"The old Ji Futuo, determined to be a thousand miles, the martyr is in his twilight years, and his heart is strong." At the 1955 ceremony on the mainland, there was a veteran over seventy years old who had a long beard with white flowers. At first glance, I thought he was an old pedant, but if others didn't say it, who would have thought he was a general?
Speaking of this beard, there is also a story. The national award of medals is a major event, and Chairman Mao himself will attend at that time to award medals to the soldiers who have shed blood and sweat in various battlefields. In order to avoid accidents, a few days ago, the relevant departments issued regulations: It is required that the soldiers participating in the award ceremony be clean and tidy, and they must not be sloppy, and especially propose to shave their beards clean.
This requirement is reasonable, everyone has no opinion, isn't it just shaving, how big a deal? The generals all came from the war, which was a piece of cake for them, not worth mentioning. Only one white-bearded veteran had made a mistake, and this beard he had carefully taken care of for many years, and cut it off with a pair of scissors, which was really unwilling. The veteran's name was Jiang Weiping.
He was 77 years old, but he did not look old at all, but he was energetic, and a beard made him more imposing. Therefore, Jiang Weiping found the relevant departments and asked: "Can you grow a beard?" When Chairman Mao saw that it was Jiang Weiping, he smiled and said, "You are an exception, you don't need to cut it, just wear a beard!" ”
In this way, the only bearded general appeared at the continental conferment ceremony. Then, everyone will ask, what kind of life experience did Jiang Weiping have, and only then would Chairman Mao make an exception for him?
Half a life from the army to return to the field
Jiang Weiping, formerly known as Jiang Shunfa, was born in 1878 in Fangshan, Hebei. In this year, Zuo Zongtang had just recovered southern Xinjiang, and the Qing government had not yet reached the point of dying, but it was also a strong foreign country, and it had already been riddled with holes. The people under the dual oppression of feudal landlords and great powers had a very difficult life, and Jiang Weiping was one of these suffering beings.
Jiang Weiping grew up collecting firewood and vegetables in the village to supplement the family for the poor family. At the age of 15, he had to leave his hometown to work as an apprentice in a clothing store in Hebei to make ends meet. At the age of 16, Jiang Weiping became a long-term worker, doing it for four years. Poverty and hardship forced him to seek a way out. At a young age, Jiang Weiping began to think about how to get rid of poverty and oppression and walk out of a bright path.
Jiang Weiping has been at the bottom of society for a long time and has seen too much suffering. The direction of his thinking slowly rose from his personal future ideals to the future of the motherland, how to seek a way to save the country and save the people. "That's right, join the army!" Young Jiang Weiping had a clever move. Soldiers are the barriers guarding the country, and the military will certainly be able to resist foreign humiliation and achieve the purpose of saving the country and the people. Jiang Weiping made up his mind to immediately join Li Hongzhang's subordinates and become a soldier.
With sincere enthusiasm, Jiang Weiping joined the "Foreign Affairs Army" and went all the way from a service clerk to the position of squad leader and then to an instructor. As time passed, Jiang Weiping's understanding of this unit became deeper. He began to discover that the foreign affairs army did not follow the path of saving the country and the people and resisting foreign aggression as propaganda suggested; instead, it was a blessing to the common people, cowered and cowered at foreigners, and had vices such as smoking marijuana and smoking big cigarettes. Officers are corrupt, machines are out of money to repair, and the whole army is in a miasma. Jiang Weiping was extremely disappointed by this, so he escaped from the troops and looked for another way to save the country.
In 1912, the Qing government withdrew from the stage of history and the Republic of China was founded. Among them, Yuan Shikai, who played an important role, became a hot figure, which brought new hope to Jiang Weiping, and in July of that year he came to Yuan Shikai's subordinates and served in the army for 8 years. During this period, Yuan Shikai's troops also disappointed him, and he served as a company commander and deputy regimental commander.
