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In 1979, General Liao Hansheng, then member of the Central Military Commission and first political commissar of the Nanjing Military Region, was dispatched by the central authorities to the Chengdu Military Region to give key guidance on military training methods and to conduct theoretical training classes for cadres.
Just as Liao Hansheng was about to start his work, a name on the training class list caught his attention.
Deputy Minister of the People's Armed Forces Department of Xicheng District, Chengdu Military Division, Xiang Xuan.
After seeing this name, Liao Hansheng suddenly became interested. Others don't know, but he knows very well in his heart that although this Xiang Xuan's position is not high, he is the youngest Red Army soldier on the Long March, and Chairman Mao personally met him.
Liao Hansheng
So he immediately inquired with the comrades of the Chengdu Military Region and wanted to meet this Comrade Xiang Xuan. Originally, the comrades of the Chengdu Military Region thought that the two were related, but as a result, nothing was found out. Who knew that as soon as Liao Hansheng and Xiang Xuan met, they chatted very familiarly, and even when Liao Hansheng asked about Xiang Xuan's administrative rank, he learned that he was only level 16 and bluntly said: It's a bit too low.
So what kind of friendship does General Liao Hansheng have with Xiang Xuan? And for Xiang Xuan, is the level of administrative level 16 really low?
You can’t judge a book by its cover
If you don't know Xiang Xuan, at first glance, you will definitely think that he is a cadre with less qualifications at best, but he is actually a veritable old qualification in our army.
Liao Hansheng
In August 1977, General Liao Hansheng was appointed a member of the Central Military Commission because he had resolutely supported the Party Central Committee's action to completely eradicate the "four-member group" the previous year, and concurrently served as the first political commissar of the Nanjing Military Region in September of the same year.
Under the influence of the 10-year catastrophe, the PLA units have noticeably lagged behind in their basic tactical training, campaign theoretical training, and ideological and political education. As a member of the Central Military Commission and also as the political commissar of the Nanjing Military Region, Liao Hansheng believes that he has the responsibility and obligation to re-establish the traditions of the troops.
In terms of ideology and politics, Liao Hansheng directly carried out the activities of learning the spirit of Lei Feng and the "hard-headed six companies", the former is a model of the times, and the latter was advocated by the Central Military Commission in early 1977.
Deng Gong
In terms of military affairs, Liao Hansheng first rehabilitated Guo Xingfu, together with his "Guo Xingfu Training Art of War". With the support of the Central Military Commission, Liao Hansheng will naturally be able to grasp military training with confidence.
In July 1957, after Liao Hansheng graduated from the Nanjing Military Academy, he stayed in the academy directly and took over the post of president of the Military Academy, so Liao Hansheng can be said to have quite an opinion on military training.
In addition, he also personally opened a campaign theory training class for leading cadres of the army, and thoroughly implemented the theme of "practice is the only criterion for testing truth," thus bringing about a relatively noticeable improvement in the troops of the Nanjing Military Region in a relatively short period of time.
In 1979, Liao Hansheng, who had made remarkable achievements in military training in the Nanjing Military Region, was ordered to go to the Chengdu Military Region to guide the work.
Wu Kehua
At that time, the commander of the Chengdu Military Region was General Wu Kehua, who was an old classmate of Liao Hansheng, and was both lieutenant generals when he was awarded the title in 1955. In July 1957, the two graduated from the Battle Department of Nanjing Military Academy together. In January 1956, when the hospital celebrated its fifth anniversary, both of them won the second prize.
Because of this experience, Wu Kehua was very happy about the arrival of Liao Hansheng. When they met, Wu Kehua said to Liao Hansheng: "Old Liao, we haven't seen each other for many years, right?"
"Yes, the last time we saw each other was the third session of the National People's Congress, and it has been 15 years since I left in 1964. ”
As for why I haven't seen each other in the last 15 years, I have to ask Lin Biao and Jiang Qing, it just so happens that the two generals, Liao Hansheng and Wu Kehua, are the targets of the catastrophe.
"If you can come this time, I welcome you on behalf of all the comrades of the Chengdu Military Region! I have heard about your deeds in the Nanjing Military Region for a long time, and this time I will also study with you. Alas, you are not allowed to hide it. Wu Kehua was very happy, and even joked with Liao Hansheng.
"What's the matter, but you, can't add a 'burden' to my work. The two looked at each other and laughed, and the whole office was filled with a cheerful air.
As he spoke, Wu Kehua handed Liao Hansheng a list: "Come, Lao Liao, this is the list of cadres who participated in the training." ”
Liao Hansheng took the list and glanced at it briefly, but was attracted by a name on it, this name is Xiang Xuan.
