17. The memorial service becomes a celebration
In October 1947, after the defeat in the battle of Li Dudian in Dabie Mountain, a rare and strange story occurred in the 5th Company of the 2nd Battalion of the 98th Regiment of our army: the memorial service was held as a celebration of "Double Happiness at the Gate".
What's going on? I recall that the situation at that time was like this--due to the reconnaissance mistakes of the scouts and the instructor's misjudgment of the enemy situation, which caused Li Dudian to lose this battle.
It turned out that the enemy did not have many troops, and about a regiment came from one direction to attack our army head-on, but our army had not yet hit him much, so he gradually retreated. In fact, he was a feint, and when he attracted and lured our army deep into the situation, the strength of a brigade ambushed on the left and right flanks attacked our army in the shape of scissors.
Our army discovered the enemy's trap, so it quickly retreated, trying to seize the mountain and condescend to block the enemy, but the enemy attacked from three sides, and behind our army was a big river under the mountain, and it was the trend of fighting a battle against the water. The enemy was too numerous to be outnumbered, and the artillery fire on both sides was very fierce.
Zhao Yuting, the commander of our 98th Regiment, died heroically in a fierce battle halfway up the mountainside, and the troops fell into chaos for a while. In this situation of crisis and seriousness in the battle, Deputy Regiment Commander Yin Shuxin immediately made a decision, and he maneuvered and flexibly used small troops to cover, and while the enemy was not yet close, he commanded the troops to quickly withdraw down the mountain, go out of the mountain at the cliff of the mountain pass, cross the river from the wide and shallow part of the river beach to move to a safe area, and turn the troops into danger and turn the danger into safety.
When the troops were transferred to a safe area to rest, Liu Daoyuan, the old company commander of the Fifth Company, and Zhao Shenghua, the instructor, checked the number of troops and found that two people in the whole company were missing, I don't know who it was, and after careful inspection, it was found that it was the second platoon commander Jin Tiezhu and the hygienist Xiao Chunshan who did not return. It's hard to lose these two characters! This put a heavy burden on the old company commander and the instructor, especially the old company commander, who was particularly anxious, and losing the second platoon leader was equivalent to cutting off one of his arms and cutting off a piece of heart meat.
The second platoon commander Jin Tiezhu was a first-class combat hero and model Communist Party member known throughout our division, and also the top pillar of the Fifth Company and the right-hand man of the old company commander Liu Daoyuan. The old company commander is forty-five years old this year, and he is still in poor health, since yuan Mingkui, the deputy company commander of Dabie Mountain, was killed in the battle of Zhangjiadian, he felt the burden of the fifth company, he could not eat alone, often waist pain and leg soreness was difficult to support, but he gritted his teeth and braced himself. He wanted to work no matter how difficult and difficult it was, and the Communists must not pick a fight at this time.
During this period, thanks to the second platoon leader Jin Tiezhu took the initiative to help him, during the day the errands were all done by the second platoon leader on his own initiative to run to do it, and at night, the second platoon commander, the checkpoint, and the checkpoint were all second platoon commanders for him, so that the old company commander could rest as much as possible.
The party branch of the company had already written a report asking the superiors to promote Jin Tiezhu to be the deputy company commander in order to alleviate the work difficulties of the old company commander, but so far it had not been approved for a long time, and the old company commander thought to himself: The second platoon commander is gone, who can help me like him in the future? The order to promote the deputy company commander was that I had no hope of it. Thinking of this, he cried bitterly.
At first, although the old company commander felt that there was little hope for the second platoon leader to return, he still did not have a dead heart, or hoped that he could come back. So he asked the instructor to hold a party branch meeting in the evening, asking everyone to discuss and analyze it, to see if the second platoon leader could come back, and he hoped that everyone would discuss the result that he could come back.
But the conclusion of the discussion and analysis is that the probability of these two people surviving is very small, and some people even say that it is impossible to come back. The reason is that the second platoon commander is a first-class combat hero, a model Communist, and his personality is to fight and charge in the front, retreat but backward, and he will not be afraid to sacrifice everything for the sake of the overall situation.
