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48 years after Qiu Shaoyun's sacrifice, an old man sent an identity certificate to the newspaper: I watched him die with my own eyes
Whether it was in 1952 or 66 years after his death, some people have questions about the deeds of martyr Qiu Shaoyun.
Can anyone really stand motionless in more than 20 minutes of burning? There are even doubts about the martyr's existence.
At the turn of the millennium, an old man sent a letter to a newspaper.
The old man said that he was the old squad leader of the martyr Qiu Shaoyun, and he was next to him when the martyr died.
The letter also included a copy of the identification, as well as a certificate of meritorious service.
Later, after another reporter met him, the old man also said that in 1981, a minister of armed forces and a reporter borrowed a photo of him and Qiu Shaoyun.
However, the photos were never returned, and he did not know where to find them.
Speaking of this, the old man's eyes moistened a little, and he talked about the past again.
Who is this old man, and how did he witness the whole process of Comrade Qiu Shaoyun's sacrifice back then?
l A large envelope
The old man's name was Suo Decheng, and in the autumn of the millennium, he wrote a letter asking for help to the Lanzhou Morning News.
In the letter, he stated that he lived in Hui County, Longnan, Gansu Province, and was a veteran who participated in the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea.
He wrote this letter for help because he had suffered many injuries and was in difficulty because of the war, so he asked the newspaper for help if they could help him get disability benefits.
To the reporter's surprise, the old man did not say much about his pain in his self-report.
He sighed more that he had fought side by side with Comrade Qiu Shaoyun, and even watched people sacrifice.
In addition, this heavy envelope also contained a copy of the old man's identity and a certificate of meritorious service.
Soon, they drove thousands of miles to Longnan to meet the lock squad leader.
At that time, about the martyr Qiu Shaoyun, because he did not leave a photo for himself during his lifetime, there were only ambiguous portraits in the memorial hall.
But his story did spread across the country and became an unforgettable story for generations.
When they learned that the squad leader of the martyr was still alive and clearly remembered the situation back then, everyone was excited and worried.
If it was true, then they could know more about the details of the year, and because of the professional habits of journalists, they also reserved some leeway for such things.
And after arriving at the house of the lock squad leader, they were all surprised, Qiu Shaoyun's old squad leader, who had won the "first-class meritorious hero", lived in a dilapidated house.
He has three children in the family, the eldest daughter is the only one of the offspring who has developed normally and has started a family, while the remaining two younger ones have varying degrees of problems.
His wife has been blind for 12 years, and he himself has a leg that is severely disabled and has difficulty moving.
The lock squad leader took out the carefully preserved materials from the old suitcase, and they sat down to listen to the old man talk about the past when he was young.
Regarding the lock squad leader, his early experience was very hard, and like Comrade Qiu Shaoyun, he was born in a poor family.
In 1930, he was originally born in a family surnamed Cheng in Hui County, but the family was so poor that they couldn't open the pot, and they had no choice but to endure the pain of passing the child on.
The family they succeeded to was surnamed Suo, and it was because of this experience that he was named "Suo Decheng".
In November 1949, at the age of 19, he resolutely joined the ranks of the People's Liberation Army, and he fought side by side with his comrades in the 87th Regiment of the 10th Army of the Second Field Army of Liu Deng's army.
Before resisting US aggression and aiding Korea, he performed well in the Yangma River to suppress bandits, won the third-class merit, and was promoted to the deputy squad leader of the 3rd Battalion, 9th Company, and 6th squad.
Soon after the Liberation War, on June 25, 1950, the Korean War broke out, and more than three months later, the volunteer soldiers crossed the Yalu River.
The 10th Army, where he belonged, was reorganized, and its 29th Division was incorporated into the 15th Army, and he and Comrade Qiu Shaoyun were both in the 87th Regiment of the 29th Division, and they were still in the same squad and the same combat group.
It is worth mentioning that before stepping on the Korean battlefield, the two of them had known each other and were close comrades-in-arms.
In the summer of 1949, he was rushing to gather in Tongliang County, Sichuan, when he happened to bump into the national army to arrest strong men everywhere, and he was arrested into the 18th Regiment of Liu Yi of the Sichuan Army.
Until December 1949, their troops surrendered, and the 29th Division of the 10th Army of the Second Field took over this unit.
He decided to stay, the PLA team, and then he was assigned to the squad where the lock squad leader was, and the two got to know each other back and forth.
On March 25, 1951, at 10 o'clock in the morning, they sat in a "stuffy jar" and officially embarked on the journey to North Korea.
Sitting on the train, the lock squad leader and Comrade Qiu Shaoyun, they don't know what the future will be, but they know one thing, that is, to protect the family and defend the country.
Soon, they threw themselves into the battle, so how did the squad leader see Comrade Qiu Shaoyun's sacrifice with his own eyes, and what was his mood at that time?
l Eternal life in the midst of fire
Forty-eight years after the martyrdom of Qiu Shaoyun, an old man sent a letter, saying that he was the old squad leader of the martyr and had witnessed the sacrifice of Comrade Qiu.