Liao Hansheng
"Alas, Lao Wu, I want to meet this person, can you help me arrange it?"
Wu Kehua muttered to himself in his heart: This Xiang Xuan looks like he is in his early 50s, and most of them were soldiers during the Liberation War, and he shouldn't have any friendship with Liao Hansheng, maybe it's his relative or something.
But what Wu Kehua didn't expect was that this time he was blind, and this Xiang Xuan's origin was much bigger than he imagined.
Young "old seniority"
Behind Xiang Xuan's "old qualifications", it was the sacrifice of many people in the He family that was exchanged, after all, the heroic souls of Sangzhi could finally live to the founding of the country, but there were only a few.
Wu Kehua
Since Liao Hansheng, an old comrade-in-arms and old classmate, has spoken, it is not difficult to find a cadre below to meet, Wu Kehua did it for him, and the next day someone came.
At that time, Wu Kehua accompanied Liao Hansheng to wait in the living room, he saw that Liao Hansheng was in a very good mood, and finally couldn't help but lean in and ask: "Look at you for fun, what's wrong, this Xiang Xuan is the offspring of your family?"
"It's not mine. Liao Hansheng smiled.
Wu Kehua was about to ask him what Xiang Xuan's background was, but Liao Hansheng followed up and told him the answer directly: "He is from Mr. He's family." ”
He Long
"Mr. He's relative?" Wu Kehua was a little surprised, he had been in the Chengdu Military Region for 2 years, but he had never heard of this matter.
"Does that scare you? Let me tell you, like us, he has gone through the Long March, and he is also an 'old Red Army'. ”
Now General Wu Kehua can be regarded as completely dumbfounded, he knows that Liao Hansheng will definitely not lie to him, this cadre who has just turned 50 years old has walked the Long March, from 1979 backwards, this Xiang Xuan was only less than 10 years old when he participated in the Red Army's Long March, if this is the case, I am afraid he may be the youngest Red Army.
And it is true, Xiang Xuan is really the youngest soldier on the Red Army's Long March, in addition, he is also the nephew of Marshal He Long. However, in his opinion, the latter title is much inferior to the previous one.
Xiang Xuan, a native of the Tujia family, was born in Sangzhi County, Hunan Province in March 1926, and his mother was He Mangu, the younger sister of Marshal He Long. When Xiang Xuan was two years old, because his mother was betrayed by a traitor, he was imprisoned with his two siblings.
But He Mangu, who was fierce by nature, refused to say a soft word under the nose of the enemy, and was finally publicly executed by the enemy at the age of 30.
Since then, the three children, including Xiang Xuan, have lived in He Ying's house, and they don't call her aunt, they call her mother.
But the girl of the He family does not have a soft girl, He Mangu would rather die than give in, and He Ying is not a simple female comrade, she is one of the important military cadres in the revolutionary base area on the Hunan and Hubei borders.
He Mangu
On May 6, 1933, the guerrilla garrison led by He Ying was betrayed by traitors, and only Xiang Xuan was by He Ying's side of He Ying's three children at that time.
So, He Ying wrote a short letter and gave it to Xiang Xuan along with a package, telling him to follow the other guerrillas from the path first, and find a way to find the Red Army and find his uncle. However, He Ying stayed on the mountain forever in this year, and she was unfortunately shot while fighting the enemy's attack with other team members, and died heroically at the age of 47.
At this time, Xiang Xuan was only 7 years old, and he didn't know that his mother He Ying was going to die, he just listened to his mother's words and went to find his uncle, but fortunately, he went through hard work with other guerrillas, and finally succeeded in finding his uncle He Long.
He Long was also surprised when he saw this eldest nephew, and after reading the letter, he realized that this was the child of his sister He Mangu, and there was another thing that He Ying had probably died.
He Ying
He Long originally wanted to foster Xiang Xuan in a fellow countryman's house, but Xiang Xuan was also stubborn, and he stayed with his uncle and didn't leave, there was no way, He Long could only let him be a small orderly and messenger in the Red Army Headquarters.
Unexpectedly, it was such a wrong decision that made Xiang Xuan the youngest "old Red Army" on the Long March.
Still hot heart
Liao Hansheng finally met Xiang Xuan, but after some greetings, Liao Hansheng mentioned that Xiang Xuan's administrative rank was a little low, and he wanted his old comrade-in-arms Wu Kehua to mention his treatment, but Xiang Xuan's answer surprised him.
