.
Constantly improve ourselves and help the development of the armament industry
When Xu Guangda was sent to the Soviet Union for healing, he did not forget to continue his studies.
He entered the International Lenin Institute in Moscow to learn more in-depth armaments in order to learn some skills useful for the construction of China's armored forces
。 At that time, China's various armaments construction relied on the help of the Soviet Union, so sending people to the Soviet Union to study also became a means to promote the country's national defense construction.
Xu Guangda lived up to expectations and learned many real skills at the Moscow International Academy. Coupled with the experience and lessons he summed up in the war, Xu Guangda can be said to have quite a lot of experience in the field of armored troops.
Shortly after returning from the Soviet Union, the War of Resistance Against Japan broke out. Xu Guangda successively served as director of the Training Department of the China Anti-Japanese Military and Political University, commander of the Second Military Subdistrict of the Jinsui Military Region, and brigade commander of the Eighth Route Army; during the Liberation War, Xu Guangda successively served as commander of the Military Region, commander of the Second Corps of the First Field Army, and commander of the Military Region; after the founding of New China, Xu Guangda was appointed vice minister of national defense.
Considering the professionalism of this person, the Party Central Committee decided to appoint this person as the first president of the Chinese Armored Corps Academy, who had full authority to guide the construction and development of the new Chinese armored forces. thereupon
The Party Central Committee formally established the Armored Corps Academy in 1950, with Xu Guangda as the first president, and was praised by posterity as the "father of China's armored forces".
Indifferent to fame and fortune, many times courteous military ranks
In 1955, the Party Central Committee decided to hold a grand ceremony to reward the heroic soldiers of the revolutionary era for their merits.
On the eve of the awarding of the title, Xu Guangda heard that the Party Central Committee was going to award him the rank of founding general. He felt flustered in his heart and took the initiative to send letters to Chairman Mao and the Central Military Commission.
Saying that their contributions are far inferior to those of other PLA generals, they should lower their ranks to generals
。
In addition, in his letter, he recommended to Chairman Mao and the Central Military Commission a person who, in his eyes, was more suitable for the rank of founding general - Wang Zhen.
Seeing that Xu Guangda was so modest, the Party Central Committee was very pleased and praised his good comrades and comrades-in-arms one after another. However, after repeated discussions by the Party Central Committee, they decided to award Xu Guangda the rank of founding general.
At the ceremony, Comrade Chairman Mao expressed his high appreciation for Comrade Xu Guangda's act of accepting the rank of military and praised him as a true man of high spirits and bright festivals.
In the year of his appointment, Xu Guangda was only 47 years old, the youngest candidate among the founding generals
In 1965, the Party Central Committee abolished the military rank system and changed it to the national administrative level. The ten founding generals were all adjusted to the fourth level of administrative positions. However, under the repeated application of Xu Guangda, the central government adjusted it to the fifth level of administration.
In 1969, Comrade Xu Guangda died at the age of 61.
brief summary:
Comrade Xu Guangda has been a warrior all his life and can write and fight. What is even more valuable is that he has always maintained a humble and cautious attitude and an atmospheric mind. At a time when everyone wanted to obtain a higher rank, Comrade Xu Guangda took the initiative to apply for demotion and enthusiastically introduced others. He was humble all his life.
Chairman Mao once said that Xu Guangda was a mirror for communists.
By comparing Xu Guangda with his own words and deeds, we can know whether our behavior has truly served the people and the construction of the motherland wholeheartedly, and whether we have been able to guard against arrogance and impetuosity, and maintain a down-to-earth and prudent work attitude and work style.
Comrade Xu Guangda has made indelible contributions to the building of the motherland's national defense forces and is an excellent proletarian revolutionary!