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Text | Zhu Xiaoyue loves Kanyu
Edit | Zhu Xiaoyue loves Kanyu
In Chinese military history, military rank not only symbolizes supreme honor, but also recognizes the highest achievement of a soldier. For a pair of low-key father-son generals, Xu Guangda and Xu Yanbin, they chose an unusual path. Despite being awarded the rank of general and major general, respectively, the father and son rarely wore their rank badges publicly. What is the reason behind this, and how did their unique attitude towards military rank become part of their family legacy?
Xu Guangda grew up in an ordinary peasant family in Changsha, Hunan Province, and experienced many difficulties in life. Despite his family's limited circumstances, he had the opportunity to complete his basic education with the help of relatives and friends. Since childhood, Xu Guangda has shown a deep affection for the motherland and actively participated in patriotic education activities organized by schools and communities. Through these activities, his patriotic feelings and sense of responsibility were deeply cultivated.
These experiences not only honed his will, but also deeply implanted a strong patriotic feeling. It was this tenacity and loyalty to the country that he cultivated from an early age that shaped Xu Guangda's later military career. He continued to improve himself in a tough environment, not only in terms of academic achievements, but also in the pursuit of intellectual and moral excellence. Despite the difficult living conditions, Xu Guangda never gave up the pursuit of higher ideals, and he worked hard all his life to achieve the prosperity and strength of the country.
In the autumn of 1921, Xu Guangda entered Changsha Normal School and began his academic career. Chairman Mao already enjoyed a certain prestige in the school. At the same time, there was an unfortunate change in Mr. Zou Xilu's family, and his cousin inherited the position of the family elder, and the new patriarch had his own views on the affairs of the family, especially the problem of the girls in the family. He believes that too many girls in the family will affect the management of the family's finances, so he proposes a solution - sell some girls to reduce the burden on the family.
Zou Xilu felt unacceptable and vigorously opposed his cousin's decision. After careful consideration, he decided to take steps to protect his daughters from this fate. He began to look for a proper solution in the hope of securing a better future for his daughters through marriage. In the process, he noticed Xu Guangda, a young man who was only 14 years old, who was not only excellent in his studies, but also extremely upright in character, showing outstanding potential and a sense of responsibility. Zou Xilu decided to marry his 9-year-old daughter, Zou Jinghua, to Xu Guangda.
In 1926, Xu Guangda was selected by the Hunan Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China to go to Guangzhou to apply for the famous Whampoa Military Academy. After arriving in Guangzhou, with his outstanding performance, Xu Guangda not only successfully passed the entrance exam, but was also officially admitted with excellent results. He was assigned to the 2nd Regiment of Wusheng for basic training, and then in the fall he transferred to the 5th Artillery Division and began a more specialized military education.
Xu Guangda's study and life at the Whampoa Military Academy was full of challenges. Especially after the outbreak of the Zhongshan incident, Chiang Kai-shek began to significantly limit the influence of the Communist Party, and adopted a series of measures to weaken the activities of the Communist Party in the military schools. Against this background, Chiang Kai-shek ordered all Communists to fill out registration forms and asked them to quit the party organization.
In the face of such pressure, Xu Guangda showed extraordinary courage and determination. On the registration form, he did not hesitate to write down the bold words of "never quitting the Communist Party." His life, beliefs, and future are bound to the Communist Party, and with no other choice, his loyalty is naturally unwavering. This act not only demonstrated his absolute loyalty to the party, but also marked his deep awareness of his mission and beliefs.
Shortly after graduating from the Whampoa Military Academy, Xu Guangda joined the famous Nanchang Uprising, in which he fought valiantly, but unfortunately was hit by artillery fire, causing serious injuries and temporarily losing contact with his own troops. It was not until May 1929 that Xu Guangda finally regained contact with the CCP organization after a long search. In September of the same year, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China sent him to the Honghu area to direct military operations there.
At the beginning of 1932, Xu Guangda served as the commander of the Red 25th Regiment and led the troops to participate in a fierce battle. During the battle, he bravely commanded the charge of his troops, but unfortunately was hit by an enemy machine gun from the turret, and shrapnel almost reached his heart. Due to the severity of his injuries, he was quickly taken to the hospital in Honghu Soviet District for first aid. At that time, medical conditions were very limited, and even anesthetics were lacking. In this predicament, Xu Guangda could only bite the towel, hold the nurse's arm tightly, and endure the severe pain during the operation. Despite repeated attempts, doctors were unable to remove the bullet.
In view of the complexity of Xu Guangda's injuries and the difficulty of surgery, the party organization decided to transfer him to a Shanghai hospital with more advanced equipment for treatment. In a Shanghai hospital, just as doctors were preparing him for more complex surgeries and anesthesia, an underground party liaison suddenly broke into the operating room. The liaison quickly pulled Xu Guangda up, and the two left the operating room quickly. A few minutes after they left, a team of Kuomintang agents raided the hospital. It turned out to be a traitor in the party who leaked his location.
As the Sino-Japanese War raged, Xu Guangda interrupted his overseas studies and returned to China with a wealth of military and political knowledge, joining the hard fight against the invaders. His return to the country brought important strategic resources to the motherland. At the Anti-Japanese Military and Political University, Xu Guangda successively served as the head of the training department, the director of education, and the president of the third branch, focusing on the study of Marxist military theory, and cultivating a large number of anti-Japanese military and political cadres, who became a new force in the country's anti-Japanese war efforts.
