In 1955, new China first implemented the military rank system, and what we remember more deeply is those marshals and generals, whose stories are believed to be familiar to most people. In fact, at that time, in addition to the generals, there were also many school officers and lieutenants, who also made great contributions to the country.
Today I want to talk about a legendary school official, Lieutenant Colonel Jiang Weiping, whose experience is unique, and Chairman Mao approved him of a "privilege" when he was awarded the title.
Jiang Weiping was born in 1878 in Fangshan, Hebei (now beijing), because of his poor family, he went out to work very early, suffered a lot, and the only fortunate thing was that he met a good person when he was an apprentice in a pharmacy, and taught him a lot of pharmacological knowledge, which paved the way for his life.
At the age of 20, Jiang Weiping was called into the army and successively served in the army under Li Hongzhang, Yuan Shikai, and Duan Qirui, Li Hongzhang was the founder of the Late Qing Huai Army, Yuan Shikai created the Beiyang era, Duan Qirui was the leader of the Beiyang Anhui warlords, Jiang Weiping did his best no matter who he served under, and he has always been the deputy regimental commander with his outstanding performance.
In 1930, Beiyang was declining, and Jiang Weiping did not want to continue to serve under those hedonistic warlords, so he returned to his hometown, at this time he was more than half a hundred years old, already living a "retired" life, so he studied medicine every day and farmed land, and his life was relatively comfortable.
Unfortunately, the sound of gunfire at the Lugou Bridge changed all this, and in 1937, the Japanese Kou launched a full-scale invasion of China, which was the most difficult moment for the country, and Jiang Weiping knew well the truth that "the rise and fall of the world is the responsibility of the husband", even though he was old, he resolutely threw himself into the anti-Japanese struggle.
Jiang Weiping joined the Twenty-ninth Army of the Nationalist Army stationed in Pingjin nearby, serving as the chairman of the Third Division's Guan Ma Department, and although his position was not high, as long as he could resist Japan, Jiang Weiping was satisfied.
However, this unit was disbanded not long after, and Jiang Weiping had to return to his hometown to continue to open a pharmacy to make a living, but he still had a patriotic enthusiasm and was still eager to join a truly anti-Japanese team. A year later, really made him wait!
In February 1938, the 359th Brigade of the 120th Division of the Eighth Route Army advanced into Pingxi Road through his hometown, Jiang Weiping had already heard the reputation of the Eighth Route Army, and at this moment, seeing this team with great spirit and strict discipline, he immediately made up his mind to join it.
Subsequently, Jiang Weiping closed his pharmacy, took his righteous son Jiang Zhigang and a number of drugs to break through the heavy blockade of the Japanese and the puppets, and arrived at the anti-Japanese democratic government station in Lianhe County, Fang (Shan) Liang (Township), to participate in the revolution.
The staff of the Eighth Route Army who received the reception felt a little surprised to see Jiang Weiping's beard with a lot of white flowers, along the way there were many anti-Japanese soldiers joining the team, but the "great master" in front of him was really old, and the dangerous physical conditions on the battlefield were afraid that it would be difficult to allow.
In this regard, Jiang Weiping explained his own life, saying that he had rich experience in the military and medicine, and would not increase the burden on the team.
At first, the reception staff were somewhat suspicious, but at that time, the Eighth Route Army's war losses were relatively serious, coupled with the blockade, so there was an urgent shortage of medicines and doctors, so Jiang Weiping said that he had medical experience, and the Eighth Route Army still appointed him as the director of the Ninth District Salvation Congress in Fangliang County.
This decision was very correct, and Jiang Weiping quickly proved himself with his clever hands, he not only had a rich foundation in medical practice, but also studied many ancient medical books, and his professional knowledge was absolutely excellent.
Some drugs are in short supply because of the blockade, he can cross the mountains to find new plant replacements, the effect is still equally good, he has collected many folk recipes, prescriptions, for difficult diseases have a unique treatment.
His greatest contribution to the Eighth Route Army was in 1941, when Jiang Weiping was stationed with his troops in Mizhi, Shaanxi Province, where the sick were concentrated, but the supply of medicines was delayed.
Seeing that the soldiers were in great pain, Jiang Weiping, despite his advanced age, led more than 40 people everywhere to collect materials, and after painstaking efforts to find plants, he did not have the machinery to refine and produce medicines. At this time, Jiang Weiping remembered the folk secret recipes he had collected, so he used the traditional wisdom method to make it himself.
For example, if there is no drug sodium sulfate, Jiang Weiping will take people to collect glauber's salt in various households, and then use soil methods to refine and decompose, and finally make an original sodium sulfate, the effect is better than ordinary.
Jiang Weiping also made a kind of "special medicine" - honey lard paste, honey and lard have been mixed with some Chinese herbs, the finished product has a very significant effect on the treatment of boils, to solve the health problems that plague the majority of soldiers.
In short, some common diseases in the army, Jiang Weiping used a unique method to heal, and countless soldiers were rescued by him! Although he did not carry a gun to the battlefield, his contribution was definitely not lost to the charge!
In addition to treating diseases, Jiang Weiping also had a lot of experience in production, and in 1943, the shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border Region carried out a large-scale production campaign, he was appointed as the farm director of the 719 regiment of Jiulongquan regiment in Nanniwan, at that time he had more than a hundred soldiers under his command, and many young men were arrogant and arrogant, thinking that production was shorter than the front line.
Jiang Weiping criticized this kind of thinking, personally went to the field to work and set an example, and others saw that he was still working so hard at this age, and there was no gossip. Under the guidance of Jiang Weiping, the farm reclaimed more than 400 mu of land that year, achieved grain self-sufficiency, and handed over 28,800 kilograms of public grain.
In 1946, Jiang Weiping began to work in the medical field again, serving as the vice president of the first branch of the Bethune International Peace Hospital of the Eighth Route Army, and led medical staff to treat the wounded many times.
After the liberation of the war, Jiang Weiping was like a doctor who saved people, and successively served in the hospital directly under the Chahar Military Region, the Zhangjiakou Hospital of the North China Military Region, the 251st Hospital of Zhangjiakou of the Beijing Military Region, and the China International Bethune Peace Hospital.
The grooming of our soldiers pays attention to a clean and tidy, not to mention the important moment of the award of the title in 1955, so before the ceremony begins, everyone should cut their hair and shave their beards, just to show the most spiritual look. This is not only based on self-awareness, but also on the management system of the army.
But Jiang Weiping was an exception, he was reluctant to cut off the beard that had accompanied him for decades, and finally even alarmed Chairman Mao. After Knowing this, Chairman Mao said generously: Old Jiang Tou is a model, so let's approve a special case!
Therefore, Jiang Weiping became the only person in the whole army who participated in the ceremony with a big beard, and he was stronger than the marshal at this point, and He Long could only grow a short beard when he conferred the title. Moreover, he was 77 years old at the time, older than Marshal Zhu De, and became the oldest lieutenant colonel in Chinese history.
Jiang Weiping extended his dedication to the end of his life, for him, there is no "retirement" at all, he joined the Eighth Route Army at the age of 60, and died on July 12, 1964 at the Zhangjiakou 251 Hospital where he worked, at the age of 86.
As long as the country has needs and the troops have needs, Jiang Weiping will stand up at any time, save people and produce, and make great contributions to the logistics support of the revolution.