When it comes to Major General Tian Weixin, people are not familiar with it. After all, he was the junior of the generals, and was only awarded the rank of major general in 1964. Tian Weixin was born in 1916, and when Liu Deng's army leaped into Dabie Mountain, he served as the political commissar of the 22nd Regiment of the 3rd Column And 8th Brigade. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, he first served as deputy director of the Political Department of the Shenyang Military Region and deputy director of the Political Department of the Chinese People's Liberation Army. What really made General Tian Weixin "famous" was that he was taken off his collar badge on the spot by Jiang Qing. The matter should also start from the time of the transfer of the commanders of the eight major military regions.
Tian Weixin
According to General Li Desheng's recollection, a total of 46 generals were received by Chairman Mao during the transfer, while the commanders of the eight major military regions who were about to be transferred sat in the front row facing Mao Zedong.
After Chairman Mao spoke briefly, he shook hands with Xiao Jinguang, Chen Shiyu, Tian Weixin, and other generals. Tian Weixin was the third to shake hands with Chairman Mao, who asked, "Comrade Tian Weixin, where are you from?" Tian Weixin replied: "Shandong Dong'a people." After a few more conversations,
Chairman Mao suddenly turned sharply and said, "The General Political Department will entrust you with responsibility!" ”
This made Tian Weixin unprepared, and he hurriedly said: "Comrade Desheng (Li Desheng, the former director of the General Political Department) is gone, and the General Political Department is a deputy director of me." It is necessary for me to remain in the general administration, and I would like to ask the Chairman to appoint a director. ”
"No, you're in charge!" Chairman Mao's tone was very affirmative.
In other words, Chairman Mao decided that Tian Weixin could take on a big responsibility and could be reused. However, tian Weixin's appointment as director of the General Political Department was resolutely opposed by Jiang Qing and others, and the matter had to be shelved. Soon, on January 27, 1975, in the East Hall of the Great Hall of the People, the General Political Department and the people's Liberation Army Daily and other heads of the army's propaganda system held a meeting.
According to a memoir written by Premier Zhou's health doctor:
Premier Zhou was the moderator of the meeting, and after a few simple words, Jiang Qing suddenly stood up from his seat and shouted: "Is Tian Weixin of the General Political Department here?" ”
Tian Weixin hurriedly stood up and shouted, "Come, I'm here." ”
Jiang Qing asked: "Tian Weixin, I ask you, in which year was the Communist Manifesto published?" ”
Tian Weixin was speechless for a moment and could not answer.
"You, deputy director of the General Political Department and a senior cadre of the army, can't even say the Communist Manifesto clearly!" Jiang Qing immediately ordered several soldiers to take off Tian's collar badge and hat emblem on the spot, and from then on he "stood aside"!
The reason why Jiang Qing deliberately made it difficult for Tian Weixin was because after 9/13, when Premier Zhou proceeded to liberate the 175 generals in the army according to Chairman Mao's instructions, Tian Weixin resolutely sided with the premier. Tian Weixin later recalled: "At the meeting to discuss the liberation of the old generals, the controversy was fierce and the length of time was really unbearable. Later, I argued with Jiang Qing a lot, and I got used to it, and I wasn't afraid, just a few more hats. ”
Therefore, in the end, Tian Weixin also failed to serve as the director of the General Political Department, and Zhang Chunqiao served instead!