What was the specific situation like back then, and how did the old squad leader feel?
Regarding the experience of Comrade Qiu Shaoyun's sacrifice, the confusing points mainly focus on the enemy's reaction after throwing incendiary bombs and the martyrs after they were burned.
Comrades Li Yuanxing and Li Shihu, who testified that year, and later Comrade Zhang Ziyun, described the whole process in detail.
Their descriptions differ slightly in detail, especially in the incendiary bombs thrown by the enemy.
But these witnesses can at least prove that Comrade Qiu Shaoyun is real, and these statements can also help explore the details of the martyr's experience.
So, in the eyes of the lock squad leader, what was the situation back then?
Some people once said that Comrade Qiu Shaoyun died on the Shangganling position, but in fact, the place where he died was the 391 Heights.
The position of Shangganling was firmly in the hands of our army before the war, but the 391 Heights are different, it is actually the position of the US army, and the difficulty of its operation can be imagined.
The 3rd Battalion, where the squad leader was located, received an order that they needed to go to Manshan on the right side of the position to carry out an ambush raid and prepare for the general attack of the troops.
At 6 p.m. on October 11, 1952, according to the plan, our artillery attacked the enemy's positions with fire, and the enemy was taken by surprise.
Taking advantage of the enemy's panic, 52 fighters in the 1st platoon crawled forward and entered the designated place on time, while the lock squad leader and them entered the front line of the 391 heights.
Their task was to find an opportunity to take the 391 heights the next night.
The choice was to lurk in the forward position because there was a dense thatch, which was not attacked by artillery fire and was directly up to the knees.
The superiors asked each of them to dig a pit to hide in and put on a thatched disguise.
Comrade Li Yuanxing, who was the deputy squad leader during the war, mentioned in his reminiscences that at that time, he saw Comrade Li Shihu on the right of the lock squad leader and Comrade Qiu Shaoyun on the left, each of whom was more than 3 meters apart.
There was a ditch behind them, and 60 meters in front of them there were enemies, and their voices were clearly heard.
The squad leader and other fighters stayed motionless in the pit like this, waiting for the order from their superiors to attack.
And at that time, the accident appeared, and the enemy threw incendiary bombs that year, also because of this sudden episode.
According to the recollection of the lock squad leader, they began to lay in ambush in the morning, and at noon, after eating, an enemy walked down from the mountain.
They glanced at the estimated 2 classes of people, and they walked in a hurry, as if they were very scared.
They only looked up, but ignored the situation under their feet, and everyone's camouflage was impeccable, so they didn't notice it at all.
However, the enemy, who was walking at the rear, happened to step into the pit of the lock squad leader.
He was quick-eyed, and immediately twisted the enemy's foot and neck, dragged it down and stabbed him to death, without making a sound.
The lock squad leader immediately reported the situation and received orders to destroy all patrolling enemies.
But in the end, 2 people escaped, and without thinking, they went back to report the incident, and 20 minutes later, the shells flew from the position.
At this point, the old man pointed to the burn on his left eyelid, which was proof that they had been hiding in the thatch and fighting in those days.
As the shells flew onto the thatch, it soon became clear that the enemy was throwing incendiary bombs.
Among them, an incendiary bomb fell in front of the lock squad leader and exploded, and sparks flew in the faces of the fighters.
He was the luckiest of the three of them, only a little spark splashed on his face, and Comrade Li Shihu splashed his face.
And the one who suffered the most was Comrade Qiu Shaoyun, the sparks splashed on his body, and the thatch was ignited.
A lump of dirt popped up in front of the lock squad leader, and when he saw that Comrade Qiu threw it, he knew that he was asking for instructions on the next move.
Just as Comrade Li Yuanxing said earlier, there was a small ditch behind them, only 2 meters away, and everything would be fine if he rolled in.
However, if he did so, he would inevitably be discovered by the enemy on the quiet battlefield, and then his comrades would be affected.
Seeing the flames and smoke on Comrade Qiu's body getting bigger and bigger, the squad leader was very painful and entangled in his heart, he thought about it, and finally signaled him not to move and wait for the instructions of his superiors.
The flames grew stronger and stronger, and Comrade Qiu became more and more painful, so he put his hand into the soil and endured the pain, and everyone could hear the sound of burning.
Subsequently, the lock squad leader received another lump of dirt, his heart was like a knife, he didn't want to rush over immediately to extinguish the fire, but he held back and asked Comrade Qiu not to move.
In this way, he, the deputy squad leader and Comrade Li Shihu watched the fire burn for more than 20 minutes, and the barrels of the guns on their bodies were burned red.
Speaking of this, the old man could no longer restrain himself and couldn't cry, he said, it was difficult for him to accept seeing his comrades-in-arms who fought and lived together suffering but could not be saved.
At 5:21 p.m. on October 12, 1952, the troops launched a general attack, and the lock squad leader and other comrades took the 391 heights in only 30 minutes.
