In that turbulent era, a man named Ye Changgeng grew from a poor porter to a respected general. His story is not only a legend of personal struggle, but also a microcosm of the history of the Chinese revolution in that era.
1. The struggle on the eve of the revolution
In the golden autumn of September 1955, the atmosphere in Beijing was extremely tense. Six years after the founding of the People's Republic of China, the first military rank awarding ceremony is about to be ushered in. This is not only an honorary commendation for the heroes in the army, but also a fair evaluation of their past contributions. The military rank of each general will be a comprehensive consideration of his revolutionary contributions, military talents, and personal morality.
Even Chairman Mao Zedong once admitted that this was a difficult task. In order to ensure the fairness of the assessment, General Luo Ronghuan was entrusted with the important task of taking charge of this assessment. However, in the face of Ye Changgeng's assessment, even General Luo felt unprecedented difficulties.
Luo Shuai
2. Green seedlings on barren land
Ye Changgeng, formerly known as Ye Zhanggen, was born in 1903 in a poor village in Kaihua County, Zhejiang Province. His life, like China at that time, was full of poverty and suffering. From the age of eight, he began herding cattle in the landlord's house to supplement his family's meager income. Although he did not understand the huge gap between class and rich and poor as a young child, he could feel that the oppression and exploitation of the landlords made the poor in the village poorer and poorer, while they themselves became richer and richer.
3. The spark of revolution
In 1926, by chance, Ye Zhanggen's fate took a turn. A relative of the landlord's family, who had been seriously wounded in the Kuomintang army, needed someone to visit him in Guangdong. Ye Zhanggen was chosen as a porter and was responsible for delivering the gifts. This trip brought him into contact with the recruitment of the National Revolutionary Army for the first time, and those slogans about revolution and changing the fate of the poor deeply touched his heart.
Ye Changgeng
Fourth, the beacon fire of the Northern Expedition
Ye Changgeng's performance in the National Revolutionary Army quickly won the appreciation of the company commander. During the Northern Expedition, his machine gun company was sent to the front line in Nanjing, facing the enemy's strong defensive line. In a crucial battle, Ye Changgeng demonstrated his extraordinary shooting skills, knocking out three enemy soldiers with only five bullets. This feat not only earned him the promising new name "Ye Changgeng", but also earned him the position of deputy class.
5. Turning Point: Joining the Red Revolution
As time passed, Ye Changgeng gradually realized that the actions of the Kuomintang were contrary to his original revolutionary ideals. In 1928, he decided to devote himself to the emerging Red Revolution. Not only did he secretly provide a large amount of military support to the Communists, but he also made contact with Fang Zhimin and delivered important weapons and supplies to the Red Army.
6. Joining the Red Army: A New Journey
In a well-planned operation, Ye Changgeng led 22 of his comrades-in-arms to quietly leave the Kuomintang army in the darkness of the night, and defected to General Peng Dehuai's Red Army with heavy machine guns and spears. Their arrival brought valuable supplies and morale to the Red Army. Ye Changgeng refused the huge bonus offered by General Peng, showing his loyalty and purity to the revolution.
7. Career in the Red Army: From platoon commander to division commander
In the Red Army, Ye Changgeng's military talent was fully brought into play. In 1932, he rose from the commander of a machine-gun platoon to the commander of the 12th Independent Division. Despite having to leave the unit to recuperate due to malaria during a battle, which led to a command error by the acting division commander, he took responsibility on his own initiative and applied for punishment.
8. The War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and Rear Work
During the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, Ye Changgeng was mainly responsible for rear work, such as the head of the militia department. He participated in the planning and logistics support of major battles such as the Battle of the Hundred Regiments, and provided solid support to the front-line soldiers.
9. The War of Liberation: Suppression of Bandits and Construction
After the war, Ye Changgeng was sent to Heilongjiang as the commander of the military region, responsible for suppressing bandits. His outstanding performance has made important contributions to the stability and development of New China.
10. The problem of awarding titles: Luo Ronghuan's choice
In 1955, in the face of Ye Changgeng's military rank assessment, General Luo Ronghuan was in a dilemma. Ye Changgeng's historical contributions and military prowess qualified him for the rank of lieutenant general, but his position changed little in the later period, and he failed to participate in many important battles, which complicated the assessment.
11. Ye Changgeng's choice: the glory of the major general
In a conversation with General Luo Ronghuan, Ye Changgeng showed his open-mindedness and wisdom. He took the initiative to request the rank of major general, which showed his selflessness for the revolutionary cause and his indifference to personal honor.
12. Inheritance and Memory
In 1986, General Ye Changgeng died. His life, from a porter to the founding major general, is not only a course of personal struggle, but also a part of the history of the Chinese revolution. His memoirs have become valuable materials for future generations to understand that era.