The War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea was the most difficult policy decision of Chairman Mao's life.
All aspects of opinions and ideas, he must consider comprehensively.
It is worth mentioning that among all the generals and central leaders who advocated sending troops, there was a very special one: he was Fu Zuoyi, who was then the minister of water resources.
After the 1949 uprising, Fu Zuoyi was directly arranged by Chairman Mao to serve as the first Minister of Water Resources of New China. Being able to shoulder this heavy responsibility undoubtedly reflects Chairman Mao's trust in him.
On June 25, 1950, when the Korean War broke out, Fu Zuoyi was not in Beijing. At that time, he was inspecting along the Yellow River. As soon as he heard about this incident, with a keen "sense of military smell," Fu Zuoyi immediately realized the seriousness of the situation. So he immediately called Chairman Mao and Premier Zhou and made it clear:
"We cannot ignore the invasion of Korea by US imperialism, and we must actively support Korea!"
Subsequently, General Fu hurried back to Beijing as quickly as possible to meet Chairman Mao. In view of the "lack of self-confidence" of many comrades, Fu Zuoyi believes:
"The Americans are not terrible, we should not only resist, but we must be able to defeat!"
Hearing General Fu's words, Chairman Mao, who had actually made the decision to send troops in his heart, was full of emotions. He said to the comrades who were not yet very confident:
"You see, Mr. Fu Yisheng is a firm advocate of sending troops, so what do you have to doubt?"
On the evening of October 19, the Chinese People's Volunteer Army entered the DPRK.
Since then, like other famous generals in Beijing, Fu Zuoyi has been closely monitoring the situation in Korea. At the same time, he also had an idea: he hoped that his subordinates who were in Suiyuan would have the opportunity to go to the Korean front.
Of course, the 55-year-old Fu Zuoyi also understands that he, the minister of new China, cannot be separated from his current post no matter what. The flooding of the Yellow River and the plans for the construction of the Sanmenxia Reservoir are all holding him back.
What to do? At this time, the appearance of an old brother made Fu Zuoyi have a bottom in his heart.
This person was none other than General Dong Qiwu, who was then the chairman of the Suiyuan Provincial People's Government!
One: The central point general, Dong Qiwu has concerns
Dong Qiwu followed Fu Zuoyi for more than 20 years.
He followed him to resist the Japanese, was drawn into the civil war with him, and led an uprising with him and returned to the people. It should be said that Dong Qiwu is one of the people who know Fu Zuoyi best.
In fact, since the first day the volunteer army entered the DPRK, Dong Qiwu could not sit still in Suiyuan. All of his old subordinates were indignant at the shameless acts of the US imperialists. Everyone wrote letters of invitation and determination, and even some people wrote blood letters and sent them to him.
They had only one purpose: they hoped that General Dong would take them to the battlefield.
Therefore, without waiting for Fu Zuoyi to find him, Dong Qiwu himself rushed from Suiyuan to Beijing. When he saw Big Brother, he did not leave the situation in North Korea at all. This situation was quickly reported to Premier Zhou and Chairman Mao.
Soon, Fu Zuoyi and Dong Qiwu, as well as Suiyuan representative Gao Kelin and others, were received by Premier Zhou. Just after talking about the current situation on the front line, Premier Zhou announced the central government's decision on the spot:
"Suiyuan troops formed the 23rd Corps of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, and first issued Suiyuan rectification training, and were ready to go to Korea to participate in the war at any time!"
At the same time, the central authorities also appointed Dong Qiwu as the commander of the 23rd Corps and Gao Kelin as the political commissar.
Hearing such an appointment, Dong Qiwu did not agree, and he said on the spot:
"Resisting US Aggression and Aiding Korea is the most glorious mission of every Chinese, not to mention that I am an insurrectionary soldier, and it is precisely the opportunity to make meritorious deeds and atone for my sins in front of the people. However, when I was asked to lead this unit into the DPRK, I always felt that I lacked confidence and did not have much grasp, and it was best to choose an old comrade who had participated in the revolution for a long time to take on this heavy responsibility! ”
These words are not long, but they are obviously very meaningful. The multi-layered meaning it contains is very obvious:
The first meaning: Dong Qiwu is willing to go to the battlefield and is willing to die in the battlefield. He doesn't frown at this. This was the determination he expressed at the outset.
The second meaning: he did not want to be a commander, and he believed that the position of commander should not be done by him, an uprising general, but should be handed over to those famous generals who had participated in the People's Liberation Army for many years. And he himself could enter the DPRK as an ordinary commander.