In January 1941, Xu Guangda accepted the post of chief of staff of the Central Revolutionary Military Commission of the Communist Party of China, and was also entrusted with the important roles of commander of Yan'an Communications, commander of air defense, and commander of the garrison. He was responsible for coordinating anti-Japanese military operations and strengthening local defense capabilities. In this series of positions, Xu Guangda made significant contributions to the strategic defense of Yan'an and its surrounding areas with his outstanding organizational and command skills.
In the years that followed, Xu Guangda was entrusted with heavier responsibilities and served as the commander of the 2nd Independent Brigade of the 120th Division of the Eighth Route Army, and concurrently served as the commander of the 2nd Army Division of the Jinsui Military Region. In this post, he actively promoted the local armed forces and the people to carry out extensive guerrilla warfare, effectively consolidating and expanding the anti-Japanese base areas. Through flexible guerrilla tactics and precise strategic deployment, Xu Guangda not only strengthened the local defense capability, but also successfully weakened the offensive momentum of the enemy army, making an important contribution to the victory of the War of Resistance Against Japan.
In 1955, with the introduction of a new rank system by the Chinese People's Liberation Army, Xu Guangda was rated a general by the Central Military Commission for his significant contributions to the Chinese revolution and army building. Although this is a high recognition of his years of dedication, Xu Guangda has shown humility and self-restraint. After learning that he had been awarded the rank of general, he not only requested to be demoted to general when he met with He Long, but also personally wrote to the chairman and vice chairman of the Central Military Commission of the Communist Party of China, imploring them to consider demoting him to the rank of general.
He felt that the title of general was too heavy, not only because of its weight, but also because of the responsibility and authority it symbolized. He had said that he felt a heavy burden wearing the general's badge, fearing that such a display would give a sense of ostentation, and he knew that there were many others who also deserved such honors.
Although Xu Guangda's request for a demotion was politely rejected by the central government, he was still awarded the rank of general, and he chose a more low-key approach to the honor. Xu Guangda rarely wears his rank of general in public, and true glory comes from service to the country, not a personal mark of glory. This behavior not only showed his humility, but also strengthened his respect and affection in the army and in the country.
In 1940, Xu Yanbin, the son of General Xu Guangda, was born in Yan'an, the holy land of the revolution. He began his educational career at Rongzhen Primary School in Beijing, where he completed primary school in 1953. He entered Beijing No. 1 No. 1 High School and graduated in 1959. In 1964, he graduated from the Harbin Military Engineering Institute, majoring in missile automation, a field that was at the forefront of national defense science and technology at the time.
Xu Yanbin's career has been full of challenges and achievements. Between 1975 and 1976, as commander of an armored unit, he participated in a major nuclear test. This nuclear test is a major test of the country's defense capability, and it is also a great test of personal courage and commitment. Xu Yanbin showed extraordinary courage and sense of responsibility in this trial. At the risk of a high degree of nuclear radiation, he became the first commander to drive a tank into the center of a nuclear explosion. This act not only demonstrated his loyalty to the mission of the country, but also demonstrated his deep understanding of the duties of a soldier.
At the nuclear test site, Xu Yanbin directed the tank to safely pass through the area affected by the nuclear explosion to assess the environmental conditions after the explosion and the anti-nuclear capability of the tank's equipment. This courageous act not only provided valuable first-hand data for scientific researchers, but also greatly enhanced the country's confidence and capability in the field of nuclear strategic defense.
Between 1978 and 1979, Xu Yanbin participated in a key border conflict, during which time he served as an operational staff officer of the front-line command group of the armored forces of the General Staff. In this role, he is tasked with ensuring communication between the Supreme Commander of the Front and the troops in the field. During the battle, when all communication lines were destroyed, Xu Yanbin successfully conveyed the emergency situation to the military headquarters in Beijing through the mobile radio he carried, which played a key role in the turning point of the battle, and he was awarded a second-class meritorious service.
In the fierce battle, Xu Yanbin fought bravely and was unfortunately injured. His brave deeds were reported by major domestic media such as the People's Daily, and became an important model for promoting patriotic education.
From 1983 to 1989, Xu Yanbin was appointed commander of the 2nd Tank Division. He devoted himself to improving the combat capability and technological modernization of the troops, and strengthened the combat training and tactical innovation of the troops. In 1989, he was further appointed as the vice president and doctoral supervisor of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Armored Forces Engineering College, specializing in information warfare technology, becoming a well-known expert in this field.
In June 1990, Xu Yanbin's military talent and academic contributions were recognized and he was promoted to the rank of major general by the Military Commission. He also serves as a key member of the China Emergency Management Committee and participates in national emergency management. Through these years of unremitting efforts and continuous contributions, Xu Yanbin not only inherited his father's revolutionary spirit, but also left a deep mark in the military and academic fields, becoming a glorious general of the Republic.
Xu Yanbin inherited the humility and restraint of his father Xu Guangda, and they were unwilling to show their military rank and honor excessively. This behavior is not only a reflection of personal character, but also part of the family culture that has been passed down from generation to generation in the Xu family. Xu Yanbin rarely wears his rank badge in public. He believes that excessive display of these symbolic honors may obscure his true accomplishments and desire to serve his country. This belief coincided with the attitude of his father, Xu Guangda, who had expressed similar thoughts when he was awarded the rank of general.
Xu Yanbin's actions not only demonstrate personal humility and dedication, but also continue the Xu family's deep family tradition, which emphasizes actual contributions over superficial honors, which has become an important red thread in their family culture.
(Reference book: "Past Experiences - Family Affairs of the Founding General")