Later, once, Jiang Weiping's regimental commander bullied the people and robbed the women, which made him angry. As a result, the joint brothers beat the regimental commander's father and mother, and afterwards Jiang Weiping was punished and expelled, leaving Yuan Shikai's army from then on.
Jiang Weiping, who was greatly hit, was not discouraged, and he still had the wish to join the army to save the country. After leaving Yuan Shikai, Jiang Weiping came to Duan Qirui's subordinates and also served in the army for 8 years. Later, due to the downsizing of the Northeast Army and the disbandment of the Border Guard Army, Jiang Weiping returned to his hometown to study medicine and farming. At this time, Jiang Weiping was already more than half a hundred years old.
Jiang Weiping spent half his life on horseback, conquered the north in the south, fought in the east and killed in the west, and from the Qing government's foreign affairs army to the Republic of China's Beiyang army, after many hardships, he never found a way to save the country and save the people. Jiang Weiping is an upright person, likes to uphold justice, and is often beaten to the head and blood for social injustice. But he was always unyielding and never "repented."
The Kuomintang authorities, fearing that he would make trouble, did not take him in. Jiang Weiping will cover a roll and return to his hometown where he has been away for a long time, studying medicine while working as a farmer. He read the medical books himself, and if he did not understand, he asked the senior old Chinese medicine doctor for advice, and after several years of hard study, Jiang Weiping actually became a soil expert.
In the villages with backward medical skills, Jiang Weiping has such medical skills and has become half a "doctor". Under the influence of the patriotic upsurge, Jiang Weiping set up a Red Cross Society in the local area and established an infirmary and pharmacy.
Although Jiang Weiping's original intention was to treat the poor people, there was no need for a landlord and gentry to take care of the business, and he did not have to refuse. Just for the poor peasants to see a doctor and take medicine, Jiang Weiping did not collect money or less money; as for the landlords and gentry, Jiang Weiping had to let them pay more.
Meet communists
In 1931, the "918" incident deliberately led by the Japanese army broke out. The anti-Japanese voice of the people was high, and Jiang Weiping's anti-Japanese aspirations were even stronger, and he went to every household to publicize the anti-Japanese concept.
One day, when Jiang Weiping was propagating the anti-Japanese struggle to save the country, he got acquainted with a young man from northeast China. The young man fled to this place, and out of the heart of helping his compatriots, Jiang Weiping accepted him as a righteous son and changed his name to Jiang Zhigang.
In early 1935, when Jiang Weiping participated in the propaganda and anti-Japanese activities of a church middle school, he became acquainted with the preacher Li Xiangqian. Li Xiangqian was a student of Jinling University and went to the northeast to participate in the anti-Japanese revolutionary struggle before the "918" incident. After the incident, because he killed several Japanese soldiers and was wanted by the Japanese army, Li Xiangqian was forced to leave the northeast and come to Beiping to engage in our party's underground anti-Japanese propaganda activities.
The two saw each other as they were. Since then, Jiang Weiping and Li Xiangqian have often talked all night long and all night. From Li Xiangqian, Jiang Weiping learned that the Communist Party and the Eighth Route Army were doing practical things for the people, advocating resolute resistance to Japan, and were China's hope.
Under the guidance of Li Xiangqian's inspiration, Jiang Weiping's ideological consciousness continued to rise. On the one hand, he publicized the Communist Party's ideas to the villagers, and on the other hand, he thought about how to do more practical things that benefited the country and the people.
Soon after, Jiang Weiping found a new way to safeguard the interests of poor peasants, that is, to establish a peasant self-defense group in the village. Jiang Weiping specially asked the landlord Hao Gentry for money, bought muskets and other weapons for the Self-Defense Regiment, and organized members of the Self-Defense Regiment to practice in the wilderness. The self-defense regiment soon grew to more than 300 people, each carrying a gun and wearing armbands.
