There is a saying circulating in the troops called "third-class merit standing collar, second-class merit lying collar, first-class merit family collar"! And there was such a soldier who had made nine special merits by himself, and everyone in the army knew that the special merit was even more difficult to obtain than the first class merit!
He was also the only one in the four million troops!
3 Nine times special merit hero Zhang Yingcai
On September 25, 1950, Chairman Mao Zedong and 258 combat heroes attended the National Conference of Combat Heroes, which brought together combat heroes from all units across the country.
Everyone actively exchanged and studied, and the chairman made a speech, and among the participants, there was one person who was particularly concerned by the chairman, and he was Zhang Yingcai!
The man, who is only in his 20s, has already received nine special merits and three battle hero titles. It is not easy to know that a person can obtain a special merit once.
He joined the army at the age of 15, took the lead many times, and won nine special merits!
Born in 1924 in Shanxi, Zhang Yingcai joined the Eighth Route Army in 1939 and began his decades-long military career. In the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the War of Liberation, he led his troops to defeat and annihilate the enemy.
In the Shangdang Campaign, Zhang Yingcai's regiment was tasked with conquering Changzhi Beiguan. Zhang Yingcai led the company to begin to attack in the dark of night. Many enemy troops were destroyed.
Because of the unfamiliar terrain, Zhang Yingcai's company was suddenly surrounded by the enemy. But Zhang Yingcai organized the warriors to rely on the terrain to organize defenses. In this way, Zhang Yingcai's company held out from morning until dark, repelled 22 enemy attacks throughout the day, killed more than 300 enemy troops, and the enemy never broke through the positions of the Ninth Company.
In this campaign, in order to commend the heroic deeds of the Ninth Company in killing the enemy, the column immediately published the news in the Line of Fire War Newspaper that the Ninth Company was awarded the title of "Iron Ninth Company."
In the Battle of Dongyang Village in the Battle of Lüliang, he led more than thirty fighters to break into the enemy's position, and in the case of being attacked on three sides, insisted on fighting for 4 hours until the whole regiment attacked and annihilated the enemy, and won the title of special combat hero.
Zhang Yingcai experienced one or two hundred battles in the war years, and won nine special merits and three battle hero titles. This is also rare among the four million troops. He is also known as the King of Soldiers in the army!
In 1954, Zhang Yingcai also met Chairman Mao again, and the two exchanged a lot of time, and in 1955 Zhang Yingcai was awarded the rank of colonel!
Dedicate yourself to the army for life and enjoy your old age!
Zhang Yingcai joined the army at the age of 15, and the second half of his life was closely linked to the army. After being awarded the rank of colonel in 1955, he also served in the army in the following decades.
In 1980, Zhang Yingcai was transferred to the deputy commander of the 50th Army. And retired here, after retiring in 1983. Zhang Yingcai lives in Sichuan. In 2017, General Zhang Yingcai died in the Chengdu Military Region Hospital at the age of 93.
From joining the army to the army at a young age, to dying in the military district hospital in old age. The veteran general Zhang Yingcai has spent his whole life interpreting the spirit of serving the people and dedicating himself to the troops!