In 1958, a photo recorded this man wearing a straight military uniform and wearing a glittering "Yunlu Medal" on his chest, he was Hao Baicun, who had just been promoted to the "commander of the Kinmen Defense Command". As a "rising star", this year, he was only 39 years old and in his prime.
Hao Baicun is a native of Jiangsu, and although his family background is not prominent, it has cultivated his tenacious and courageous character. At the age of 16, with full of enthusiasm and the ambition to serve the country, he resolutely applied for the Whampoa Military Academy and successfully became a freshman in the twelfth phase of Whampoa. Since then, he has embarked on a military career.
After the outbreak of the Anti-Japanese War, Hao Bocun graduated ahead of schedule and quickly threw himself into this war of national survival. He served as a lieutenant colonel and battalion commander, and successively stationed in Guangxi, Hunan and other places, leading the troops to fight bloody battles to resist foreign invasions. During the eight-year Anti-Japanese War, he always stuck to the forefront of the battle and experienced countless life and death tests. He participated in the Battle of Wuhan, joined the expeditionary force, and went to Southeast Asia to fight, making great sacrifices and efforts for the independence of the country and the dignity of the nation.
Although Hao Baicun does not have a prominent background, he is honest and flexible, and is deeply trusted and valued by his superiors. In 1948, he became Chiang Zhongzheng's attendant and became an important assistant to Chiang's father and son. In 1950, shortly after he came to Taipei, he met his wife Guo Wanhua through the introduction of relatives and friends. It is worth mentioning that Guo Wanhua's father, Guo Jiqiao, was also a famous general of the Anti-Japanese War and served as the deputy commander of the Fifth War Zone, and this family background also added a lot of help to Hao Baicun's future military career.
After going to Taiwan, Hao Baicun's career can be described as smooth sailing. He successively served as "Army Commander" and "Chief of Staff" and other important positions, and was deeply respected and trusted by Chiang's father and son. In the 90s, with the death of Chiang Ching-kuo, Hao Bocun took on important responsibilities, but the good times did not last long, and soon after he announced his resignation, ending his military career. Despite leaving the army, Hao Bocun still retains his interest and enthusiasm for politics. He has always considered himself a Chinese and supports cross-strait reunification, and has repeatedly expressed this position in public.
In his later years, although Hao Baicun left the military and political arena, he still maintained his love and attention for the mainland. As a veteran of the Anti-Japanese War, he has returned to the mainland many times to re-take the road of the Anti-Japanese War and cherish the memory of those eventful years. He also took an active part in ancestor worship and tourism activities, exchanged and interacted with mainland compatriots, and enhanced mutual understanding and friendship between the people on both sides of the strait.
In the face of an interview with a mainland reporter, Hao Bocun once firmly said: "Even if you die, you are still Chinese." This sentence has deeply touched the hearts of countless people, and this firm belief and patriotic feelings are admirable.
However, it is a pity that although Hao Baicun lived to the age of 101, he still did not see the reunification of the motherland in the end, which is undoubtedly a great regret in his life.