In 1974, in an ordinary home in Huaibei City, Anhui Province, China, a sudden fire mercilessly engulfed everything. That year, Song Huaizhong was only five years old, and an unintentional act of hers ignited a fire that caused everything in her home to turn to ashes.
44 years later, it was discovered that the little girl had inadvertently burned not only the belongings of the family, but also a box of precious medals, a symbol of honor won by her father in the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea.
But this truth was not known until 2018 when Song Huaizhong and his family were able to know. What kind of story is this?
In 2018, Huaibei City, Anhui Province, was collecting information on veterans in Lieshan District. Ma Hualun, director of the Lieshan District Veterans Service Center, was attracted by an ordinary information sheet in the process.
The owner of the form is an elderly man over 90 years old, Song Liangyou, and his youngest daughter Song Huaizhong filled it out on his behalf. One of the simple lines of text - "He once fought in North Korea and made meritorious contributions" aroused Ma Warren's curiosity.
Ma Warren knows little about Song Liangyou's past, but he has been friends with Song Huaizhong for many years. However, even after many years of communication, Ma Warren has never heard of Song Liangyou's heroic deeds on the battlefield.
He decided to conduct an in-depth investigation and found that Song Liangyou not only participated in the key battles of the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea, such as the Battle of Changjin Lake, but also made great contributions on the battlefield, winning the honor of first-class merit twice.
This discovery shocked Warren Ma. He decided to visit Song Liangyou's home in person. Ma Jicai, the eldest son-in-law of the Song family, took out a yellowed meritorious service report under Ma Hualun's inquiry.
Although this good news has been preserved relatively intact, its content is not Song Liangyou's exploits on the Korean battlefield, but a third-class meritorious service in a post-war exercise.
Song Huaizhong remembered a childhood incident at this time. She recalls a fire she accidentally started when she was five years old, and the fire engulfed a box full of colorful tickets and iron signs.
Mr. Ma speculated that the tickets might be North Korean banknotes, while the iron plates might be Song Liangyou's medal. This means that almost all the glory of Song Liangyou's life was reduced to ashes in that fire.
In order to find out all this, Ma Warren personally met with Song Liangyou. Although Song Lao's body and memory were not as good as before, he could still clearly report his troop number, and as soon as he heard the familiar military song, he could sing it in high spirits.
These fragments, although sporadic, profoundly reflect his indelible fighting spirit and deep memories of the past.
In the autumn of 1928, Song Liangyou was born in a poor farming family in Liucheng Town, Huaiyuan County, Anhui Province. Growing up in a war-torn era, he experienced the brutality of the Japanese invaders, and his deep hatred for the enemy was already buried in his heart.
The young Song Liangyou longed to join the New Fourth Army and fight against the invaders, but with the surrender of Japan, he lost the opportunity to directly confront the enemy on the battlefield.
In 1949, at the age of 20, Song Liangyou joined the Chinese People's Liberation Army and became a soldier in the 12th Company of the 3rd Battalion of the 241st Regiment of the 81st Division of the 27th Army. He participated in the Battle of Shanghai, the end of the Liberation War, and with his bravery and tenacity, he quickly stood out and became an infantry squad leader.
On June 25, 1950, the flames of war on the Korean Peninsula were rekindled. In the face of foreign aggression, Chairman Mao and the central leaders' call resounded throughout the country: "Resist US aggression and aid Korea, protect the home and defend the country." In October, the Chinese People's Volunteers crossed the Yalu River and officially joined the battle, including Song Liangyou's 9th Corps.
In November, Song Liangyou and his comrades-in-arms embarked on the "Big Stuffy Tank" train to North Korea. The 9th Corps, as an ace unit, has a strong force of about 160,000 men. However, due to the urgency of the war situation, the troops appeared to be in a hurry in terms of combat readiness and logistical support, and even entered the Korean battlefield without being prepared at all.
Winters in North Korea are harsh and cold, especially in the mountainous and hilly areas of the north, where temperatures are much cooler than in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. Most of the soldiers from the south, although accustomed to hard fighting, were not adapted to the low temperature of the north.
