In 1986, 37 years after the founding of the People's Republic of China, Chen Geng, Su Yu, Xu Shiyou, Liang Xingchu and other famous generals had already passed away, and four of the ten marshals were still alive. In June of this year, in order to compile the history of the Red Fourth Front, the surviving veterans of the Four Fronts gathered together very rarely and left a precious group photo.
The famous generals in the group photo are all outstanding in battle, and after the founding of the People's Republic of China, they once held important positions, and at least 7 commanders of the large military regions could be found from them, 5 generals sitting in the front row, at least the founding lieutenant generals, and there were also many famous generals standing respectfully in the back row.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="4" > General Chen Xilian, who was the commander of two major military regions, was the first on the right in the front row</h1>
In the front row, on the right, the white-haired and glasses-wearer was General Chen Xilian. One of the three Chens of Liu Deng's army, Chen Xilian was a native of Hong'an, Hubei Province, who joined the Red Army at the age of 14 and served as regimental political commissar and division political commissar in the Red Fourth Front.
In 1935, the two main divisions of the Red Army, Zhang Guotao also specially introduced Chen Xilian to Premier Zhou, saying that this was the youngest political commissar of our Red Fourth Front, named Chen Xilian, nicknamed Xiaogang Cannon, who was only 20 years old. 20 years old is the level of a full teacher, really young and promising, outstanding.
Chen Xilian and the commander-in-chief Xu Xiangqian had a very deep relationship, he was repulsed and almost killed, and at the critical moment, it was Xu Xiangqian who saved his life. In 1990, Xu Xiangqian was critically ill, and Chen Xilian rushed to hear the news and said with great sorrow,
Mr. Xu saved my life that year, and I really wanted to save Mr. Xu's life!
After the founding of the People's Republic of China, Chen Xilian served as the first commander of artillery, the commander of the Shenyang Military Region, and the commander of the Beijing Military Region, and was one of the 57 founding generals. In 1980, Chen Xilian stepped down as commander of the Beijing Military Region and retired to the second line, and by the time the group photo was taken in 1986, he was 71 years old and no longer served in the army, so he did not wear a military uniform. In 1999, Chen Xilian died.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="99" > second from right in the front row, General Chen Zaidao, who was the commander of the Wuhan Military Region</h1>
Sitting next to Chen Xilian was General Chen Zaidao, dressed in a suit and full of silver hair. Chen Zaidao was another of the three Chens in Liu Deng's army. Chen Xilian and Chen Zaidao were both present, but what about Chen Geng? General Chen Geng died of illness as early as 1961.
Chen Zaidao, a native of Macheng, Hubei Province, was very old in the revolution, participated in the jute uprising, and then moved to Mulan Mountain to insist on guerrilla warfare, and was one of the 72 warriors of Mulan Mountain. In 1931, the Red Fourth Front was established, and Chen Zaidao was already the battalion commander.
The Red Fourth Front entered Sichuan, Chen Zaidao was promoted to division commander, and by the end of the Long March, Chen Zaidao was promoted to the commander of the Red Fourth Army. After the founding of New China, Chen Zaidao was the first commander of the Wuhan Military Region, and later served as the commander of the railway troops.
In 1983, Chen Zaidao left the army to serve as vice chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and became a vice-state leader, so in the group photo he wore a suit and no longer served in the army. Chen Zaidao died in 1993 at the age of 84.
Chen Zaidao fought under the leadership of Xu Qianqian for a long time, and in 1987, the memoirs of General Chen Zaidao were published, and the elderly Xu Xiangqian personally wrote a preface for his old subordinates, and Xu Xiangqian spoke highly of Chen Zaidao, calling him a "heroic warrior" and a soldier who had withstood the test of decades of war.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="98" > third from the right in the front row, Li Desheng, political commissar of the National Defense University</h1>
Next to Chen Zaidao was a general in military uniform named Li Desheng, a native of Xinxian County, Henan, who joined the Red Army at the age of 14. Soon after joining the army, Li Desheng saw a tall man with a thin body, and he asked the squad leader curiously,
Who's that?
