After the founding of New China, our party reformed a number of Kuomintang war criminals, and the Gongdelin prison outside the Desheng Gate in Beijing was the place where these senior generals were reformed. They are educated in it, reflect on themselves, deeply regret the mistakes they have made, and the pain they have brought to the people can only be repented with their own hearts.
One of these senior generals was General Song Xilian. He was imprisoned here after he was captured in the War of Liberation in 1949, he was once a Communist Party, he also made great achievements in the War of Resistance Against Japan, and he was a red man in front of Chiang Kai-shek, why is he now a prisoner of the Communist Party? What was his life like?
One
Song Xilian's early experience
Born in Hunan in 1970, Song Xilian grew up in a privileged family, and his father personally taught him to read and write. After that, he entered the provincial capital to attend middle school, during which he was influenced by advanced youth and participated in the patriotic movement. At the age of seventeen, he was admitted to the Whampoa Military Academy as a first-term cadet, and some senior generals of our party were alumni. After graduation, he was appointed platoon leader, and he was fearfully young and promising.
A year later, he joined the Communist Party through his fellow alumni, but was influenced by Chiang Kai-shek in the Zhongshan Incident and had to quit the Communist Party and join the Kuomintang. After that, he participated in the Northern Expedition and was sent by Chiang Kai-shek to study in Japan, intending to train him. It was also at this time that Japan launched a war of aggression against China, and Song Xilian returned to China.
Two
Song Xilian became famous in world war I
During his study in Japan, he saw China's weakness and backwardness, was extremely disgusted by Japanese aggression, and led his troops to join the anti-Japanese battle. In the Battle of Songhu, Song Xilian led an ace army of Chiang Kai-shek, the Japanese army at that time was only 5,000 people, but the Kuomintang army was 50,000 people.
However, the Japanese army was not only not defeated but also caused heavy losses to the Kuomintang, and Song Xilian immediately rushed to Shanghai to join the battle after receiving the order. After Song Xilian arrived, he led his men to survey the terrain, understand the battle situation, and decided to launch an attack at night. Under the command of Song Xilian, the warriors met the Japanese army in a narrow road, and although the casualties were serious, they defeated the Japanese army after all.
Three
Successful
Song Xilian became famous in the Battle of Songhu, and he became famous with his enthusiasm, when his request was not approved, but he said that the duty of a soldier was to obey the assignment, and he was willing to risk his life to go to the anti-Japanese in order to resist Japan.
The Battle of Songhu shattered the Japanese army's dream of quickly occupying China, and made the Japanese devils feel frightened and called him the "Eagle Dog" general, which shows that his anti-Japanese momentum at that time was like a rainbow, and he was appreciated by Chiang Kai-shek and awarded the "Blue Sky and White Sun" medal. After that, he participated in more than a dozen important battles, large and small, all of which were meritorious.
Four
Meritorious Lin thought
Song Xilian was able to distinguish himself in the War of Resistance Against Japan, but because he followed Chiang Kai-shek and became an antagonist side of the Communist Party, he was captured by our army in the War of Liberation and then imprisoned in Gongdelin. During his detention, he became deeply aware of the mistakes he had made and felt remorseful for his actions.
In particular, he felt deeply guilty about ordering the killing of Qu Qiubai. At that time, Qu Qiubai was imprisoned, Song Xilian still had great respect for Qu Qiubai, plus he had been a communist before, so he treated Qu Qiubai very favorably, he hoped to be able to impress, and finally hoped to order Qu Qiubai to be killed.
Five
After the amnesty, he settled in the United States
Captured in 1949 and pardoned in 1959, Song Xilian was imprisoned in Gongdelin for 10 years, and his thinking changed drastically from initial resistance to later support for the Communist Party. After the amnesty, Song Xilian walked out of the Gongdelin and gained a new life. He settled down in Beijing and served as a literary and historical worker for the CPPCC National Committee. During this period, his old alumnus Chen Geng was particularly concerned about his life and work, and it was a great blessing to have the company of old friends.
Because his wife had long since died and his children were in the United States, the longing for his children could never be abandoned, so he applied to visit his children in the United States in 1980. The Party Central Committee approved his application, agreed to his trip to the United States, and finally he gave up the joy of his children and eventually settled in the United States.
During his settlement in the United States, Song Xilian did not just enjoy the pleasures of his children and grandchildren, he continued to run for the great cause of the reunification of the motherland. Use his own personal feelings to show up to the old ministry, let them understand that only the Communist Party is truly the people's party, until his death, he was still calling for peace, and it was his regret not to see the reunification of the motherland.
His life has glory and glory, but also failures and sorrows, and it is touching and praised to evaluate his life in the War of Resistance Against Japan. In particular, the Battle of Husong allowed him to fight the military prestige of the Chinese army and shattered the delusions of the Japanese. If he could have a correct judgment in the early stages of participating in the revolution and not be used by Chiang Kai-shek, he would have been a fierce general.
After 10 years of ideological transformation, he realized the mistakes he had made to the people and felt deeply guilty. Although Song Xilian eventually settled in the United States, he did not just covet the happiness of his children and grandchildren, but continued to run for the cause of peace in his motherland during his lifetime.