1955 was a year of special significance for the Chinese People's Liberation Army.
For the first time, the military rank system was introduced.
Everyone in the army is looking forward to this.
In order to properly arrange this matter, all major military regions have conducted a thorough survey to understand the attitudes and opinions of officers and men on the awarding of military ranks.
"We old revolutionaries, it's a great luck to survive."
An old officer on crutches, his eyes sad, said slowly.
"Our compatriots have sacrificed so much, how can we be?" Another said.
When it was Kong Qingde's turn, he waved his hand and said disappretently:
"Ah, it's okay to give anything, it's good to be awarded to the school officer, colonel, colonel, lieutenant colonel, you can do it."
The tone is humble and peaceful, and there is no arrogance in the slightest.
The 73rd generation of direct descendants of Confucius
In the spring of 1912, a burst of cries sounded in the village of Boryeong.
The villagers in Qufu all know that Lao Kong's family has added another man.
Located in the suburbs of Qufu, Baoning Village is a small village full of loess flavor.
The villagers have followed the life style of their ancestors for generations, keeping them conservative and simple, and keeping to themselves.
As a descendant, the Kong family is not rich but has a good reputation.
Despite this, as the times changed, the family's fortune also plummeted.
In the blink of an eye, Kong Qingde's uncle and aunt passed away one after another.
A tiled house and a small piece of wasteland were all transferred to their house.
In the blink of an eye, there were only three adobe houses and an acre of barren fields left behind this once-prominent family.
For the first time, he truly experienced the hardships of the poor.
In spring, the wild grasses and saplings in the village gradually sprout green shoots.
At this time, the Kong family will carry a bamboo basket into the field.
Look for edible wild herbs and young leaves to satisfy your hunger.
It's all the dishes for a lunch for the whole family.
The wild herbs are slightly bitter, but surprisingly fragrant.
In summer, the grass and trees in the fields grow extremely luxuriantly.
Kong Qingde cut the grass for the master's family in exchange for some meager remuneration.
As a child, he was thin and thin, with a scythe in his hand almost taller than he was, and the reward was often only a few small copper plates.
sometimes
He thought about it for a long time that he would be able to get out of this life of extreme poverty and live a good life in the future.
Until something happened later.
That year, my father entertained a few friends from afar.
Behold
Tortured day and night.
It didn't take long for
lost the only pillar of the family.
The Kong family suddenly became even worse, and the family was surrounded by walls, and even food and clothing became a luxury.
The mother had to take her children to the streets to sell or work as a domestic worker in the homes of nearby landlords.
However, this income is simply not enough to support the family.
Kong Qingde also had to do odd jobs and do some hard work.
In this year, the Northern Expedition entered its second phase, and the social environment was unstable.
The first noble man in life
In the most desperate moment, fate opened a new path for him.
That year,
Wei Mengxian was Kong Qingde's battalion commander.
Wei Mengxian attached great importance to Kong Qingde, and often taught him some advanced ideas and revolutionary truths in addition to training.
Kong Qingde, who was only 19 years old, was sleeping soundly in the barracks when he was suddenly woken up by Wei Mengxian.
Wei Mengxian's expression was solemn, and he lowered his voice and said to him:
"Kong Qingde, we are going to revolt, you can go with me."
This was the famous "Lu'an Mutiny" in later generations.
Wei Mengxian was ordered to issue an uprising notice to the Chai Hongru troops stationed in Lu'an City, calling on them to leave the Kuomintang reactionaries and join the Workers' and Peasants' Revolutionary Army.
All the way to the march, from time to time there was the roar of artillery fire.
On several occasions, Kuomintang machine gunners swept at them, and bullets fell like hailstones.
Kong Qingde desperately protected Wei Mengxian and escaped death several times.
The next day, when the sun shines on the earth again.
Grab that cannon
After joining our army, Kong Qingde was like a fish in water.
In January 1938, the area of Dayangzhuang in Ningjin County was covered with clouds and gunsmoke.
Possess heavy weapons and a cannon that is personally rewarded by the emperor.
Not far away, Kong Qingde was keeping an eye on the movements of the Japanese army.
Under the cover of night, Kong Qingde led several soldiers to lurk in the dark, cautiously spying on the enemy.
Kong Qingde almost subconsciously gasped, that was really a rare treasure!
Back at the camp, Kong Qingde came up with a surprising idea.
"Brothers, let's go grab that cannon tonight!"
As soon as the words ended, there was an uproar in the barracks.
That's the treasure of the Japanese army, and the strictness of the defense can be imagined.
But looking at Kong Qingde's resolute expression,
Soon, a small detachment was quickly formed.
Everyone held their breath and cautiously walked through the dense grass.
Just when everyone thought that the operation was going well, one accidentally made a noise and alarmed the Japanese army.
"Retreat!"
Kong Qingde ordered in a low voice, and as soon as the words fell, the gunfire exploded in the night.
Bullets whizzed past my ears.
But at this juncture, Kong Qingde and the soldiers' alert reflexes are also breathtaking.
"Buckled" to the extreme, but with the masses in mind
Fast forward to 1952.
This position is a heavy responsibility and hard work for him, but Kong Qingde is still as serious and meticulous as ever.
No effort has been spared in both combat command and army building.
Although he is in a high position, Kong Qingde's life has never changed by the halfway.
He was still wearing the old padded jacket with rag patches on his back.
This raged garment,
But when the Wenchuan earthquake came in 2008, Kong Qingde donated 5,000 yuan without hesitation.
That's a lot of money at the time.
At the meeting of medical representatives, Kong Qingde was straightforward:
"The economy of the army is not very abundant, there are difficulties, and there are only two things that are required of you:
One is not to adulterate and not to buy those counterfeit drugs;
Second, don't buy expensive medicines. ”
55 years of conferral awards
Beijing in 1955, the fragrance of golden cinnamon, twilight autumn.
In the red wall and yellow tile of Zhongnanhai, a grand award ceremony is being held.
Friends and relatives cried tears.
Only Kong Qingde closed his eyes peacefully, and the scenes from the past seemed to be reproduced in his mind:
The poor children in tattered clothes, the quenching soldiers with steel guns, the artillery commanders who stood in the barracks... In the end, he became a general in his own right.
Yes, his life can be described as a lot of ups and downs, ups and downs.
From a country boy to a valiant general, it was he who interpreted a legend with his life's walking.