An earth-shattering bang blew the dawn of peace!
On October 11, 2018, a heavy grenade suddenly exploded at the Bazi minefield in Malipo County, Yunnan Province, tearing apart the life of a demining hero.
He is Du Fuguo, a PLA demining hero who has repeatedly regarded death as if he were at home in times of crisis and did not hesitate to sacrifice himself.
At that moment, Du Fuguo's heart-rending shout came from the smoke of gunpowder: "Quickly stand back! He used his body to cover his comrades, but he lost both hands and eyes.
Blood soon poured out, staining the former battlefield red.
Du Fuguo's heroic deeds are like a hammer, hitting the deepest part of people's hearts.
As an ordinary peasant boy, how did he embark on this cruel and noble road step by step, and what supported him to sacrifice his life and death at the last moment of his life, and to be brave and fearless?
In 2010, at the age of 18, Du Fuguo joined the ranks of the People's Liberation Army, where he was assigned to a border guard unit in Yunnan, where he began a military career with rigorous training.
The difficult environment did not wear down his fighting spirit, but made him more and more determined to serve the country.
In 2015, when Du Fuguo learned that the army needed to form a new demining team, he seemed to see a new chapter in his life beckoning him.
Although he had witnessed the maiming and sacrifice of his comrades-in-arms in the demining mission, and he knew that the danger of the work was no less than walking a tightrope, Du Fuguo never wavered in his determination.
In the depths of Du Fuguo's heart, a voice seemed to be constantly driving him:
"The only criterion for measuring what kind of life is truly meaningful and valuable is what you have really done for the country and the people. ”
It was this persistent idealism that made him take the initiative to join the demining team without hesitation.
Although the demining task is full of dangers, Du Fuguo firmly believes that this is his best stage, which can show the values and responsibilities that a soldier should have.
So, he quit his comfortable job at a border post and devoted himself to professional training in demining.
Since then, Du Fuguo has stepped into the field of mine clearance, which is full of unknowns and dangers.
In the hot summer, mosquitoes are overwhelming; Cold winter, bitter cold winds; Whether it is a vast forest or a thorny bush, it is a difficulty that deminers must face, and what is buried in the ground is a deadly killer who can take life at any time.
In a short period of three months, Du Fuguo has absorbed all kinds of demining knowledge and skills like a sponge, from theory to practice, from conventional thunder arrays to handling special situations.
His studious and attentive ability soon made him stand out as the best of the demining team.
After the training, Du Fuguo finally joined the demining brigade as he wished.
Since then, Du Fuguo has been rooted in the battlefield of demining like a war horse.
In every suspected minefield, he will tirelessly explore, investigate, and excavate, and use his sweat and wisdom to eliminate potential crises little by little.
In just a few years, he has cleared more than 2,400 mines with his own hands, stepped forward many times at critical moments, solved thorny problems with superb skills, and won the praise of "Thor".
One night in September 2018, heavy rains caused a massive mudslide at the site.
At that time, the second floor of a school was completely besieged by mud, and 12 students were trapped in it, and their lives were in danger at any time.
After learning the news, Du Fuguo was not afraid of danger, and his comrades-in-arms struggled forward through the deep mud in their chests, and finally moved the 12 students to safety one by one with great difficulty.
Later that same day, Du Fuguo received another emergency signal from the nursing home for help.
It turned out that the torrential rain caused the river where the nursing home is located to swell, and 19 elderly people were trapped. Without saying a word, Du Fuguo took the lead in jumping into the rolling torrent, using his body to snatch a life passage for his comrades, and then carried those elderly people out of the danger area one by one with the attitude of an iron man barrier.
In October 2018, Du Fuguo led a team to carry out a mission at the Bazi minefield in Malipo County, Yunnan Province.
It was once the focus of the Sino-Vietnamese self-defense counterattack, and there were a large number of highly lethal mines and grenades.
Faced with this extremely dangerous grenade, Du Fuguo decisively ordered his comrades to retreat and went to dismantle it himself.
But just as he started his work, an accident happened, and the grenade suddenly exploded! At this critical moment, Du Fuguo used his body to protect his comrades-in-arms, but he also lost his hands and eyes because of this.
All this happened so suddenly, Du Fuguo didn't have time to react and paid a heavy price.
But when he woke up, the first thing he said was to ask his comrades how they were doing, this kind of selfless love, this kind of heroic spirit that regarded death as home, made everyone cry.
As a result, Du Fuguo was awarded the first-class meritorious service and won the glorious title of "Hero of Demining Clearance".
As a reward for Du Fuguo's heroic deeds, the state and the army gave him three special treatments:
The first is lifelong support and special subsidies, which can receive the salary of active military personnel every month, plus a special pension of 80,000 yuan per year;
second, to be eligible to attend major national celebrations;
Third, Du Fuguo's relatives will also receive a high standard of care, such as the elderly enjoy a high pension, and their children will receive special education and employment opportunities.
In addition to material care, what is more important is the state's careful care for Du Fuguo's rehabilitation.
From emergency rescue to long-term rehabilitation, Du Fuguo received the best medical resources, and the whole process was paid by the state, and at the same time, he also sent a professional rehabilitation master to personally guide him in daily training to help him regain his ability to take care of himself as soon as possible.
Under the dual care of material and spiritual, Du Fuguo's deeds quickly spread throughout the army.
In 2019, he was named a national model representative of self-improvement and won the "August 1st" medal with high gold content, which is the highest affirmation of his heroic deeds and the best example of encouraging the officers and men of the whole army to never give up and strive for self-improvement.
Although Du Fuguo lost both hands and eyes, he was not crushed by life.
The biggest pillar is his wife's encouragement and support for him.
At the beginning, his wife once said to Du Fuguo affectionately: "Let me be your hands and eyes in the future." This sentence is like a shot in the arm, giving Du Fuguo the courage and strength to reinvigorate.
After being discharged from the hospital, Du Fuguo began to learn broadcasting skills, and prepared to use his own voice to publicize mine clearance knowledge and spread his personal experience.
In 2020, Du Fuguo returned to the military as a broadcaster, giving speeches in major schools and troops, telling the hardships and dedication of deminers with vivid and powerful words, inspiring countless listeners.
In June 2023, Du Fuguo once again set foot on the former minefield, but this time the purpose was not to clear mines, but to convey the concept of peace.
After years of continuous clearing, the land has become a vibrant orchard.
The local villagers recognized the former "thunder god" and handed over fresh fruits one after another, allowing Du Fuguo to taste the fruits of the peaceful era.
Since then, Du Fuguo's story has continued to be sung and contributed to the maintenance of peace.
Epilogue:
Remembering the heroes, remembering history, and calling for peace. Du Fuguo's deeds are a hard-won testimony to the era of peace.
He used his blood and life to compose a hymn to defend peace, and interpreted the responsibilities and responsibilities of soldiers with practical actions.
Let us all remember history, remember heroes, cherish the present time of peace, and strive to build a better world.
Reference Sources:
Du Guofu - Baidu Encyclopedia
https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E6%9D%9C%E5%AF%8C%E5%9B%BD/22996610?fr=ge_ala