Shortly after entering the territory of North Korea, the troops encountered a violent cold snap. Lacking winter equipment, the soldiers of the unit struggled in the bitter cold wind, and could only use thin blankets to protect themselves from the cold at night, and only wore winter clothes that were not enough to withstand the cold during the day.
Frostbite became a common problem, and many soldiers' toes turned purple at first, then blackened, and eventually turned into chilblains, seriously affecting the ability to march. The ears and hands are also often frostbitten and swollen, bleeding and pus. In such an environment, many volunteer soldiers unfortunately died or were injured, and the sight of freezing to death and frostbite is sad.
Faced with the scene of the sacrifice and injury of his comrades-in-arms, Song Liangyou swore in his heart that he would not be afraid of sacrifice and death, and resolutely drove US imperialism out of Korea to protect the security of the country.
When the 27th Army entered the Korean battlefield and participated in the second battle of the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea, Song Liangyou's 81st Division faced an unprecedented challenge: the famous and brutal Battle of Changjin Lake.
In November 1950, the U.S. military launched a fierce attack on the Chinese People's Volunteers. At this critical moment, the 9th Corps was ordered to annihilate the US 10th Army advancing to Changjin Lake. The Changjin Lake area, with its steep terrain and extreme weather, has become the most bitter battlefield in the war.
The mountains are densely forested, the roads are narrow, and the population is sparse, and the temperature often drops to minus 40 degrees Celsius at night. The cold winter of that year was particularly harsh and brought unprecedented challenges to the volunteers.
On November 27, about 80,000 men of the 20th and 27th Corps of the 9th Corps began to attack the enemy. On this day, a sudden heavy snowfall fell on Changjin Lake, and the temperature plummeted, bringing great difficulties to the supply. But at the same time, the snow also covered the actions of the volunteers, allowing them to quietly approach the enemy positions.
The soldiers of the 9th Corps hid in the ice and snow for six whole days. It was not until the evening of the sixth day that the troops finally sounded the trumpet of the charge. Song Liangyou, who was almost unconscious by the severe cold, suddenly got up from the snow and led his comrades to rush towards the enemy.
However, the tragic reality is in front of us, and many comrades-in-arms have been frozen and frozen to death in the extreme cold. They froze into statues and could no longer stand up. Still, there were many more fighters dragging their frozen legs and continuing to charge.
The U.S. military was caught off guard and plunged into a state of confusion. But they quickly restored order and built a strong defensive ring with 200 tanks as the core. Despite our lack of firepower and severe frostbite from our fighters, the 9th Corps was unable to settle the battle that night, and the two sides were in a stalemate.
The next day, the U.S. military began to use its air and ground superiority to counterattack. Song Liangyou, as the squad leader and chief machine gunner, was selected as a member of the commando team for his perseverance, resourcefulness, and bravery. In the battle of Xinxingli, Song Liangyou suffered a serious injury, but he also made immortal achievements in the process.
In the early morning of November 30, 1950, on the battlefield in the Sinsing-ri area, tension and atmosphere reached a boiling point. Song Liangyou's 241st Regiment of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army quickly broke through the forward defense of the US army.
However, in the process of continuing to penetrate deep into the enemy position, they met fierce resistance and suffered heavy losses. At the same time, the US military, in the face of continuous encirclement and siege, decided to break through at any cost.
The U.S. army's breakout plan was aimed at a key high ground that Song Liangyou's 3rd Battalion and 12th Company were responsible for guarding. The strategic location of this high ground was crucial to the success or failure of both sides, and as a result, it quickly became the center of the bloody battle.
In order to seize this height, the American army launched a fierce offensive. In the sky, the bombardment of fighter jets continued, and on the ground, tanks and infantry took turns to attack. Artillery fire rained down, gunsmoke obscured the sky, and the entire battlefield became chaotic and brutal.
Song Liangyou and his comrades-in-arms showed a heroic and fearless spirit in this arduous battle. Watching his comrades-in-arms fall, Song Liangyou's heart was filled with pain and anger, and his eyes became bloodshot.
