During the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, countless intellectuals who fought for national independence emerged on the mainland, and Ma Yaonan was one of them. Although his name sounds unfamiliar to many people, his life is enough to describe it in song and tears.
In 1924, at the age of 23, Ma Yaonan joined the Kuomintang, and at this time Ma Yaonan believed in Sun Yat-sen's reform measures. But in 1929, Ma Yaonan found that the Kuomintang was becoming more and more decaying, so he participated in anti-Chiang Kai-shek activities. The following year, Ma Yaonan was expelled from the Kuomintang and wanted.
Ma Yaonan
Ma Yaonan was very popular in his hometown, and in 1933 he was jointly invited by the gentry of his hometown of Changshan County, Shandong Province, to be the principal of Changshan Middle School. Ma Yaonan gladly accepted the invitation, and after he broke away from the Kuomintang, he realized the importance of education long ago and decided to "educate to save the country."
In 1937, Ma Yaonan witnessed the tragic situation of the loss of the land and the displacement of countless people, and resolutely decided to throw himself into the pen and organize teachers and students to resist Japan. Under the introduction of Lin Yishan, Ma Yaonan joined the Communist Party's Chinese national anti-Japanese vanguard.
With the support of the teachers and students of Changshan Middle School, Ma Yaonan set up an armed force called the "Fifth Army of the Shandong People's Anti-Japanese National Salvation Army" in Changshan County, and at the beginning there were only more than 60 people in the team, most of whom were teachers and students of Changshan Middle School and their families. The Kuomintang was aware of Ma Yaonan's influence in the region and was interested in reinstating his party membership. But Ma Yaonan refused, and he resolutely stood with the Communist Party and stood among the masses of the people to resist Japan. He said, "The Kuomintang wants me, but I don't want him!" "
Soldiers of the Fifth Army
However, they only have the blood to serve the country, but they have no weapons. In order to fight with the Japanese army as soon as possible, Ma Yaonan went around collecting donations and raising funds. With his prestige and influence, he soon raised a supply among the local squires and friends and family. He then used the money to buy three barge guns, a mimeograph machine for anti-Japanese propaganda, and some first-aid kits.
After the Japanese army entered Shandong, Ma Yaonan's guerrilla group began to play a role, ready to attack the Japanese at any time. Under the leadership of Ma Yaonan, once they found a small group of Japanese troops or puppet troops, they saw the opportunity to come out and negotiate with the enemy. For a time, Ma Yaonan and his students beat the Japanese puppet army so badly that they did not dare to go out at will.
In early 1938, the Japanese army captured Changshan City, and under the planning of Ma Yaonan, commander of the Fifth Army, Liao Rongbiao, deputy commander, and Yao Zhongming, political commissar, it was decided that Liao Rongbiao would lead 30 team members to attack Changshan City at night. At this time, there were 30 puppet soldiers in the city defending the city, and Liao Rongbiao took them down in one fell swoop, capturing 17 rifles and some ammunition.
Anti-Japanese fighters
Soon after, Ma Yaonan hijacked a Japanese material ship at the Koqing River, killed 12 Japanese soldiers including the Japanese regional commander Matsui Yamabayashi, and captured a large number of guns and ammunition.
After fighting several victorious battles and capturing some supplies, Ma Yaonan's prestige in the hearts of the common people became higher and higher, more and more people bravely stood up and followed Ma Yaonan to fight the devils, and some surrounding armed forces also joined the Fifth Army. By mid-1938, Ma Yaonan's ranks had exceeded 5,000 men. They also captured more and more weapons and ammunition, and advanced weapons such as heavy machine guns and cannons greatly improved their equipment level.
Five armies in the march
Ma Yaonan's team, after a unified organization, was organized into 7 detachments and 30 squadrons. The commanders of the first and seventh detachments, ma Yaonan's third and second brothers, respectively, and the three brothers of the Ma family united to resist Japan.
In June 1939, after many village burning operations, the Japanese army led an army of 5,000 and more than ten cannons to surround the three detachments of the Fifth Army stationed in Zouping. Under the leadership of Ma Yaonan, the battle killed and wounded more than 800 Japanese puppet troops, but because of the disparity in strength, they could only fight and retreat. On July 21, the troops were surrounded by Japanese troops in Huantai County, and Ma Yaonan continued to retreat. The next night, when Ma Yaonan led his army to retreat to Dazhai Village, he was ambushed by the Japanese army.
Statue of Ma Yaonan
During the battle, Ma Yaonan was unfortunately hit by a bullet and fell off his horse. Ma Yaonan climbed to a corner and killed several enemy soldiers with his pistol. After being discovered, the Japanese soldiers wanted to kill him with a bayonet. Ma Yaonan hit the Japanese soldier in the arm with the last bullet, then lifted him down and broke his skull with the pistol handle. In the end, Ma Yaonan was martyred because of excessive blood loss, and he was only 37 years old.
After Ma Yaonan's sacrifice, in order to commemorate his contribution to the War of Resistance Against Japan. In 1943, the Qinghe District Anti-Japanese Middle School was named Yaonan Middle School after Ma Yaonan. In 1946, Ma Yaonan's hometown of Changshan County was renamed Yaonan County. At this time, the War of Resistance has been victorious, and if the hero Izumi has knowledge, it is the greatest consolation!