In order to promote agricultural technology, Jiang Weiping held an agricultural technology exhibition in Shilou Village and organized exchanges and promotion of advanced agricultural production technology in nearby villages. In the autumn of 1935, when the farmers were idle, they organized the vast number of peasants in the village to dig rivers and build water conservancy. The encroachment on the landlord's land during the digging of the river caused several landlords to jointly file a complaint. Jiang Weiping, on the other hand, was awe-struck in his righteousness and appeared in court to defend the peasants' actions of building water conservancy projects and benefiting the country and the people, and finally enabled the peasants' achievements to be preserved and greatly increased grain production. All the villagers were full of praise: "Thanks to Mr. Jiang for supporting everyone and speaking!"
Soon after the Outbreak of the Lugou Bridge Incident, the Japanese invaders occupied the county seat of Fangshan County, which affected the vast countryside and created a horrific massacre. The Japanese army killed hundreds of people and many young people who had taken refuge, and Jiang Weiping rushed here to deal with the aftermath and set up a refugee shelter to organize many refugees to help each other. Therefore, Jiang Weiping was wholeheartedly supported by local farmers.
In the winter of that year, a group of bandits suddenly broke into the shelter and arrested Jiang Weiping. He was taken to Louzi Water Village, met the bandit leader, and learned that the bandits wanted him to be a "military doctor." Jiang Weiping was unwilling to serve this ragtag group of miscreants, so he tried every means to escape from the bandits' nest and took refuge with his family members to his relatives' homes.
He joined the army at the age of 60
In 1938, Song Shilun led the Fourth Column of the Eighth Route Army into Pingxi, and the Baosen detachment under its jurisdiction was stationed in Fangshan County, Hebei Province. Jiang Weiping was just 60 years old this year, and when he heard the news, he was so excited that he couldn't sleep, the raging fire in his heart was rekindled, and the big ship to save the country and save the people set sail again...
Early the next morning, Jiang Weiping summoned the whole family together and solemnly announced: "I am going to join the Eighth Route Army to contribute to the anti-Japanese struggle to save the country." The righteous son Jiang Zhigang stood up first and said that he would join his father in the Eighth Route Army and join the army to save the country.
After deliberation among the whole family, it was unanimously decided to donate all the medicines and medical equipment from the rural hospital and small pharmacy run by the family to the Eighth Route Army free of charge. The wife and daughter said that if you go to the army, we will rely on ourselves at home without worrying.
Jiang Weiping was very happy to have the support of his whole family, and in order to show his willingness, he changed his original name to Jiang Shunfa to Jiang Weiping. He is determined to devote the rest of his life to defeating the Japanese aggressors and maintaining national peace.
Jiang Weiping's father and son traveled day and night and rushed to the eighth route army garrison. They were warmly received by the captain and soldiers of the Bausen detachment. However, when Jiang Weiping made it clear that he wanted to join the Eighth Route Army, the commander of the Bao Detachment was a little embarrassed and said, "Elder Jiang, how can you withstand a combat life at such an old age?" We have received your heart. That way, your son can stay and you can go home! ”
However, how could Jiang Weiping, who had already made up his mind to join the Communist Party and participate in the War of Resistance Against Japan and the salvation of the country, give up this hard-won opportunity? The commander of the Bao detachment had no choice but to ask the leader of the column, and after receiving the approval of the commander of the Song Shilun, Jiang Weiping finally became a soldier of the Eighth Route Army and was allowed to grow a beard. He was so excited to learn of this good news that he burst into tears.
Shortly after Jiang Weiping was approved to join the army, considering his eagerness to work, the leaders remembered his old age and decided to transfer him to the Anti-Japanese National Salvation Hospital as the president and concurrently serve as the director of the National Salvation Congress. As soon as he arrived here, Jiang Weiping healed hundreds of people in just over a month. Loved by the warriors and local people, everyone respected him as "Old Doctor Jiang".
Jiang Weiping had a strong desire to join the party and soon actively applied to join the party. Under the care of the party organization, Jiang Weiping performed very well, and soon after successfully joined the Communist Party, he burst into tears and swore to the party that he would dedicate his life to the party and the people.