The machine gun in his hand is like a roaring beast, constantly spitting deadly bullets in the direction of the enemy. In his heart, there was only one thought - to avenge his comrades and defeat the invaders.
At the most intense moment of the battle, a shell exploded next to Song Liangyou. A huge shockwave tossed him into the air, eventually landing heavily on a tree. Song Liangyou's abdomen was blasted out of a huge hole, and his intestines flowed out, and he was in great pain. In such severe pain, he passed out.
After an unknown time, the echo of gunfire in the distance woke Song Liangyou from his coma. Fighting through the pain, he shoved his intestines back into his stomach one by one, and tightened the wound with his belt. Then, with strong willpower, he crawled back to his unit alone.
Song Liangyou, who returned to the army, was no longer able to continue fighting. The head of the unit immediately ordered him to be sent to the hospital for treatment. In the hospital, doctors were shocked by the extent of his injuries. His abdomen had more than 50 stitches stitched.
After the operation, he was in a coma for another three days and three nights, and finally miraculously woke up. Doctors called it miraculous that he survived.
Since then, Song Liangyou has been left with a deep scar on his abdomen, which has become a permanent testament to his bravery on the battlefield. For his bravery in the battle of Xinxingli, he was awarded the title of Battle Hero and was awarded a first-class meritorious service.
After the victory of the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea, Song Liangyou and his troops returned to China with honors. Song Liangyou, who returned to the embrace of the motherland, experienced the baptism of war and strengthened his belief in dedication to the country. He was first assigned to the 81st Division's Demobilization and Construction Regiment to support local construction work.
In 1954, Song Liangyou took off his military uniform, ended his military career, and officially retired.
After retiring, Song Liangyou temporarily returned to the countryside of his hometown and began a life as a farmer. Soon after, the local government arranged a job for him as a bricklayer at the Datong Coal Mine in Huainan.
In the face of such an arrangement, Song Liangyou had no complaints, and he humbly said: "I am a brick of the revolution, and I can move it wherever it is needed!" In this way, he worked in the bricklayer post for three full years.
In November 1958, the first coal mine in Huaibei Mining Area, Lieshan Coal Mine, was put into operation. After learning the news, Song Liangyou decided to go north to support the construction of the Huaibei Coal Mine.
He left the Huainan Coal Mine and became a worker at the Lieshan Coal Mine. At the Lieshan Coal Mine, he no longer worked as a bricklayer, but went underground to work in the more arduous and dangerous work of coal mining.
The underground working environment is difficult, but for Song Liangyou, who has experienced the battlefield of life and death, such dangers and hardships are nothing. Together with other miners, he got up early and went down to the depths of the mine every day to dig coal.
In the eyes of the workers, Song Liangyou is a taciturn but diligent person, who always takes on the most difficult tasks without complaint.
Soon, with his excellent work performance and high popularity, he was appointed squad leader. Under his leadership, the coal mining volume of the team often ranks among the top in the whole mine, and he is also affectionately called "locomotive squad leader" by his workers.
Although he made great achievements on the battlefield, Song Liangyou never showed off his exploits in front of his co-workers. Even when he occasionally talked about resisting US aggression and aiding Korea, he always talked about those sacrificed comrades-in-arms and their heroic deeds. This humility and low profile make his identity as a combat hero almost unknown on weekdays.
In the nearly 30 years of working in the coal mine, Song Liangyou has always maintained a diligent work attitude, whether it is underground or on the surface, he has undertaken the hardest labor.
But even so, Song Liangyou has never complained, nor has he ever delayed work for personal reasons.
Until his retirement in 1984, Song Liangyou's life was still so low-key and ordinary. His medals and certificates, which were once used as toys by children, were burned in a fire in 1972, making his exploits and glory even more obscure. Even in his own family, he rarely mentioned his heroic performance in the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea.
It wasn't until 2020 that it was discovered that this unknown old man was actually a real hero, but he always maintained a humble and low-key attitude to life.