In order to cover the transfer of troops when he retreated that day, he must fight with the enemy to the end, and in the end, he would not be able to jump off the cliff and throw himself into the river, and he would not float or survive. As for the hygienist Xiao Chunshan, who has a good water dumping nature, he is a Lake man from Weishan, Shandong, who grew up catching fish and shrimp in the water since he was a child, and he jumped off a cliff and drowned in the river. However, he should have returned long ago if he could not drown, and since he had not returned for seven or eight days, it meant that he did not throw himself into the river, but died in battle.
When the old company commander heard this, he thought that everyone's analysis was reasonable, well-founded, and convincing. At this moment, the only hope in his mind was shattered. He cried and said to the instructor, "Instructor, we have to consider a memorial service!" ”
The instructor said, "Old company commander, I don't think I'm in a hurry to hold a memorial service first, wait and see, does God really not leave us with these two good comrades?" ”
The old company commander said, "I also hope that God can leave us with these two good comrades, but I am dead hearted to wait, and I feel that waiting any longer is also a dream, and I have nothing to wait for!" ”
The troops marched to Liujiatang, and their superiors ordered three days of rest. After waiting here for two more days, the two missing comrades still did not return and there was no news. Early in the morning of the third day, the divisional signal corps delivered a bundle of newspapers and letters, including a large envelope that attracted attention. The instructor first opened the large envelope and looked at it, saying, "It's late, it's late!" ”
"Why did you get late?" The old company commander asked.
The instructor handed the document to him and said, "The letter of appointment for the promotion of the deputy company commander of the second platoon is coming, isn't it late?" ”
The old company commander took over: "People are gone, what is the use of coming to this appointment letter?!" He stomped his feet and cried, "Second platoon leader, second platoon leader, if you come back, how good it would be!" But you can't come back, you just left us like this, we haven't sent you yet.... ”
The old company commander considered repeatedly discussing with the instructor: "Instructor, the troops are resting here for three days, today is the last day, I see that we will open the memorial service for the second platoon commander and the hygienist!" Otherwise, tomorrow, when the troops march and fight again, they will not know when they will have time to hold this meeting, and it will not be good to delay it for too long. ”
The instructor was not in a hurry to hold a memorial service, and it was reasonable to listen to what he said, but he was afraid that he would be more sad and sad, and if he really dragged on for too long, he would complain, so he reluctantly agreed. He immediately ordered a platoon leader to inform the commanders and fighters of the whole company to prepare for the memorial service.
Sun Tao, the company's cultural officer, and Cui Kejian, a clerk, wrote some memorial service slogans on white paper, wrote banner monograms for the memorial service, and wrote two "martyrs' spirit cards." Borrowing the landlord's table and stool, a simple memorial hall was quickly arranged in the open space square in front of the village. The companies assembled and the memorial service began.
Instructor Zhao Shenghua presided over the memorial service ceremony, and in his opening remarks he said: "Comrades, today we are extremely sad to hold a memorial service for Jin Tiezhu, the second platoon commander who lost in li dudian, and Xiao Chunshan, a hygienist, two good comrades and good comrades-in-arms. The memorial service was simple in form, but rich in content. We must well remember and learn from the heroic and exemplary deeds of the martyrs and their noble ideological character. Therefore, I asked the old company commander Liu Daoyuan to report to us the heroic and exemplary deeds of jin Tiezhu, the second platoon commander. Then, I would like to talk about the noble medical ethics and excellent work style of Xiao Chunshan, a hygienist. Finally, everyone spoke freely, exchanged their experiences and experiences and how we should carry forward the revolutionary heroic spirit and lofty moral qualities of martyrs. ”
Then he issued a low command: "All stand up!" Salute to the martyrs and be silent for three minutes! ”
Three minutes later, the old company commander began to give everyone a report on the heroic deeds of the second platoon leader.
The old company commander stood up, wiped his tears, and said: "Comrades, everyone knows that the second platoon commander is a first-class combat hero and a model Communist Party member of our whole division, but his experience and deeds are not necessarily known to everyone. ”
He told everyone about the deeds of Jin Tiezhu:
Jin Tiezhu was a soldier in the old base area of Xiyang, Shanxi. During the War of Resistance Against Japan, he was the county's militia hero and model militia captain. He was good at mine warfare, he led the militia in guerrilla warfare and anti-sweeping, killed more than a thousand devils in total, cooperated with the Eighth Route Army to fight many big victories, and was a famous militia hero.
He joined the army in 1946, and in the army he always fought bravely, bravely charged, and never retreated; Usually he suffered hardships in the front and enjoyed in the back, and was soon named a combat hero and a model Communist Party member.
When Tangyin was liberated in the Northern Henan Campaign this spring, he led a squad to first insert himself into the enemy's deep position, ventured into the enemy headquarters command post alone, blew up the enemy's radio station with two grenades, killed the deputy commander, scared the commander-in-chief Sun Dianying away, intercepted and captured by our friendly and neighboring troops, causing the enemy army to lose its commander-in-chief, fleeing in a panic and collapsing into an army, and our army quickly completely annihilated the enemy and liberated Tangyin. After the war, Jin Tiezhu was named a first-class combat hero of the whole division, and was promoted from squad leader to deputy platoon leader.
Shortly thereafter, our army was ordered to carry out external combat tasks, forcibly crossed the Yellow River, and surrounded and annihilated the nine and a half brigades of Jiang bandits who focused on attacking Shandong.
In the siege of Yangshan, one day the enemy, under the cover of tanks, wanted to break through and escape, seeing that the dense artillery fire of the enemy tanks was about to collapse our army's defense line, and in the midst of the crisis, it was the golden iron pillar that jumped out of the trenches, and under the dead corner of the tank shooting, the rolling belt crawled to the tank, and put a large bundle of grenades still on the tank, and after the grenade exploded, the tank just stopped and rushed forward.
Jin Tiezhu saw that he could not do it, and then rolled to the front of the tank and stuffed another cluster bomb under the tank tracks; he had just rolled away from the tank, and with a loud noise, the tracks of the tank were destroyed, and he lay there unable to move, and the enemy who attacked with the tank was counterattacked by our army, killed a falling flower, and retreated back in defeat, our defense line was saved, blocking the enemy's breakthrough, and creating favorable conditions for destroying the enemy. After the war, Jin Tiezhu was again rated as a great meritorious service, and was promoted from deputy squad leader to main platoon leader.
"Then we jumped in to Dabie Mountain, and in the battle of Zhangjiadian, Yuan Mingkui, the deputy company commander of our company, was sacrificed, and our company wanted to mention jin tiezhu to supplement the deputy company commander's absence, and the superior did not approve it because he was promoted too quickly. It is only today that his letter of appointment for promotion to deputy company commander has come, but he ,...... Man is gone.... ”
Speaking of this, the old company commander couldn't help but sob in grief, "How good it would be if the second platoon leader were alive!" My work is also light and easy to do, and we can make it alive for five consecutive years... But I'm not blessed! We're unlucky five times in a row! As he spoke, the old company commander cried out loud.
His cry aroused everyone's grief and resonance, and the whole venue cried loudly. Just when everyone was crying in a mess, suddenly someone behind them shouted loudly: "Report company commander!" We're back! ”
Well? Who's this? Everyone wiped the tears from their eyes and fixed their eyes on it, it was the second platoon leader and the hygienist who had returned!
Someone shouted, "The second platoon leader and the hygienist are back!" ”
This unexpected surprise caused the venue to explode like a pot of cold water, some like crazy, got up and tore off the memorial service slogans posted on the surrounding walls and trees, some went to the rostrum and tore the "martyrs' spirit cards" placed in front of the podium, and most people went to surround the two comrades who had returned victoriously, some came forward to shake hands and hug, and some lifted them up, happily and happily for fun.
The old company commander and the instructor rushed forward to stop and said, "You first stop the game, let's also see the comrades who have returned!" The two of them shook hands with the second platoon leader and the hygienist and hugged each other.
The old company commander hugged the second platoon leader and said, "Second platoon leader, you are back!" Do you know or not, you don't come back these days, I think you can't eat during the day, can't sleep at night, I thought I would never see you again in this life.... He said and cried again.
The instructor shouted, "Comrades! The second platoon leader and the hygienist returned, which was a great joy for our company; Today, the order of the second platoon commander to promote the deputy company commander also came, which is another great joy. Today, our fifth company is "double happiness at the door", ah, we want to happily open a celebration meeting of the 'double happiness door'. Assemble your team now! ”
When Sun Tao, a cultural instructor of the company, saw that there was no festive atmosphere at the meeting where the memorial service had just been held, he tied a brush with palm bark as a row of pens, used the ash and ink at the bottom of the pot, wrote a big "囍" character on a blank piece of paper without red paper, borrowed a big red blanket from the villagers stationed in the village, pasted the big "" in the center of the big red carpet, hung it on the rostrum, and at once highlighted the atmosphere of the "double happiness celebration party."
The team gathered up, and the instructor first read out to everyone the order of the second platoon commander to be promoted to deputy company commander, saying: "Before the double happiness celebration, please ask the two comrades, Jin Tiezhu, deputy company commander, and Xiao Chunshan, a hygienist, to report on the situation after the battle and leaving the team that day, why it was so genius to come back, so that everyone can understand in their hearts." ”
Xiao Chunshan stood up and said, I'll talk first. When the troops retreated that day, I was about to go down the hill, and when I looked back, I saw that the second platoon commander had not yet withdrawn, he was holding a machine gun, and while strafing, he turned back to the top of the hill and ran, I knew that he would not withdraw, he wanted to cover the retreat of the troops to the end, and finally either fought with the enemy to the death, or jumped off the cliff and threw himself into the river. So I came back to save him.
When I ran close to the cliff, the second platoon commander set up his machine gun and lay on the ground waiting for the enemy to come up, I understood that he was the last round of bullets, ready to finish fighting with the enemy, and then jump off the cliff and throw himself into the river. So I hid behind him and went up to rescue him when he jumped off the cliff.
Just then, a group of enemies pounced. The second platoon leader roared, "Come on, bandits, I'm waiting for you!" Jiang Bandit Army heard the voice Hulawei rush over and shouted, "Catch alive, don't tell him to run!" "When fifty or sixty bandits ran 20 meters away from him, his machine gun rang out, sweeping one piece after another, and then sweeping and pouring down another piece.
There are many enemies, and a single bullet can penetrate several, so a single bullet kills twenty or thirty enemies. When the bullet was finished, he turned and threw the machine gun into the river under the cliff, and when he got up, he was about to jump off the cliff, so I jumped up and hugged him, and the two of them jumped off the cliff together. Just then, the second platoon leader kicked me hard and hugged one of my arms, and I urgently called: "The second platoon leader is here to save you!" As soon as he heard my voice, he immediately threw away my hand.
At this time, the two of them fell into the water, the river was deep and rapid, I stopped him with one arm, let his head appear on the surface, and one hand pulled the water to grasp the direction, while supporting the stones along the coast, avoiding the rapids from being injured, in order to ensure safety. I rushed out for more than ten miles, and in a place where the river turned and flowed slowly, I grabbed the branches hanging by the river and climbed ashore. The second platoon leader could no longer speak, and he was unconscious.
I was afraid that he would drink too much water, so I held him on the slope of the shore and controlled the water with my head down. After a while he woke up and said, "I'm cold and shivering. ”
At this time, it was still dark, so I helped him to the nearby village to find his fellow countrymen, trying to find some hot water to warm his body. As soon as the landlord saw that the clothes we were wearing were the People's Liberation Army, she warmly received us to live in..." I will say this first, and the deputy company commander will tell you about it. ”
Deputy Company Commander Jin Tiezhu said: "What I want to say first is that my little life was originally lost, and Comrade Xiao Chunshan picked it up again, and if he hadn't saved me, I wouldn't have been able to come back." Everyone shouted enthusiastically: "Learn from Comrade Xiao Chunshan!" "Salute to Comrade Xiao Chunshan!" The old company commander stood up and said, "Comrade Xiao Chunshan saved our hero, and I suggest that our Fifth Company give him a great deed." ”
The instructor immediately said, "I agree! Everyone applauded and passed.
Deputy Company Commander Jin Tiezhu went on to say that -- during the battle that day, during the retreat, I found that the enemy's machine gunner was killed by my grenade, I took the opportunity to pick up his machine gun, and there were three shuttles of bullets, I retreated, while strafing the enemy with the machine gun, and finally I left a shuttle of bullets to prepare for a duel with the enemy who pounced on me, I think I can't survive, I also have to kill a few more enemies, enough to earn a few more.
When I finished the bullet, threw the machine gun into the river under the cliff, and got up and just wanted to jump off the cliff, someone hugged me, and I thought it was the enemy, so I kicked him hard, hugged his arm, and wanted to earn another one when I was dying.
Hearing that Xiao Chunshan came to rescue me, I let go of my hand. When I fell into the river, I choked on a mouthful of water, and I didn't know anything more. It wasn't until Xiao Chunshan rescued me to the shore and woke up that I felt cold.
Xiao Chunshan carried me to the village to find an old lady's home, the old lady saw that we were the People's Liberation Army, the clothes were soaked, frozen like this, so she quickly led us to the family room to warm up, burned us brown sugar ginger water, let us drink to the cold sweat.
You can guess why the old lady was so enthusiastic about us, it turned out that she was a family member of the Red Army. She said, "When I see you, I think of my son." Last year he asked someone to come back with a letter, saying that he was now in Dalian, northeast China, and he was a regimental commander, because he was busy with military affairs and could not go home to see. "The egg noodles that the eldest lady made for us, put more pepper noodles, let us eat warm stomach and cold air."
Unexpectedly, in the evening of this day, I had a high fever, a headache and a coma, and I was weak. The eldest lady touched my head and said, "Ah! The head burned hot and the sick was not light! Xiao Chunshan said, "Big Lady, he has a cold, the fever does not go away, what should I do if I don't have medicine?" The eldest lady said: "We don't have foreign medicines here, we all use shochu to wipe the heat on the body, and eat wild herbs to cure diseases." I'll go out and ask the neighbors for some shochu and herbs, and I'll come back when you wait. ”
The eldest lady ran through half of the villa and found half a bowl of liquor and a large bag of mountain herbs. When I came back, I rubbed it all over my body with white wine, over and over again, and boiled herbs for me to drink. By eight or nine o'clock in the evening, I had a fever that had subsided, and I was still dizzy and weak. The eldest lady still made egg noodles for us to eat, saying that she would let me recover quickly.
The next day, Xiao Chunshan and I bid farewell to the eldest lady and thanked her for her care and love for us. The eldest lady was not allowed to leave under any circumstances, she said: "If you are not completely sick, you will have to leave, how can this work?" The body is not well nourished, in case you encounter the enemy on the way, you can't run fast, and then there is a problem, then who is to blame? That's because my big lady didn't her heart! ”
I said, "Big Lady, there will be no accidents, and I will not blame you, we are afraid that we will be late to go back, and the leaders are not at ease!" ”
The eldest lady said: "Your leaders are not at ease, you will leave like this, and I am not at ease with the eldest lady!" No way! You listen to the leaders in the army, and you will listen to me in my house! Then heal the disease, raise it for two or three days and then go! Your leaders must have opinions and call them to come to me!" ”
The eldest lady was so enthusiastic to keep her, we had to rely on her, and we couldn't make her anxious and angry.
The eldest lady told his nephew to go up the mountain every day to dig up herbs for healing, and he treated me for three more days, and at the same time, he ate egg noodles for me every day. In the countryside, this is the best meal. We stayed at the eldest mother's house for four or five days, and before leaving, she was still not at ease, and asked her nephew to escort us. She said to her nephew: "Be careful along the way, the comrades of the People's Liberation Army are not familiar with life, you must inquire about the situation of the enemy and the whereabouts of our troops, and you will come back when they can return safely." "So we were escorted by our fellow countrymen and came back smoothly."
Jin Tiezhu finished speaking. The instructor said: "After listening to the two comrades talk about the situation after leaving the team, I also felt that it was not easy for them to come back. Fortunately, I met the old lady of the Red Army's family, otherwise, I don't know how much suffering I would have suffered! Therefore, today's double happiness literary and artistic celebration, we must celebrate to the fullest. We don't have bands, no song and dance teams, no troupes, but we all come from all over the world, Jiangnan, Haibei, Shandong, Shanxi, everywhere there are local folk songs, local operas, songs and minor tunes, these things do not need to be prepared, take out is the program. Whether you sing three or five sentences, forget the word stuck in the shell, or even make an ugly one, we are happy. So we have to sign up freely, sing with indulgence, and there is not enough time, so we will live until two o'clock in the afternoon, and then disperse and eat lunch. Everyone applauded in unison.
The instructor shouted, "Now, the celebration of theatrical performance has begun!" ”
The old company commander stood up and said, "I am very happy today, I will take the lead in a program." Everyone applauded, and he said: "I can't sing and dance, I'm from Henan, let's take a 'Henan pendant'!" He grinned and sang in a rough voice: "It rains in the sky, the little two fight without revenge, during the day he eats a pot of rice, and at night he still sleeps on a pillow..." Everyone applauded, not that he sang well, but admired his courage, and was also infected by his cheerful emotions.
The instructor said, "Well, the old company commander has given us a good start, so let's sign up for singing!" Everyone raised their hands, and the instructors designated and sang next to each other. The programs performed include: Shanxi Folk Song, Shandong Kuaishu, Hebei Zizi, Shaanxi Qin Cavity, Northern Shaanxi Minor, Jiangnan Pingtan, Yue Opera, Northeast Duozhuan, Sichuan Opera, Liuqin Opera, Flower Drum Drama, Drum Song and Sorcery.... The company of more than a hundred people, everyone has a program, each one shows his skills, the southern cavity is adjusted to the north, there are various types, the pattern is renovated, although they are all old programs, they are pleasing to the eye and refreshing.
The last to appear on the show was the "liberation" fighter, Lin Shixiong of the Guizhou ethnic minority, who played the role of "Old Laizi Carrying Water to Amuse Mother" in the ancient "Twenty-Four Filial Pieties" of the local drama. I saw him pick up a bucket of water from his hometown and shouted outside the field: "Here it comes!" Then he bent down and bent his legs on the field, quickly circled the field, put down the bucket and bowed to the old mother sitting in the middle of the field, and then took the bucket and twisted it left and right. Taking three steps back and one step back, two buckets fluttered, and he whispered in his mouth, and he sang in a whisper, only to hear the tone of the voice rise and fall, bending and bending, not knowing what he was singing.
He twisted and sang half a circle around the field, and suddenly screamed "wow", as if stepping on the dog's tail, and then ran half a circle, deliberately popping and falling to the ground, spilling two buckets of water on the ground. He desperately held the water in the bucket, and could the water spilled on the ground be put away? Of course not, he was so angry that he was lying on his back on the ground, his hands and feet were stomping and dancing, his mouth was squeaking and talking, and he didn't know what he was saying, which made the commanders and fighters laugh. Old Laizi carried the strange appearance of the water, originally for the old mother's happy amusement, but here he pushed the double happiness celebration of Wulian to a climax, and finally ended with everyone's great joy.
This is the story of the five consecutive "memorial services" that have become "celebrations". The joy of the festivities drove away the troubles of the god of death and dispelled the sadness in people's hearts. After Jin Tiezhu was promoted to deputy company commander, the company's work flourished and became a dynamic company in the whole unit.
Brief Introduction of Comrade Sun Kangning: Born in Laiyang, Shandong In 1923, he joined the army in 1945 to study at the Sixth Branch of the Anti-Japanese University of the Taiyue Military Region in Shanxi Province, and after graduation was assigned to work in the Ninth Brigade of the Third Column of Liu Deng's Army, and successively served as a propaganda and education cadre of the Propaganda Department of the Regiment Political Department and an editor of the Regiment Newspaper, a Propaganda and Education Officer of the Propaganda Department of the Division Political Department and an editor of the Division Newspaper, and the chief of the Cultural Section of the Division's Political Department. After New China entered the era of reform and opening up, it was specially hired by the CPC Shandong Provincial Committee and the Jinan Municipal Party Committee Party History Committee, and made important contributions to the compilation and publication of the book "The Battle of Jinan". Sun Kangning also completed the book "Memories of the Journey of the Horse", leaving precious first-hand memoirs for the magnificent history of the Liberation War.
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