The squad leader replied,
His fame is great, and he is Xu Xiangqian, the deputy commander of our 31st Division.
A few days later, Li Desheng saw Xu Xiangqian again, and Xu Xiangqian saw a gun without a crosshair, and asked who owned it? How to aim without a crosshair? How many bullets are there? Li Desheng replied one by one, which was the gun issued to him by the squad leader.
This was the first time that Li Desheng had direct contact with Xu Xiangqian, and later, he saw Xu Xiangqian speak to everyone many times, which was very admirable and left a deep impression.
(Li Desheng and Xu Xiangqian)
After the founding of the People's Republic of China, Li Desheng was appointed as a major general, and served as commander of the Beijing Military Region, commander of the Shenyang Military Region, vice chairman of the Central Committee, member of the Politburo Standing Committee, and an official at the level of Zhengguo. After stepping down as commander of the Grand Military Region, Li Desheng served as the political commissar of the National Defense University.
So when he took the group photo, he was wearing a military uniform, he was 70 years old at the time, and he still held an important position in the army. In 1988, Li Desheng was awarded the title of general in this capacity. In 2011, Li Desheng died at the age of 96.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="97" > the front row left, was the commander of the Beijing Military Region at that time</h1>
In the front row, on the left, dressed in military uniform was Qin Jiwei, then commander of the Beijing Military Region. Qin Jiwei, a native of Hong'an, Hubei Province, joined the Red Army at the age of 15, and he was very close to the commander-in-chief Xu Xiangqian. Once, Qin Jiwei, who was a platoon leader, was taken away by the military department.
He was shocked, and thought that he had become a villain. Who knew that it was not Zhang Guotao who was looking for him, but the commander-in-chief Xu Xiangqian who was looking for him. Xu Xiangqian asked him some questions and promoted him to the position of commander of the pistol battalion at headquarters. It turned out that once, Xu Qianqian inspected the troops and found that Qin Jiwei had trained the troops at a very high level, so he remembered him.
In this promotion, Qin Jiwei came to work beside the chief. He was not satisfied with this, one day, Xu Xiangqian was tired from work, went to the courtyard to move his muscles, saw Qin Jiwei, and chatted with him. Qin Jiwei complained,
I always stand guard here, and when I fight, I can't take my turn, and I am very depressed.
Xu Xiangqian understood the thoughts of his subordinates, smiled and said,
Qin Jiwei, it is not addictive, you have a big voice, give you a task, to the front line to shout.
Qin Jiwei asked,
Can I fire?
Xu Xiangqian said,
Shouting is to disintegrate the enemy and launch a political offensive, generally do not open fire, remember, use the way of soldiers, attack the heart is the top, the siege is the bottom. The battle of the heart is the top, and the war of the soldiers is the bottom.
Qin Jiwei was lowly educated and had not studied the art of war, but he understood Mr. Xu's words, that is, to launch a political offensive against the enemy. He remembered those words. Later, he was promoted to the head of the guard regiment, and was still responsible for protecting the safety of Xu Qianqian and other chiefs.
After the founding of the People's Republic of China, Qin Jiwei served as commander of the Kunming Military Region and commander of the Chengdu Military Region, took over as commander of the Beijing Military Region in 1980, served as commander of three major military regions, and served as the minister of national defense in 1988 and was awarded the title of general. In 1997, Qin Jiwei died.
(Hong Xuezhi and Qin Jiwei visit Marshal Xu Xiangqian)
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="96" > the front row second from the left, the big housekeeper of the general logistics department</h1>
In the front row, second from the left, next to Qin Jiwei, dressed in military uniform is Hong Xuezhi, a native of Jinzhai, Anhui. The several introduced earlier, Chen Xilian, Chen Zaidao, Li Desheng, and Qin Jiwei were all fierce generals who charged into the battlefield, leading troops to fight on the front line, and they were all representative generals of the Red Fourth Front.
The biggest feature of the Red Fourth Front is that it can fight and fight hard battles. In the Red Fourth Front, Hong Xuezhi has been doing political work for a long time, serving as director of the division's political department and director of the military's political department.
After the founding of the People's Republic of China, Hong Xuezhi did not serve as the commander of the Grand Military Region, and he served twice as the general logistics minister, and was recognized as a logistics expert by the whole army. Xu Xiangqian served as the minister of national defense in his later years, and when he heard that the logistics staff complained about inferiority, he asked Hong Xuezhi,
Some logistics personnel say that they are inferior, are you also inferior?
Hong Xuezhi was also Xu Xiangqian's old subordinate, and he sighed and said,
My job as logistics minister is to be scolded.
Some people scolded it, indicating that you, the logistics minister, are the leaders of democracy, and in the war years, without logistical support, it is impossible to win a war.
The old chief's words warmed Hong Xuezhi's heart, and he conveyed Xu Shuai's instructions in time. Xu Xiangqian also personally presided over the logistics work conference, stressing that logistics work is a major issue that determines the fate of the war. Xu Xiangqian's speech greatly encouraged Hong Xuezhi and other logistics personnel.
In 1980, veteran General Hong Xuezhi became the general logistics minister for the second time, and in 1985, he also served as the political commissar of the general logistics department, he was the chief steward of the general logistics department, and still held an important position in the army, so in the group photo, he was dressed in military uniform. In 1988, Hong Xuezhi was again awarded the title of general as deputy secretary general of the Central Military Commission. He was the number one general in 1988. In 2006, Hong Xuezhi died at the age of 94.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="95" > front row C, is the old chief of everyone, next to his wife</h1>
Sitting in the front row in the C position is an old handsome man with glasses, Xu Xiangqian. Xu Xiangqian should naturally sit in the C position, because no matter how high the rank is, they are not as high as him, no matter how big the position is, they are not big enough for him, they are all Xu Xiangqian's soldiers.
As the sole commander-in-chief of the Red Fourth Front, Xu Xiangqian won the respect and love of almost all the officers of the Red Fourth Front. Why? There are at least three reasons.
(Mr. and Mrs. Xu Xiangqian)
First, Xu Xiangqian is the commander-in-chief of the Red Fourth Front, and respecting the chief is one of the fine traditions of our army, such as Li Desheng, who later became an official at the level of zhengguo, but Xu Xiangqian will always be his chief, and when he sees Xu Xiangqian, he must respectfully shout the boss, the old marshal.
Second, Xu Xiangqian cultivated the fighting style of the Red Fourth Front, and in his personal memoirs, Xu Xiangqian summarized the fighting style of the Red Fourth Front army into five words: fierce, hard, fast, fierce, and alive. Every word embodies Xu Xiangqian's painstaking efforts. Without Xu Xiangqian, there would be no these five words, and there would be no Red Fourth Front Army that would shock the world. Chen Xilian, Chen Zaidao, Li Desheng, Qin Jiwei, Hong Xuezhi, and others created their own outstanding battle achievements, all of which were inseparable from Xu Xiangqian's cultivation. The late mad general Wang Jinshan also said that he had learned to fight with Xu Qianqian.
Third, Xu Xiangqian was highly respected and saved many people. As the head of the Red Fourth Front, Xu Xiangqian loved every one of his soldiers, he never saved the lives of Chen Xilian and many other soldiers, and taught Qin Jiwei to fight and learn to do political work. Touching people with virtue and educating people with love, Xu Xiangqian is a good chief and teacher loved by all the officers and men of the Red Fourth Front. He must sit in the C position.