In November 1935, Xiang Xuan followed his uncle He Long and also participated in the 25,000-mile Long March. At that time, there were many teenage children in the communication class, and there were really no eight or nine-year-olds like Xiang Xuan.
However, don't look at Xiang Xuan's young age, he was already the deputy squad leader during the Long March, and when it was his turn to ride a horse and rest on the way, he often gave up the opportunity to other people who were physically exhausted, and followed behind with his luggage. In this way, Xiang Xuan completed the Long March and became an "old senior" in the Red Army.
In 1936, when the Red Army arrived in northern Shaanxi, Mr. He considered that Xiang Xuan was still young and needed to strengthen his study, so he asked someone to send him to Yan'an to study...... Wherever you have time, you can go wherever you want, which can be regarded as "reading thousands of books" and "traveling thousands of miles" on the other.
Once, Xiang Xuan was ordered to send a letter to Chairman Mao, but just as he was about to step into Chairman Mao's courtyard, he was stopped by the sentry at the door.
"This is a military place, and outsiders are not allowed to enter casually!"
"Whoever is an outsider, I am an old Red Army. Well, this is a letter to be delivered here, so you can let me in. ”
The teenage little sentry looked at Xiang Xuan, who was about the same age as himself, obviously not believing the other party's words: "You just brag, see that you are not that old, what kind of veteran are you pretending?"
Just as the two of them were arguing word by word, Chairman Mao came out of it, and he heard what the two children were saying from a distance, and he was also very curious about Xiang Xuan, the child who said that he was an "old Red Army", so he asked: "This little comrade, you say that you are an old Red Army, can anyone prove it? I have never heard of a child as young as you walking through the Long March." ”
Chairman Mao
"My uncle is He Long, he can prove it. ”
"Then no problem, I'm sure you're an old Red Army. The scene where the chairman spoke to him was remembered by Xiang Xuan for a long, long time.
During the Anti-Japanese War, Xiang Xuan followed He Long to the headquarters of the 120th Division as a communicator, and in April 1943, he was transferred to the 385th Brigade Guard Company to be responsible for the security work of the leaders.
At the beginning of the Liberation War, Xiang Xuan learned the relevant skills of the engineer, and in January 1948, he became the commander of the engineer company in the 1st Column of the Northwest Field Army.
He Long
After the founding of the People's Republic of China, the General Political Department of the People's Liberation Army and the Chengdu Military Region agreed that Comrade Xiang Xuan's military age should be counted from May 6, 1933, and it was from this moment that he became "China's smallest Red Army soldier".
After Liao Hansheng saw Xiang Xuan, he was very happy: "Xiao Xuan, I haven't seen you for many years, right?" Liao Hansheng is also from Sang Zhi, and he is also Marshal He Long's old subordinate, so he is also very familiar with Xiang Xuan.
"Uncle Liao, I heard that you were coming, and I was thinking about when I would come to see you. ”
The two chatted for a while, Wu Kehua accompanied him, and then Liao Hansheng asked casually: "Old Wu, what is Xiao Xuan's administrative rank now?"
Wu Kehua
"Uncle Liao, it's level 16. ”
"Level 16, that's too low, isn't it? You're a colonel, or an old Red Army. ”
Generally speaking, corresponding to the rank of lieutenant colonel, the administrative level can be rated to level 14, and some colonels can reach level 13, in terms of Xiang Xuan's qualifications, he was awarded the title of lieutenant colonel in 1955, and level 16 is indeed low for him.
But Xiang Xuan said: "Uncle Liao, my life is very good now, I don't need the country to give me any treatment, so many comrades-in-arms haven't seen New China, how can I still think so much?"
Xiang Xuan
Liao Hansheng and Wu Kehua thought deeply when they heard his words, so they didn't mention this matter again.
On February 10, 2023, Comrade Xiang Xuan died in Chengdu at the age of 97 due to ineffective medical treatment. The youngest Red Army soldier, after almost a hundred years, finally returned to his long-buried comrades.
After reading this story about the smallest Red Army soldier in New China, do you have anything to say in front of the screen? Welcome to leave your views in the comment area.
Resources:
1. "The Smallest "Red Army Brother" Xiang Xuan" - People's Daily Online
2. "He Mangu: The Unyielding Female Guerrilla Leader" - Zhangjiajie Municipal People's Government
3. "He Ying: Give the troops to He Long and hand them over to the party" - New Hunan
4. "The Life of Liao Hansheng" - the government website of the People's Republic of China
5. "The Meritorious Tashan Hero: Wu Kehua" - Shangrao Daily
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