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Text: Zhang Yilei
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introduction
In the border battle more than 40 years ago, Tang Lizhong, who was only 18 years old at the time, enlisted in the army and stepped on the battlefield filled with gunpowder without hesitation.
He was once a nationally known battle hero of that era, his name and deeds were praised on the battlefield of life and death, and he marched forward bravely again and again in the smoke of gunfire. But he was awarded a first-class merit at that time, but what happened to him?
(Self-defense counterattack against Vietnam)
First, the newcomers, new recruits enlist
Tang Lizhong was born into a very poor family. His parents had a hard life, and it was not easy to raise their children. He was born in the midst of three difficult years, with the people living in hardship and lack of food.
As a teenager, Tang Lizhong received a certain education, but because of his family's difficult economic conditions, he was unable to continue his studies. In order to reduce the burden on his family, Tang Lizhong went to work as a farmer in the countryside of Jianghua County after graduating from high school.
However, he was not satisfied with the life of farming and was eager to contribute to the country. In 1978, tensions between China and Vietnam encouraged young people to join the army as the country wanted to expand its military and increase its strength.
(Tang Lizhong)
Tang Lizhong, who was only 18 years old, responded to the call of the country and participated in the self-defense counterattack against Vietnam. He joined the army with his companions, and a total of twenty-two people were conscripted into the army, and the army was strict, and in the end sixteen people were eliminated, including only him and six others who qualified.
In 1979, when the Sino-Vietnamese War broke out and the war was in full swing, as a recruit, after a month of training, Tang Lizhong was assigned to the border line of the counterattack against Vietnam.
(Tang Lizhong and his comrades-in-arms)
However, before he reached the border line, he went directly to the seventh company to report for duty. In the recruit team at that time, Tang Lizhong's performance was eye-catching. He has outstanding qualities, which makes the leaders and instructors have high expectations of him.
Due to his excellent performance in the recruit company, Tang Lizhong joined the engineer platoon of the special service company of the 368th Regiment of the 123rd Division of the 41st Army and became an ordinary soldier in this war against Vietnam. And it was this seemingly ordinary recruit who showed extraordinary courage in the ensuing battle.
In February 1979, after Tang Lizhong was mobilized before the war, he had his last meal with his comrades-in-arms and went directly to the battlefield.
Second, go forward bravely and make a splash
On February 17, the Central Military Commission ordered a self-defense counterattack against Vietnamese aggression. The Vietnamese army had just gone through the baptism of war, and all the people were soldiers, but they were not afraid to fight the Chinese army.
(Sino-Vietnamese Counterattack)
At the beginning, under the offensive of the soldiers, our enemy army quickly attacked the city and plundered the ground, and at that time, Tang Lizhong had no time to rest because of many days of training. But because the war was about to start, he was in a state of tension physically and mentally, and he had never seen a big scene, so he hid in a ravine, waiting for the sound of signal flares and artillery fire.
But when he stood up, he found that there was an enemy standing on the opposite side of the ravine, and he shot straight at Tang Lizhong, the enemy's bullets were full of fire, and the fire attracted the attention of his comrades, and the bold Tang Lizhong threw the grenade directly without hesitation.
At this time, Tang Lizhong was like a divine help, not afraid of the other party at all, and even dodged around with bullets and artillery fire, and a grenade killed the other party on the opposite side of the trench.
(Battlefield of the Counterattack against Vietnam)
When the war was in full swing, Tang Lizhong's unit - this warrior division with the creed of "charging first", Tang Lizhong, a newborn calf who was not afraid of tigers, was favored by the squad leader and undertook a difficult task: to blow up the enemy's bunker.
Tang Lizhong picked up the explosives bag and rushed towards the enemy's bunker, and after being discovered by the Vietnamese army, he fired at him continuously, and rushed to the enemy trench without fear. The enemy fired at him continuously, their bullets almost passing through him, and the bullet holes on the ground were dense.
Tang Lizhong skillfully used the surrounding cover and obstacles, constantly changing positions to avoid enemy bullets. In the end, Tang Lizhong successfully rushed to the vicinity of the dark castle. He quickly placed the explosives bag and set off the fuse.
However, the trenches were filled with ammunition stored by enemy troops. When Tang Lizhong decisively detonated the explosive package, the chain reaction triggered the explosion of ammunition in the entire area, opening the way for the follow-up troops to attack.
(Tang Lizhong)
The squad leader was overjoyed, and led the rest of his comrades towards the other hidden forts, and after having the first experience, Tang Lizhong quickly sounded the fuse in the second hidden fort, and then decisively threw it towards the dark fort. With a deafening bang, the second bunker was completely destroyed.
During the third blasting, he actually broke the wooden handle on the fire pipe due to excessive force. In the face of difficulties, Tang Lizhong did not hesitate, he decisively bit the wire with his teeth to pull the fire. This time, the explosive pack finally exploded, but due to the poor position, only a small gap in the bunker was blown up, and the enemy machine guns were still firing wildly.
(Battlefield Situation)
At the time of the final blast, Tang Lizhong decided to take more decisive action. He cut the fuse to a length of only 5 centimeters, and then took a detour to climb to the top of the bunker.
He threw the explosive pack through the gap into the bunker, destroying it in one fell swoop. This action opened the way for the attacking troops to advance, and victory was in sight!
In this battle, Tang Lizhong, who was not as weak as the crown, was not afraid of hardships and dangers, fought bravely, and shocked southern Xinjiang. Because of his outstanding performance, Tang Lizhong, who had only been a soldier for 52 days, made first-class combat merits and was awarded the honorary title of "Demolition Hero" by the Central Military Commission.
(Tang Lizhong's youth)
3. Well deserved, with honor
In the face of the tide of applause and flowers, Tang Lizhong did not lose his heart. He knows that merit belongs to the past, and it is his mission to create the future. After the counterattack against Vietnam, in 1984, after graduating from the military academy, Tang Lizhong returned to his original army as a staff officer, and soon became a top trainer.
In July 1989, at the age of 29, he was invited to serve as an instructor in the third battalion. He demanded himself with the standard of pursuing the first and pursuing excellence, and led all officers and soldiers to work hard together.
(Tang Lizhong's youth)
Through continuous efforts, he succeeded in rewriting the history of the battalion for many years that it had not been able to reach the advanced level. Under his leadership, the battalion surpassed other units in one fell swoop and came out on top in the divisional competition that year.
Tang Lizhong also won two third-class meritorious services for his outstanding performance. His leadership and dedication have set an example for the battalion and won the respect and recognition of others, and he has also made outstanding contributions to the growth and progress of the troops with his outstanding leadership and personal charisma.
When Tang Lizhong was in the army, in less than 3 years, he stood out and was promoted to platoon commander. During his three-year tenure as company commander, the company he led was continuously rated as an advanced unit by the division and regiment.
The spring of 2000 was a turning point in Tang Lizhong's life, when he was transferred out of the combat unit to the Ministry of People's Armed Forces.
Some people feel sorry for him: If you, a heroic figure, stay in the combat unit, you will definitely have a bright future, so why don't you intercede with the old leader? Some people persuaded him: "Old Tang, you have worked hard in the combat unit for so many years, and now it is time to enjoy life to the fullest." ”
However, Tang Lizhong did not "enjoy life", but made some achievements in the Ministry of People's Armed Forces. He has the ability to organize conscription, militia military training, and militia political education, and has carried out a major rectification of work style and discipline, thus promoting the standardization of the armed system at the grassroots level.
In 2015, Tang Lizhong was awarded the rank of colonel for his excellent resume and outstanding achievements.
(Tang Lizhong conferred the military rank)
His personal growth and military talents became the object of Xi for other soldiers and officers, showing a good image of army building, and his performance in the army was widely recognized and appreciated.
Tang Lizhong's achievements in the army are the result of his continuous efforts and pursuit of excellence, and they are also the embodiment of his loyalty to the army and his dedication to the country. His achievements are not only his personal honor, but also the pride of the country and the army.
Resources:
《口述历史·老兵传奇》之唐立忠：“爆破英雄”五炸暗堡.深晚报报，2021-07-28 |
Ding Zhansuo,Sun Renhao,Ye Shijian,et al.Xingwu Entrepreneurship Exhibition——Tang Lizhong, Political Commissar of the People's Armed Forces Department of Kaiping City, Guangdong Province[J].China Militia,2004,(10):44-45.