But he was blown off his right leg in this battle and sent to the rear for treatment, and what happened after that is not clear to him.
In addition to telling the scene of Comrade Qiu Shaoyun's heroic sacrifice, the old man Suo Decheng also provided bits and pieces of Comrade Qiu's daily combat life before his death.
l The past is like yesterday
Forty-eight years after Comrade Qiu Shaoyun's death, an elderly man wrote a letter asking for disability allowance, saying that he was Comrade Qiu's old squad leader.
With the interviews and evidence collection by reporters from all sides, he talked about the life of this heroic martyr.
In addition to the deeds, has the disability allowance of the lock squad leader been implemented, and what is the living situation?
As the old squad leader of the martyr Qiu Shaoyun, the old man Suo Decheng once sighed that if he was still alive, he would be in his 80s.
When he said this, it was already 2009, nine years after the Lanzhou Morning Post reported on it.
For a few years, the adobe house to the north of the house was still dilapidated, but a new house had been built on the south side, and his wife's eye disease had been completely cured and she had regained her sight.
The squad leader was very impressed by Comrade Qiu Shaoyun, the two had similar experiences, and had the same views, and they fought and lived together for 3 years.
He still remembered that the two of them were just in the same class, and his impression of Qiu Shaoyun at the beginning was that this comrade spoke very little, but he was honest and tenacious.
After entering the Korean battlefield, they encountered the enemy's blockade, and the troops could not open the pot for more than 20 days, so they could only eat wild vegetables.
He heard Comrade Qiu say: "It's nothing to defend the family and defend the country for a few days of starvation, so let's keep my life." ”
On April 12, 1951, at 12 o'clock in the evening, the Battle of Luojiashan began, and they did not know the time, so they could only act according to the signal.
When three green signal lights appeared in the sky, everyone rushed up in one go, disturbing the enemy's dreams.
It was also a brutal battle, the old man said, in which their squad leader was killed.
He and Comrade Qiu followed behind him, and in a hurry, he immediately threw a grenade and fired at the enemy's fortifications through the smoke screen.
Our army occupied Luojiashan, but it also paid a heavy price, taking their group as an example, only he, Qiu Shaoyun, and Comrade He Dacai were left.
Before he could be happy, the enemy immediately counterattacked, perhaps the will to survive inspired the lock squad leader.
He picked up one of the enemy's heavy machine guns and mounted it, opened fire on the enemy, firing more than 2,000 rounds in one go, and the barrel was red.
He fought until the next morning, when he reconnected with his comrades-in-arms, and when asked about Comrade Qiu Shaoyun, the other party said happily: "It's all right, but I'm hungry!"
Regarding his poor condition, the old man once said that he had his own choice and that he did not regret it.
It turned out that after leaving the battlefield, his superiors arranged for him to go to Huayin, Shaanxi Province to recuperate, and within 9 months he completed the cultural class at the junior high school level.
Later, he was also arranged to work in the Hui County Commercial Bureau, but he resigned and left on his own initiative.
Speaking of this, the old man said that he was not highly educated and could not count those accounts.
Because he didn't want to cause trouble to other comrades, he went back to his hometown to farm.
But as he grew older, the shrapnel that remained in his body tormented him, making it difficult for him to work in the fields, and as time went on, the situation at home deteriorated year by year.
After the old man Suo Decheng asked the newspaper for help, the reporter wrote an article about his memories of Comrade Qiu Shaoyun, which aroused widespread attention in society.
After that, he got in touch with other living comrades-in-arms and talked about the battles they had fought against.
Their appearance provided more detailed and true evidence for Qiu Shaoyun's deeds.
Since then, his disability allowance has been settled, with a monthly allowance of 1,000 yuan.
Later, the conditions of their family gradually improved, the old man moved out of Kill Dragon Village, and in 2017, the old man Suo Decheng died of illness at the age of 87.
Just a year before the old man left, a veteran named Chen Daquan in Guizhou provided a photo of Comrade Qiu Shaoyun before his death and donated it to the Qiu Shaoyun Memorial Hall.
The two of them had only known each other for more than a month, and then Comrade Qiu Shaoyun was transferred to the reconnaissance company, while he was assigned to the machine gun company.
On the occasion of parting, in order to commemorate the occasion, they gave each other a bust of themselves, and Comrade Qiu also signed and inscribed on the back of the photo.
It's just that his own part, because he can't read, asked Comrade Qiu to write it behind his back.
After the storm of doubts, this autographed photo became another proof of the martyr's deeds and added details to the original appearance of the martyr.
Regarding the questioning of the martyr Qiu Shaoyun's deeds, it is normal to have doubts about the details, and we stress seeking truth from facts.
However, in the process of questioning, we should have a minimum of respect for the martyrs and veterans, and we should not chase after the wind and negate everything because of a small detail.
Fortunately, some meaningless doubts are almost rare today, and the deeds of martyr Qiu Shaoyun have been protected.
He and his spirit were immortalized in the flames of fire and became an example to be learned and admired in the hearts of generations of people.