In June 2007, in a small village in Xianyang, Shaanxi Province, the summer sun was scorching and harsh, and an unusual funeral was being held in an ordinary farm yard. Compared with the funeral of ordinary people, this funeral is particularly solemn and grand. It not only attracted many strangers who heard the news, but also many volunteers who cared about the veterans of the Anti-Japanese War.
Their arrival made this small courtyard crowded, and everyone's faces were full of respect and sorrow. They walked to the center of the living room and bowed to the old man in the ice coffin. The old man lying in the coffin was the once famous Taierzhuang death squad captain and major general division commander Tong Dehou. During his lifetime, he was known as the "living fossil" of the Anti-Japanese War, and he was the last commander of the Taierzhuang Battle to pass away. With his passing, the glorious history of heroic resistance against Japan seems to be gone away and has become an eternal memory in our hearts.
As a veteran of the Anti-Japanese War, in the beacon years of the Anti-Japanese War, he did his best for the country and the nation, but his life trajectory took a dramatic turn due to a "betrayal", and his life can be said to be both respectable and lamentable.
Born in Jingyang County, Shaanxi Province, Tong Dehou joined General Feng Yuxiang's Northwest Army at the age of 16 and began his military career.
After the outbreak of the Anti-Japanese War, the Battle of Taierzhuang became an important turning point in the life of Bai Dehou, when he served as a battalion commander, in the face of the Japanese army's crazy attack, he was not afraid, led more than 40 death squads to start a thrilling white-knives battle with the Japanese invaders. In this bloody battle, he showed the blood and responsibility that a soldier should have, but in the end only 3 people survived, in order to resist the attack of the Japanese army, the whole battalion was reduced by five-sixths, and the heroic deeds of Bai Dehou were widely praised in the army, and he became famous in the first battle, and was later promoted to regiment commander and deputy division commander.
However, it was such a heroic general who made unexpected moves at a critical moment. In 1947, as the deputy division commander, Tong Dehou was stationed in Taiyuan, when the defeat of Chiang's army was already a matter of time, as Bai Dehou's old boss, the commander of the 30th Army, General Huang Qiaosong, was preparing to revolt, but the division commander Dai Bingnan and the deputy division commander Tong Dehou revealed this secret plan to Yan Xishan. Although this act made them appreciated in front of Yan Xishan, it also led to the unfortunate murder of General Huang Qiaosong. This betrayal left a stain on Bai Dehou in history, and also made a huge change in the trajectory of his life.
After the liberation of Taiyuan, Tong Dehou was arrested and finally sentenced to more than ten years in prison. While in prison, he deeply reflected on his mistakes and felt deep remorse for his betrayal. However, the mistakes of the past are irreparable, and he can only use the rest of his life to make up for them.
In 1975, Tong Dehou returned to his hometown in Shaanxi and began his later life, he still maintained an optimistic attitude and strong will, he and his children relied on a few acres of land to grow crops for a living, although life was hard, but the family's feelings were very deep.
In his later years, Bai Dehou's deeds of the Anti-Japanese War were reported by many media, and he also received widespread attention and concern in the society. His life has improved, and he has used his experience to influence and inspire more people. Finally, at the age of 97, he left this world peacefully.
Bai Dehou's life can be said to be both brilliant and bumpy. He made great efforts for the country and the nation, but he also paid a heavy price for a momentary betrayal. His life not only shows the heroism and responsibility of soldiers, but also reveals the complexity and fragility of human nature. However, in any case, we should remember those heroes who made great efforts for the country and the nation in the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression.