"Majestic, angry, across the Yalu River; to protect peace and defend the motherland is to protect the hometown..." Even now, when the "Battle Song of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army" sounds again, many volunteer veterans will always have tears in their eyes.
It was a deep memory that accompanied me for life.
71 years ago today, on October 25, 1950, the Volunteer Army launched the first battle to fight abroad, and this day later became the anniversary of the Volunteer Army's overseas combat.
In a foreign country, heroes and soldiers sacrifice their lives and forget their deaths. In two years and nine months, more than 2.9 million Chinese sons and daughters participated in the war, ushering in victories in the vast ice fields and tunnel highlands.
We have interviewed veterans of the volunteer army in many parts of the country, and the fate of these individuals can be pieced together to glimpse the history of war in which the weak won the strong, as well as a great spirit that has lasted for a long time across the times. Just to pay tribute to the loveliest people.
Young people who rush to the battlefield
Seventy-one years later, the young people of that time were in their twilight years.
After the 70th anniversary of the Volunteer Army's war to fight abroad, Zhu Jinxiang moved from Pudong, Shanghai, to the old man's apartment in Kunshan, and rarely went out except to meet his comrades-in-arms. Many times, she also thinks of her lovers who died on the korean battlefield.
Zhu Jinxiang is a veteran of the former Second Air Division, born in 1933. In 1950, at the age of 17, she ran a wish to be a hero and followed her sister from Taizhou to Shanghai Sixteen Shop wharf in a sailboat.
Zhu Jinxiang
After a written interview, Zhu Jinxiang entered the Cultural and Labor Corps of the East China Aviation Department, and then was assigned to the Second Air Division and became a trainee accountant in the Finance Unit.
A year after the next unit, through the introduction of his comrades-in-arms, Zhu Jinxiang became acquainted with Lu Mingkun, deputy commander of the third brigade of the sixth regiment of the Second Air Division, and the two quickly met and made love.
At that time, the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea had already broken out, and many people of the Second Air Division were from the northeast troops, and knowing that the Korean War had begun, everyone was boiling with enthusiasm and asked to go to war.
Zhu Jinxiang and Lu Mingkun are no exception, and the most talked about when the two met was also the matter of going to the Korean front. In the summer of 1951, the Second Air Division went north, Zhu Jinxiang was stationed in Fengcheng with his troops, and Lu Mingkun was stationed at the Dagushan Field Airfield, and the two exchanged letters to send their thoughts.
Today, near the broken bridge of the Yalu River in Dandong, the crowds are bustling and a bustling scene. Most of the people who come to Dandong have to come here to pay respects.
The two bridges cast in steel are adjacent, only 100 meters apart, they are called the Yalu River Bridge, during the Volunteer Army's War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea, the US military aircraft repeatedly came to blow up the bridge, and only one and a half of the two bridges were left, which is called the "Yalu River Broken Bridge".
71 years ago, when the city was still known as Andong, it was from here that the Chinese Volunteer Army troops set out across the Yalu River and rushed to the Korean battlefield.
There was a young man named Ma Fuyan in the crossing of the river, who was a political instructor of the fifth company of the twenty-sixth regiment of the first artillery division of the Volunteer Army, and at the oath-taking meeting before going abroad, Ma Fuyu read the poetry oath he had written:
Crossing the Yalu River and safeguarding peace, for the motherland, is to protect the hometown. Rely on whom, rely on the good sons and daughters of China, unite together, and be strong is strength. Resist us and aid Korea, defeat the wolf of US imperialist ambitions.
This oath was later revised and arranged by composer Zhou Weizhi, which resounded throughout the Korean battlefield.
In two years and nine months, more than 2.9 million sons and daughters of China joined the army and were called to gather from all over the country to speak various accents and wear various styles of native cloth military uniforms.
In 1951, the 22-year-old Luo Luyun had just graduated from secondary school and was assigned to The Deji Hospital in Huangtang, Meixian County (now Meizhou People's Hospital). Later, the hospital mobilized medical staff to the front line of the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea, and Luo Luyun signed up without hesitation.
Luo Luyun
When she was a child, she watched the Japanese planes bomb her hometown, and the hatred in her heart was planted from then on, luo Luyun has always had a wish, looking forward to one day being able to contribute to the defense of the family and the country.
In October of that year, the surgical team set off from Meizhou. Before leaving, Luo Luyun wrote a "suicide note" to inform her parents that if she died on the battlefield, she hoped that her sister, who was studying medical colleges, would take up her post and continue the revolutionary cause and serve the people.
Shortly after the train left to xingning railway station, Luo Luyun saw two familiar figures in the farewell party, and her mother took her brother to send her and kept waving to her. After getting out of the car, she hugged her mother, and both of them cried.
Luo Luyun did not think about whether she could come back alive, on that side, she reassured her mother, but the next time her relatives met, it was three years later.
A tough battlefield
On the Internet, the appearance of a volunteer veteran impressed many people. He had a burned face with tight skin, upturned lips, almost no facial features, and fingers curled up together because of injuries.
This veteran, Tu Boyi, was a first-class disabled soldier in the Sichuan Provincial Revolutionary Disabled Soldiers' Recuperation Home, who participated in the First, Second, Third, and Fourth Campaigns of the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea.
Tu Boyi Xinhua News Agency reporter Shen Bohan photographed
In February 1951, on the battlefield of the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea, Tu Boyi was attacked by the enemy's napalm bomb and burned extensively all over his body, causing serious facial damage and disability of both hands. At the time, he was only 20 years old.
The comrades-in-arms were found in a cave by Tu Boyi. Of course, at first glance, no one knew that this was him: he was scorched black and steaming, and his facial features were like a cake, and after rinsing it for him, he found that the wound was flowing with poisonous blue-black blood.
Everyone knows that this is a very hard war.
At that time, China not only had its comprehensive national strength incomparable with that of the United States, Britain, and other countries, but also the weapons and equipment of its army were also very backward.
After the volunteer army entered the DPRK, in addition to the inferiority of weapons and equipment and insufficient ammunition, the supply of hot food was difficult, and the winter clothes were tight, resulting in a large number of non-combat attrition.
Many volunteer veterans have memories of digging up frozen potatoes and eating fried noodles. Because enemy plane reconnaissance could not make a fire, everyone mixed "a handful of fried noodles and a handful of snow" to eat, because of the long time to eat fried noodles, some veterans of the volunteer army even after returning to China for decades, as soon as they saw the fried noodles, they immediately reflexively soured water.
In November 1950, the second battle of the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea began, and the 4th Company of the 239th Regiment of the 80th Division of the 27th Army of the Volunteer Army braved the severe cold weather as a sharp knife company to cut all the way forward.
When the then company commander Li Changyan led the officers and men of the company to Chosin Lake, they were greeted by the cold winter of the DPRK once in 50 years.
Li Changyan
While the company was on the march, Li Changyan found a tent in front of him with lights inside, and he led the soldiers to quietly approach the enemy and annihilate them after fierce fighting. Later, they learned that this was the command post of the Polar Bear Regiment.
It was this unexpected encounter that marked the official start of the Battle of Xinxingli. In the fierce battles of several days and nights, the officers and men of the volunteer army fought to the death against the strong enemy who was well equipped and supported by air fire, and some companies even fought until only the last person was left.
In an interview with the media, Li Changyan recalled those days, saying that at that time, the soldiers only wore a thin layer of cotton clothes, and when they were hungry, they fried sorghum rice noodles and stuffed them into their mouths, and the company mainly relied on rifles to fight, and the weapons and equipment "could not catch up with one of the ten."
When the movie "Chosin Lake" was released, the volunteer army in the film was thinly dressed at Chosin Lake, and there were even scenes of soldiers turning into ice sculptures, which made countless viewers cry.
On October 23, the 24th day of release, the film grossed more than 5.2 billion yuan. At the same time, a veteran of the Battle of Chosin Lake, Zhou Quandi, also received a lot of attention.
Zhou Quandi was born in a small mountain village in the southern county of Sichuan Province, with five brothers and sisters, Zhou Quandi was the oldest brother, and in November 1950, the 16-year-old Zhou Quandi secretly entered the DPRK with the army.
When they set out from Dandong, crossed the Yalu River, and walked 30 miles out of the border line, the troops officially announced that the trip was "to resist the United States and aid Korea, defend the family and defend the country.", And Zhou Quandi and his comrades-in-arms wrote a letter of guarantee and went to the battlefield with the determination to die.
Zhou Quandi Image source network
Zhou Quandi was almost motionless and ambushed in the snow for three days and three nights. On the evening of the 3rd day, when he heard the charge horn sounding, he found that his hands and feet were numb, and he could not move no matter how he struggled, and when he was sent back to the hospital for treatment, his hands were cut off from the front arms and legs from the base of his thighs to save his life.
On the shores of Chosin Lake, there is also a magnificent scene of the formation being frozen to death. The 6th Company of the 177th Regiment of the 59th Division of the 20th Army of the Chinese Volunteer Army, the 2nd Company of the 180th Regiment of the 60th Division of the 20th Army, and the 5th Company of the 242nd Regiment of the 80th Division of the 27th Army, all three companies, except for one fallen soldier and a messenger, were all transformed into ice sculptures with guns in preparation for battle posture. Since then, the "Ice Sculpture Company" has become a spiritual monument and a cultural symbol, which has been recorded in military history.
While sorting out the relics of the warriors, a shanghainese warrior, Song Amao, found a letter with a unique letter: "Ice and snow! I will never submit to you, even if I freeze to death, I will stand proudly on my position! ”
The bones of the Volunteers are harder than the steel of the United States of America!
In "The Coldest Winter", there is a scene in which Davis, who grew up on a farm in upstate New York, can't help but think of the rolling wheat waves in his hometown. Now the sight was chilling, with thousands of soldiers coming at them. Even if you knock down one, there will be the next; even if you knock down a hundred, there will be another hundred predecessors and successors.
In 1950, the total industrial and agricultural output value of New China was only 57.4 billion yuan, which was not equivalent to the tail of the total industrial and agricultural output value of the United States; the Chinese army only had more than 190 artillery pieces of more than 70 mm per army, which was half of the combat equipment equipped by a division of the US army. At that time, there were no regular air force units in the country, and there were few anti-aircraft weapons.
Many people have asked, what is the reason for the Chinese army to win the war on the Korean battlefield where China and the United States are at war.
In addition to wise guidance and people's support, many answers will point to "a spirit" .
"In the Great War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea, the Chinese Volunteer Army successively entered the DPRK to participate in the war with a total of more than 2.9 million troops, and after two years and nine months of bloody struggle, a total of more than 710,000 enemy casualties were killed and wounded, and the volunteers themselves suffered more than 360,000 casualties..." This set of data was recorded on the wall of the memorial hall of the Memorial Hall for Resisting US Aggression and Aiding Korea.
Cross the Yalu River
Since the opening of the new museum in 1993, more than 12 million people from all walks of life have come to visit and study, and Zhang Xiaoying, deputy director of the Memorial Hall for Resisting US Aggression and Aiding Korea and an expert in the study of the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea, is very familiar with this period of history, especially the heroic deeds of those who sacrificed themselves in the Korean battlefield.
On October 14, 1952, the "United Nations Army" mobilized more than 60,000 troops and dispatched more than 3,000 aircraft to launch a fierce attack on the Shangganling position of about 3.7 square kilometers of the two companies of the Volunteer Army.
The fierce fighting lasted until 25 November. During the 43-day battle, the Volunteers and the "United Nations Army" repeatedly fought for positions 59 times, and the Volunteers repelled more than 900 "United Nations Army" charges.
The heroes who emerge are well known. Huang Jiguang used his chest to block the eye of the enemy machine gun that was firing wildly and died heroically, and Chinese people's volunteers posthumously awarded him the title of "special hero"; Yang Gensi repelled 8 attacks of the US army in succession, and at a critical moment, he picked up the only package of explosives, pulled the fuse, and rushed toward the enemy group; Sun Zhanyuan's legs were blown off by bullets, so he crawled and insisted on commanding the battle, and took out grenades and died with the enemy without bullets.
Special Combat Hero Yang Gensi
Because of her research on war sites, Zhang Xiaoying walked through many places along dandong and the Yalu River. For example, the volunteer air force airfield, the starting point of the steel transport line, etc., decades have passed, and only a few cities and villages can still be found.
Once, when Zhang Xiaoying went to visit a site, when her companion told her to identify according to the terrain, she suddenly realized, "The river will change, but the mountains and rivers will not change." During the interview, she blushed several times, and the scene of the arduous battle seemed to be in front of her.
The history museum of a certain division of the Air Force Aviation Corps in the Southern Theater also displays objects from the pilots who participated in the war in those years, and when someone comes to visit, they will always understand the tragic and magnificent history.
At 2:00 p.m. on November 30, 1951, the signal for take-off over the airfield was sent, and the captain of the brigade, Akira Takazuki, led nine Tu-2 bombers to take off one by one, with the goal of bombing Yamato Island, where the US intelligence agency was located.
The gloves used by the combat hero Liu Shaoji
Soon, enemy aircraft appeared in front of Gao Yueming's flying group. Although the clouds at the end of the sea were thick and the vision was blurred, Gao Yueming quickly judged that there were more than 30 of the latest F-86 jet fighters.
While organizing escort aircraft to maneuver with enemy aircraft, Gao Yueming continued to lead 9 bombers to fly according to the original plan. Many escort planes were shot down by enemy planes in order to complete the mission, and a bomber piloted by pilot Bi Wubin was also shot.
Soon, a little dark shadow appeared faintly under the sea, Yamato Island appeared, and ground anti-aircraft guns also hit the air. Three of the 9 bombers were hit and caught fire, the planes lost their balance but still did not leave the team, 9 bombers gradually entered the target, and when the bombs were dropped, several injured aircraft chose to plunge headlong into Yamato Island.
Memories that accompany a lifetime
Every year, when the return ceremony of the remains of the korean volunteers is held, a large number of citizens will always spontaneously come to pay tribute to the martyrs at the entrance of the Martyrs' Cemetery of the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea in Shenyang, including many veterans who are still alive.
Every year during the Qingming Dynasty, Sun Deshan would come to the Martyrs' Cemetery to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea to visit the graves of the martyrs. In 1949, the 16-year-old Sun Deshan voluntarily joined the army despite his family's objections and crossed the Yalu River with the troops the following year.
Sun Deshan
Outside the cemetery, Sun Deshan, dressed in a green military uniform and wearing a military medal on his clothes, was often particularly conspicuous in the crowd. If someone asks, he will talk about that past, and he wants more young people to know about that history.
In order to commemorate his comrades-in-arms who sacrificed their lives, Sun Deshan also built an educational exhibition hall for the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea in his own yard. Sun Deshan, who has a meager income, relied on picking up waste products and built the exhibition hall, using more than 1,000 exhibits to remember history and show future generations.
The mountains and rivers are unharmed, and the heroes are in their twilight years. Among these veterans, some lovers died on the battlefield, some saved lives and treated the wounded as family members, and some were left with lifelong disabilities due to war... Memories from 70 years ago, accompanied by a lifetime.
Cao Jialin is a veteran of the Chinese Volunteer Army, and at the age of 15, he crossed the Yalu River with the Chinese Volunteer Army and served as a cultural and labor team of the Political Department of the 199th Division of the 67th Army of the Volunteer Army.
In October 1951, the 199th Division took up defensive combat missions in the Jincheng area, and at the height of the battle, the Volunteers and the Americans took turns to compete for the 818.9 heights, and every comrade who lived together day and night on the battlefield could be sacrificed.
One day, Cao Jialin encountered the withdrawn troops, tears flowed instantly, the first two companies of more than 300 soldiers, but now only a few dozen returned. As a young man, he has been cared for by every eldest brother in the army, twice injured, several times in distress, it is the comrades who fight to the death to survive.
Since 2000, Cao Jialin has gone to Korea nine times to commemorate the sacrifice of his comrades-in-arms, and has been working hard to find relatives for the martyrs of the Volunteer Army. In 2019, Cao Jialin climbed the Pine Bone Peak and brought back 20 catties of soil for the descendants and relatives of the heroic martyrs.
Everyone's way of remembering martyrs is different, in the eyes of Lin Yuhui, who is good at simulating portraits, through his own brush, let future generations know their appearance, which is also a contribution.
Earlier, a 70-year-old descendant of a martyr rushed from Hunan to the home of Lin Yuhui in Shandong Province, and his father died in the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea, when he was 3 years old and his younger brother was just born. Later, the brothers inherited their father's legacy and joined the army, but there was always a regret in their hearts - they could not find their father's body, let alone their father's appearance.
Seeing that the other party was old and came from out of town, Lin Yuhui completed the painting all night. When he got the painting, the 70-year-old man burst into tears.
Time will pass, the former martyrs may gradually disappear into people's memories, and what Lin Yuhui wants to do is to use the paintbrush in his hand to leave those figures that cannot be forgotten on the paper.
Some sources:
Wang Shuzeng, "Korean War"
CCTV news client "Wu Qianli in the movie" really exists! 》
[Reporter] Cao Jianjian Zhou Qianxin
【Photography】 Wu Ming
【Author】 Cao Jianjian; Wu Ming; Zhou Qianxin
Ayai Detective Barracks
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