The third meaning is that at present, there are still some practical problems within this Suiyuan unit that have not been solved.
At the same time, Dong Qiwu also proposed another plan:
If there is no suitable person to be the commander, the troops can be "cut" into many pieces. By having the brothers into other main forces, they followed suit.
A general, in front of the battle, was willing to hand over all his men. Even if the troops are dispersed, they will not hesitate!
What exactly is the reason for Dong Qiwu to make such a choice?
The reason is very real: there are still some unstable "factors" within this rebel force.
On September 19, 1949, Dong Qiwu led an uprising and Suiyuan was peacefully liberated, and the local people were all happy and encouraged. But in fact, this does not mean that everything will be calm.
Just like the mountain city of Chongqing in the early days of liberation, Suiyuan at that time had many enemies lurking. These people are like "cancerous tumors" that, after the founding of the People's Republic of China, they have planned many small-scale mutinies in the troops. There have even been cases of people going to Hong Kong to collaborate with the enemy.
It has been less than a year since the uprising and now to enter Korea. During this time, Dong Qiwu has been working hard to dig out these "cancerous tumors". To this end, he worked hard. Of course, his achievements during this period were also excellent, and Chairman Mao and Premier Zhou repeatedly affirmed the progress made by the team.
Everyone believes that with Dong Qiwu present, it is only a matter of time before the enemy is cleaned up.
However, in this process, letting this rebel unit go abroad to fight is undoubtedly "risky" in Dong Qiwu's view. Dong Qiwu is well aware that the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea is an important war event for us to show the world New China. In the unlikely event that any problem occurs outside the troops, not only will dong Qiwu and Fu Zuoyi be lost, but the consequences will be unimaginable.
Therefore, whether it is hoping that other tried and tested PLA generals will lead the troops, or hoping that the Suiyuan troops will be divided into battles, in the final analysis, it is for the sake of safety.
However, as for these plans proposed by Dong Qiwu, Premier Zhou did not agree to any of them. After listening to his words, the prime minister deliberately raised his voice and said in a loud voice:
"It's not good to do that! You can't bow down to the difficulties! It is necessary to face up to the difficulties, summon up courage, reorganize and train the troops, and go to the DPRK to participate in the war. I await the good news of your victory! ”
Fu Zuoyi, who was standing on the sidelines, saw that Premier Zhou was so resolute, and quickly took a stand on behalf of his brother: "Please rest assured that the premier will make arrangements for him!" I arranged it for him! ”
Second: Dong Qiwu and his people, his courage, and his strategy
Some netizens may read this and will somewhat do not understand Dong Qiwu as a person: you want to go to North Korea so much, and you are so indignant, running from Suiyuan to Beijing to ask for war; But when the central point is general, you suggest that someone else be the commander.
Does this former famous general of the Nationalist Army deserve such trust from Chairman Mao, Premier Zhou, and Fu Zuoyi?
Answer: Yes!
Dong Qiwu, a native of Hejin County, Shanxi, was born in 1899, four years younger than Fu Zuoyi. Because his family was poor since childhood, he dug, drove and sold coal in his hometown.
In 1918, when 19-year-old Dong Qiwu heard that Yan Xishan was running a school in Taiyuan, he walked more than 400 kilometers from his hometown with his luggage and rushed to Taiyuan to study. After that, he was admitted to the military academy with the first place in the three subjects and the first overall score. After embarking on the military road, Dong Qiwu served in many units.
In 1928, Dong Qiwu met the "nobleman" who changed his fate: Fu Zuoyi.
From the first meeting, Fu Zuoyi was deeply impressed by this young officer, and left him by his side, helping him step by step to "ascend to the throne."
Of course, Dong Qiwu did not live up to Fu Zuoyi's high hopes. On the anti-Japanese battlefield, he made great achievements in the Battle of Honggeltu, the Battle of Xinkou, and the Battle of Taierzhuang. Many people envied Fu Zuoyi: "Brother Yisheng, Yan Xishan has cultivated a fierce general for you!" ”
Dong Qiwu opposed Chiang Kai-shek's initiation of a civil war from the very beginning. On the day of Japan's surrender, he said to Fu Zuoyi: "The people who have suffered so much from the war should live and work in peace and contentment for a few years, and China can no longer fight wars." ”
However, what happened afterwards was clearly beyond his control. During the civil war, Dong Qiwu followed Fu Zuoyi and fought with the People's Liberation Army several times. This period was also the most helpless moment of his military career.