The old doctor of the battlefield
Jiang Weiping worked in the hospital for half a year, often by the good news from the front, sleepless all night, he often thought: He is old, there is not much time to work for the people, why not fight on the front line for a while, do more work. So he applied to his superiors.
When the superior received Jiang Weiping's application letter, he cried and laughed, and repeatedly explained to him: "The front-line troops are very hard, they have to move with the troops at any time, the mobility is too great, you are so old, your body cannot eat." But Jiang Weiping insisted on going to the front line and kept submitting applications. Reluctantly, his superiors had to approve his request.
In this way, Jiang Weiping was transferred to the 359th Brigade of the 120th Division as he wished. Wang Zhen had long heard about Jiang Weiping and admired his spirit of joining the army at such an old age, so he personally received him. Wang Zhen extended a warm welcome to Jiang Weiping and appointed him as a military doctor of the 719 regiment. In order to take care of Jiang Weiping's life and work, Wang Zhen also ordered the regiment to equip him with a military horse.
Jiang Weiping came to the 719 regiment health team and began to work. At this time, the Western medicine he brought had run out, and the source of the Western medicine was difficult due to the enemy's blockade. Jiang Weiping thought about it and decided to use traditional Chinese medicine to treat the majority of wounded people.
Therefore, when Jiang Weiping followed the troops to the battlefield, everywhere he went, while treating the wounds and injuries of the military and the people, he investigated and visited the local cadres and the masses to collect and concoct the folk remedies, prescriptions, and traditional Chinese medicine drugs for diagnosis and treatment, and recorded them one by one. In order to solve the problem of difficulty in using medicine, Jiang Weiping often led the comrades of the health team to the deep mountains to collect medicine.
Back in the army, he personally set up a pot to cook medicine and gave it to the wounded and sick. Picking medicines, pharmaceuticals, diagnosis and treatment, nursing, Jiang Weiping personally did every step, dedicated to his heart, and worked very hard.
One day, Comrade He Changgong fell ill, and Jiang Weiping was diagnosed with traditional Chinese medicine, and after taking it, he improved significantly. The next day, when he went to give He Changgong a follow-up consultation, Mao Zedong also went to visit He Changgong. He introduced himself to Mao Zedong: "This is the doctor who treated me." When Mao Zedong learned that Jiang Weiping joined the army at the age of 60 and collected medicine for the troops, he said humorously: "You are an old monkey on Huaguo Mountain!" ”
Soon, the Guangling Ambush Battle began. Jiang Weiping and all the personnel of the health team rushed to the front line to carry out field rescue work. On the way to Mount Wutai, Jiang Weiping used his horse to carry medicines and equipment, while he marched side by side with young people.
The battle was fierce for seven days and seven nights, and Jiang Weiping also rescued him for seven days and seven nights, and he used superb medical skills to perform first aid for the wounded who came down from the front line day and night, and methodically transferred them to the rear hospital. The wounded who were treated by him greatly reduced their mortality due to the timely hemostasis and blood replenishment and the prevention of infection and suppuration. Therefore, Jiang Weiping's health team was commended by the brigade leaders after the war.
In a short period of time, Jiang Weiping traveled thousands of miles with his troops and experienced battles large and small. He was not afraid of the harsh environment, not afraid of frequent battles, and resolutely guarded the rear of the troops, escorting the lives of the soldiers.
In 1940, Jiang Weiping's unit received an order from the headquarters to return to northern Shaanxi to undertake the glorious task of defending the Party Central Committee and Chairman Mao. After that, Jiang Weiping embarked on a new journey to Yan'an with an excited mood.
Hero of labor
In 1943, in order to break the enemy's economic blockade, Chairman Mao put forward the call to "do it yourself and have enough food and clothing." Jiang Weiping responded positively and went to Nanniwan to open up wasteland and cultivate land. He led by example, getting up early and returning late, doing dirty work and heavy work, not lagging behind the young people at all.
Under the management of Jiang Weiping, after more than a year of painstaking management and a bumper harvest on the farm, he was named a labor hero of the 359 Brigade and the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border Region, and was commended by Chairman Mao. With the passage of time, everyone knows that there is an old man in the army, although he is over sixty years old, but his motivation is much greater than that of young people, which makes many people ashamed of themselves.