Next to Xu Xiangqian was his wife Huang Jie. They are a revolutionary couple with a very long life. Xu Xiangqian died in 1990 at the age of 89, and Huang Jie died in 2007 at the age of 97.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="94" > three generals who had served as commanders of large military regions obediently stood in the back row</h1>
After saying that they sat in front of them, and then the row standing in the back, their positions were not low.
The one on the right wearing glasses is called Du Yide, a native of Huangpi, Wuhan, who is also deeply loved by Xu Qianqian. After Du Yide was promoted to the political commissar of the division, Zhang Guotao wanted to rectify him and asked Xu Xiangqian,
Duyd has no problems.
This person joined the Red Guards at the age of 16, joined the Red Army at the age of 18, and joined the Party at the age of 19.
Xu Xiangqian said this, then there must be no problem. Zhang Guotao had no choice but to push the boat along the water and said,
Then let him go to war.
Leave him to me.
Du Yide, who had been dismissed from his post, came to Xu Xiangqian's side and became a combat staff officer.
After the two main forces of the Red Army met the division, Du Yide served as the commander of the direct column, and Xu Xiangqian put him in charge of the headquarters of the front army. At the end of the Long March, Du Yide was promoted to commander of the cavalry division. After the founding of New China, Du Yide was appointed as a founding lieutenant general and served as the commander of the Lanzhou Military Region.
In 1982, Du Yide took the initiative to retire to the second line and no longer serve in the army, so he did not wear a military uniform in the group photo. In 2009, Du Yide died at the age of 98.
Dressed in military uniforms on the right in the back row, Lieutenant General Xu Shenji, a native of Hong'an, Hubei Province. The Eighth Route Army was established, and Xu Shenji was one of the main commanders of the 129th Division, because of his poor health, his later battle achievements were not significant. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, Xu Shenji served as deputy commander of the Air Force and deputy commander of the Beijing Military Region, and in 1975, after retiring to the second line, he still served as an adviser to the Beijing Military Region and enjoyed the full-time treatment of the Grand Military Region, so he wore a military uniform in the group photo. In 2000, Xu Shenji died at the age of 90.
(Xu Xiangqian and Zheng Weishan)
The general with glasses next to Xu Shenji was Zheng Weishan, a native of Xinxian County, Henan, a very outstanding young division political commissar of the Red Fourth Front, who was awarded the title of founding lieutenant general after the founding of the People's Republic of China, and served as commander of the Beijing Military Region and commander of the Lanzhou Military Region. In 2000, Zheng Weishan died at the age of 85.
Next to Zheng Weishan was Major General Wang Chenghan, a native of Hong'an, Hubei Province, and a general of the Red 25th Army. In terms of sequence, the Red 25th Army was also subordinate to the Red Fourth Front, and Wang Chenghan was also Xu Xiangqian's soldier. After the founding of New China, Wang Chenghan served as the commander of the Chengdu Military Region, and after leaving office, he went to Beijing to serve as the political commissar of the Academy of Military Sciences, and still held an important position in the army, so in the group photo, he was dressed in military uniform, and in 1988, Wang Chenghan was awarded this position as a general. In 2009, Wang Chenghan died at the age of 92.
Chen Xilian, Chen Zaidao, Li Desheng, Qin Jiwei, Du Yide, Zheng Weishan, Wang Chenghan, at least 7 generals in the group photo have served as commanders of the Grand Military Region, as well as Hong Xuezhi, Chen Xilian, Chen Zaidao and other 3 founding generals, they are all Xu Xiangqian's soldiers, so closely around Xu Xiangqian, let Xu Xiangqian sit in the C seat.
As mentioned earlier, this group photo was taken in 1986, so it is said that the generals in the group photo are all very old,000 years old, and several of them have lived for more than 90 years. Hats off to the founding generals who worked hard!
This article refers to: "Memoirs of Chen Xilian", "Memoirs of Chen Zaidao", "Memoirs of Qin Jiwei", "Memoirs of Li Desheng" and other books, like readers and friends, welcome to click to follow, or leave your valuable comments.
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