In January 1949, when he heard that Fu Zuoyi's eldest brother was going to engage in a peaceful uprising, Dong Qiwu was very excited. He soon found Fu Zuoyi and consulted with him about what To do with Suiyuan.
After all, Suiyuan is the "last family foundation", and Fu Zuoyi attaches great importance to this issue. At that time, Dong Qiwu said to Fu Zuoyi: "Big brother, how you go, I will go..."
In the end, Chairman Mao made up his mind and determined the modalities of the Suiyuan uprising. Dong Qiwu was deeply moved when he learned that Chairman Mao had not only asked him to continue to govern Suiyuan, but had also appointed him deputy commander of the military region. He wrote poems on the spot:
"In order to meet the spring breeze, the righteous flag will finally be planted on the top of the qingshan mountain!"
After roughly understanding Dong Qiwu's experience, it is not difficult for us to find one point: his performance on the anti-Japanese battlefield is obvious to all. Although he made mistakes in the civil war, he was still a famous general worthy of respect for his insurrection at a critical moment and returned to the embrace of the people.
The central will point out his general, which is reasonable.
Seeing that Premier Zhou and Fu Zuoyi were so insistent, Dong Qiwu was not good enough to make any more remarks, and he immediately expressed his position: The 23rd Corps will certainly make some achievements! Otherwise, there will be no face back!
Three: The 23 Corps that should be remembered by the world!
At 5 p.m. on December 31, 1950, Dong Qiwu and General Gao Kelin led their troops to leave Guisui.
At the train station that day, thousands of people came out to send each other off. In the crowd, there were party, government, and military leaders, and even more ordinary people carrying all kinds of food.
Many veterans in the army discussed with tears:
"In the past, when I fought for the Kuomintang, I always envied the Eighth Route Army for having ordinary people to send them off. I didn't expect that we had fought a battle for half a lifetime, and to this day we can also have ordinary people to send a gift! This battle, even if you lose your life, is worth it! ”
That night, Dong Qiwu and Gao Kelin and other corps leaders sat in the carriage. None of them slept, and they heard what their subordinates said. Oh, yes! Over the years, they have found the original intention of the anti-Japanese resistance.
Because it was "in turn" to enter the DPRK, in the following months, the 23rd Corps has been training in Hengshui and other places. During this period, Chairman Mao kept an eye on it, and on January 28 wrote the following passage to Fu Zuoyi:
Yisheng Brother:
A copy of the latest situation report of the Twenty-third Corps was sent for reading. Please return it after reading. The Twenty-third Corps has progressed so much and fast that it can be celebrated!
Fu Zuoyi was thrilled to receive Chairman Mao's affirmation.
On September 1, 1951, when everything was ready, Chairman Mao personally issued a military order. Chinese 23rd Corps of the People's Volunteer Army, enter the DPRK!
It is worth mentioning that by this time, all the soldiers of the 23rd Corps had a real example in their hearts: Zeng Zesheng's 50th Army of volunteer army.
This heroic unit was reorganized from the former Kuomintang 60th Army.
At that time, within the Nationalist army, Zeng Zesheng's unit had always been ridiculed as: a "bear army" and a "miscellaneous army". They were in the back of the line, paying them the least, and Old Chiang did not notice this unit at all.
In October 1948, commander Zeng Zesheng led more than 30,000 subordinates to revolt before the battle. Thereafter, the unit was reorganized into the 50th Army of the Chinese People's Liberation Army.
After the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea began, Zeng Zesheng was ordered to lead his troops to enter the DPRK urgently. Who would have thought! This earlier, a unit that had no reputation before, was literally "enshrined" on the Korean battlefield.
Military historians say:
50 Army, fight is elite! They annihilated the British Royal Tank Battalion with infantry against tanks and the whole battalion, avenging the "Eight-Nation Alliance" of that year;
50th Army, proper "the strongest defensive force on the surface"! In the blockade battle on the south bank of the Han River, they were nailed to the position for more than 50 days.
After the mission was completed, many companies under the 50th Army had only a few people left. Mr. Peng shook Zeng Zesheng's hand and burst into tears on the spot. General Zeng, on the other hand, only said lightly: "We have tried our best, and we can look up in front of the brother troops..."
50 military facts tell us: soldiers or those soldiers, depending on who fights! It depends on who the fight is for!