Jiang Weiping's outstanding performance attracted the attention of Chairman Mao, and after learning of his life experience, the chairman was even more emotional and admired. Joining the army at a young age, because there is no way to repay the country, he returned to the field, at the age of 60, he raised his family to resist Japan, and after becoming a Communist Party, he saved countless soldiers with a body of doctors, and even if he was old, he still joined the large-scale production movement and did it himself, how could he not be moved!
In 1946, Jiang Weiping served as the vice president of the First Branch of the Bethune International Peace Hospital of the Eighth Route Army. The Battle of Qingfengdian and the Battle of Shijiazhuang were fought later, and Jiang Weiping personally led medical personnel to the front line to treat the wounded, despite the gunfire. According to later statistics, more than 1,200 wounded were treated at that time!
Until Jiang Weiping was nearly old, he still insisted on working in the mountains. Since then, Jiang Weiping has been running around serving in various hospitals that need him, not staying in the official position, not in the merits, not in the old age, diligently and earnestly treating the wounds and wounds of the local soldiers and the people, and solving problems.
At the age of 77, he was awarded the title of the only white-bearded general
In 1955, after the list of awards came out, Jiang Weiping saw that he was listed among them with tears. On closer inspection, it is still the title of lieutenant colonel. It should be said that Jiang Weiping joined the army to defend his family and the country, not a military rank honor. The award represents the recognition of the state for the soldiers and the contribution of Jiang Weiping, which everyone sees in their eyes and remembers in their hearts.
However, there is a rule for shaving at the award ceremony, which makes Jiang Weiping very troubled. His beard was deliberately kept and carefully taken care of every day, and this white beard made him look energetic, and it was really reluctant to cut it off. He immediately went to the relevant departments to tell the request, and if the organization really did not agree, he could only "endure the pain" of cutting the beard.
When the news reached Chairman Mao, the chairman remembered this old man who had been a horse all his life, had supernatural medical skills, and was unwilling to retire in his seventies. For his small request, he smiled and nodded in agreement, which led to the opening scene. As the only veteran with a beard, Jiang Weiping appeared at the award ceremony, all in exchange for his own experience. When the country suffered, he stepped forward and fought for it all his life, never stopping.
He has joined the army many times, even if he is discouraged, he quickly perks up; even if he is over sixty years old, he is still old and determined to go thousands of miles. Age could not stop his patriotic pace, although he could not go to battle to kill the enemy, but in another way, he saved the lives of countless soldiers and made great achievements. Jiang Weiping deserves to be remembered by everyone!
Later, when Jiang Weiping attended the Eighth National Congress, he saw Chairman Mao again. Chairman Mao delivered an opening speech at the meeting, and a loud voice filled the entire venue. Jiang Weiping sat in the back row, recalling the scenes since he joined the revolution. During the break, Jiang Weiping got up and walked to the rostrum, wanting to get closer to Chairman Mao. Unexpectedly, Chairman Mao had already discovered him, beckoned and said loudly: "Please Comrade Jiang Weiping come quickly." ”
Elder Jiang hurriedly stepped onto the stage to greet the chairman, and Chairman Mao said, "Hello old hero Jiang!" A few days ago, I heard that you were tired and sick in order to carry out chinese medicine experiments, are you okay now? Elder Jiang replied, "Thank you Chairman, it's already good!" ”
The Chairman then said solemnly: "You old comrades, the task now is to live in good health. Because you are a living textbook that has an impact on society and a lesson for young people..."
After the conclusion of the Eighth National Congress, Jiang Weiping returned to the hospital and happily said to everyone: "Chairman Mao's task for the elderly is to live healthily, and to live must have a good impact." "At this time, he was nearly 80 years old, but he still insisted on personally inspecting the ward, attending meetings, talking with the wounded and sick, doing ideological work... Happily died at the age of 86!