The power of example is infinite.
After entering the DPRK, the 23rd Corps received special tasks: the construction of three airfields in Taecheon, Yuanli, and Nanshi, as well as the task of rear vigilance.
Some netizens may underestimate this task and think: This is not a frontal fight with Americans on the front line. In this regard, the author would like to make a point: the Korean War was a comprehensive three-dimensional war, and even logistics support and railway construction units would be bombed by US aircraft at any time.
Here's a set of data for your reference: On October 18, 22, and 28 alone, the U.S. Air Force dropped 6,850 bombs on the three airport sites in those three days. Combined with the number of bombs dropped by the Land Forces, this figure reached 8379. The number of time bombs that did not explode alone reached more than 900. There is no modern bomb disposal tool, only the "death squad" can be organized to dig.
Later, many soldiers of the 23rd Corps recalled: "Just such a palm-sized construction site, the blood was stained red..." If it is blown up, it will be repaired again, and if it cannot be repaired during the day, it will come at night. In the end, even the female soldiers who served as civilians in the army were on the line.
Looking at all this, Dong Qiwu, who had been half a horseman, understood that his soldiers were completely different from those who had been in the ranks of the Nationalist Army before.
Three months later, three airports were built. In order to ensure the safety of the aircraft, the 23rd Regiment alone built 193 aircraft bunkers. Behind every bunker, there are the lives of countless warriors.
With such an airfield, the volunteer army is full of wings. The aircraft of friendly Soviet forces, our own flying squadrons, set sail from here. American five-star admiral Bradley sighed: "Almost overnight, the Chinese Air Force suddenly appeared and became strong!" After that, Chairman Mao specially drafted a congratulatory message for the 23rd Corps!
After completing the mission, the 23rd Corps returned home. At that time, the warriors begged them to lean forward and continue fighting. However, from the very beginning, Chairman Mao set a plan for the various units to take turns to fight in the DPRK. So many fraternal troops are "blind" looking forward to entering the DPRK!
Fourth: Chairman Mao said, "Dong Qiwu must become a general!" ”
Facts have proved that Chairman Mao and Premier Zhou were wise to let the 23rd Corps enter the DPRK in the first place.
Facts have proved that it is wise to let Dong Qiwu serve as commander.
After the battlefield, the entire 23 corps, a total of more than 6,000 people received meritorious awards. Holding the medal, these former soldiers of the National Army were excited. What awaits them will be the warm welcome of the people of Suiyuan!
In 1955, New China conferred the title. At the beginning, Dong Qiwu was given the rank of founding general. When he heard about it, he felt very inappropriate, and he approached General Yang Chengwu, who was then the commander of the Beijing Military Region, and said:
"Before the uprising, I was only a lieutenant general, and after the uprising, I was able to maintain my original title, and I was already very grateful to the party and Chairman Mao, and there was no reason for me to be promoted to a higher rank."
Yang Chengwu could only persuade him "bitterly", saying: "You have participated in the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression for 12 years, but I have only participated in it for 8 years. Your contribution to the Suiyuan Uprising, I can't compare! You also participated in the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea, and your contribution is indispensable! ”
However, Yang Chengwu's words obviously did not convince Dong Qiwu. General Dong, 56, silently pulled out a letter from his purse and instructed Yang Chengwu: "Be sure to hand it over to Chairman Mao!" ”
The letter still reads that he is still reluctant to accept the rank of general. Finally, Chairman Mao made a decision: "Dong Qiwu must not fail to award the rank of general!" "This matter has now been decided!"
On September 27 of that year, Dong Qiwu was awarded the rank of founding general. (Also: The aforementioned General Zeng Zesheng was awarded the rank of founding lieutenant general.)
In his later years, Dong Qiwu lived a very full life. In 1982, Dong Qiwu, who was already 83 years old, was approved to join the party. Seven years later, General Dong died of illness in Beijing at the age of 90.
End:
The War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea was a battle for the founding of New China.
Its significance lies not only in Chairman Mao's saying that "if you fight with one punch, you will not have a hundred punches coming," but also in its strong cohesion. When volunteers are fighting in a foreign country:
The senior generals of the Nationalist army in Gongdelin were willing to take up shovels to fry noodles for the volunteers;
In the cross-talk and opera circles, a group of actors went to the DPRK to perform;
Ordinary people are proud that there is a volunteer soldier in their home.
More than 70 years later, those lovely people, we still miss...