In September 1953, a missing person notice published in the People's Daily revealed the unknown heroic identity of a Henan cleaner.
Just a few months ago, the cleaner, Lei Baosen, was being ridiculed by his colleagues.
When the leaders learned his true identity from the newspapers, they were ecstatic and sent him to Beijing. And when Lei Baosen met Chairman Mao, Chairman Mao held his hand tightly and said with emotion: "I really didn't expect you to be alive, you are the pride of our volunteer army in the history of war!" ＂
Heroes are hidden in the market
At the beginning of 1952, in the reception hall of the Henan provincial government, a dark-skinned, skinny cleaner was busy.
His name is Lei Baosen, and because he was injured, the leaders took pity on him and arranged some easier work.
Lei Baosen is honest and not good at words, and everyone affectionately calls him "Old Lei".
However, some good deeds laughed at him in public: "You are a big man with such weak bones that you can't even do heavy work, you might as well go home and retire!" ＂
In the face of these ridicules, Lei Baosen just did his job silently and never said much.
One day in September 1953, the leader of the guest house was flipping through the "People's Daily" when suddenly a missing person notice caught his attention.
This notice was issued by Li Yaowen, political commissar of the 26th Army, and the content was to find a first-class combat hero and special meritorious hero named Lei Baosen.
The leader carefully checked the information in the newspaper and was surprised to find that this hero seemed to be the inconspicuous cleaner "Lao Lei" in the guest house!
The news quickly spread to the higher-level leaders, and soon a military jeep came to the guest house, picked up Lei Baosen, and sent him to Beijing.
When the vehicle arrived in Beijing, a scene that Lei Baosen never dreamed of appeared.
Chairman Mao personally walked to the door and held his hand tightly, with a smile of relief on his face. Chairman Mao said excitedly: "Mr. Peng often mentions your deeds to me, I really didn't expect to see you in person today!" You are still alive, you are really the pride of our volunteer army in the history of war! ＂
Lei Baosen was deeply moved by Chairman Mao's words, and tears blurred his eyes. He recalled the years of bloody battles on the Korean battlefield, those days and nights when he fought side by side with his comrades, born and died.
The initiation of a cobbler
Few people know that Lei Baosen's revolutionary road actually originated from the enlightenment of a "shoemaker" when he was a teenager.
In the thirties of the 20th century, the young Lei Baosen, after experiencing the tragic death of his father and the abduction of his sister, depended on his mother for his life.
They have no fixed place to live, so they can only earn a living in broken temples, temple fairs and other places.
Lei Baosen often went hungry, but he was never discouraged, but stubbornly survived.
One day, Lei Baosen met a unique cobbler.
The cobbler was always elusive, and no one knew where he came from or what his name was. But his words deeply touched Lei Baosen's young heart.
The shoemaker said to Lei Baosen, "Poor people like you are destined to be oppressed in this world. If you want to change your fate, you must rise up and throw yourself into the torrent of revolution.
The cobbler's words ignited a fire in Lei Baosen's heart. He began to help the shoemakers distribute pamphlets to spread the word of the revolution.
Gradually, under the guidance of the shoemaker, Lei Baosen came into contact with Marxism and understood the principles of class struggle. He secretly made up his mind that he must seek a turn for the poor and dedicate everything he had to the revolutionary cause.
It's a pity that the good times didn't last long, and the Kuomintang spies targeted them.
Late one night, the agents entered their meeting place, and a sudden burst of gunfire pierced the night sky. The cobbler desperately covered up, telling Lei Baosen and the others to retreat quickly.
It wasn't until it was confirmed that everyone had fled, that the cobbler was shot and fell.
Blood stained the hem of his shirt, but with a satisfied smile on his face. He used his last strength to tell Lei Baosen that there will inevitably be sacrifices on the road of revolution, but as long as he sticks to his faith, he will eventually usher in the dawn of victory.
The heroic sacrifice of the cobbler strengthened Lei Baosen's determination to join the revolution. He buried the mentor in tears and silently vowed to carry the revolution through to the end.
After that, Lei Baosen searched everywhere for revolutionary organizations, and finally joined the People's Liberation Army in 1946.
In the People's Liberation Army, Lei Baosen trained hard and actively sought progress. In the ensuing southward battle, he charged into battle and made many achievements.
In 1947, he honorably joined the Chinese Communist Party and became a staunch communist fighter. In the army, he won many awards and was rated as a model party member.
In 1948, Lei Baosen honorably became a member of the line of fire.
Bloody battle, the loveliest person in the Volunteer Army
In October 1950, the Chinese People's Volunteer Army was established and engaged in the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea. In order to defend the motherland, countless outstanding young people enthusiastically signed up and went to the front line in Korea.
Lei Baosen is one of them, and his 26th Army of the Chinese People's Liberation Army was reorganized into the 26th Army of the Chinese People's Volunteers.
In November, with the entry of the Volunteer Army into the DPRK, Lei Baosen also set foot on this land filled with gunpowder.
On the Korean battlefield, together with his comrades-in-arms, he experienced one arduous battle after another.
In the face of the enemy with advanced weapons and equipment, the soldiers of the Volunteer Army relied on their iron will and revolutionary enthusiasm to create earth-shattering and weeping ghosts and gods.
In March 1951, the Fourth Battle began. Lei Baosen led nine fighters from the fourth squad to carry out the blocking mission on the 299 heights.
Their location is the only way for the US mechanized troops to attack Qifeng Mountain.
In order to ensure that they could complete the task, the chief gave Lei Baosen one of the only three sets of bazooka in the whole battalion.
On the mountain, Lei Baosen and his comrades waited for the arrival of the enemy.
Suddenly, there was a rumbling engine from the bottom of the hill, and enemy tanks drove over. Lei Baosen immediately gave the order, and the fighters picked up the bazookas.
With a command, rockets whistled and fired into the side of the tank. Rumbling explosions followed, tanks were destroyed one after another, and raging fires raged in the valleys.
The enemy soon discovered their position in Leibaosen and fired frantically into the hill.
The bullets rained down, and the fighters fell one by one. Lei Baosen took the lead, directing the soldiers to take advantage of the terrain to conceal while waiting for an opportunity to counterattack with bazookas.
A desperate struggle unfolded among the mountains, with flames and smoke rising from the sky.
That's when the unexpected happened.
A shell exploded near Lei Baosen, and with a deafening loud bang, he was swept away by the shock wave and fell heavily to the ground.
There was a piercing pain in his left leg, and blood quickly soaked through his pants. But Lei Baosen gritted his teeth, endured severe pain, and continued to command the battle.
The battle entered its most intense moment, and Lei Baosen and his surviving comrades fought hand-to-hand with the enemy back to back.
Bullets burst out, bayonets flew sideways, and flesh flew everywhere and heart-rending screams.
Lei Baosen was shot several times, and blood gushed from the wound. But he put life and death out of the way, and vowed to live and die with the position.
In the end, Lei Baosen and his comrades jumped off the cliff with the only remaining explosives bag.
After an earth-shattering explosion, everyone was killed. But they used their lives to stubbornly block the enemy's attack and win precious time for Qifeng Mountain.
The truth is revealed, and the identity is revealed
After that battle, the news of Lei Baosen's heroic death by jumping off a cliff spread on the Korean battlefield. People were in tears for this hero.
The leading organs of the Chinese People's Volunteers decided to give Lei Baosen a special meritorious service and at the same time awarded him the title of "first-class combat hero," and his squad was also awarded the "anti-tank hero class," and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea even awarded Lei Baosen a "first-class soldier's medal of honor."
However, no one thought that Lei Baosen, who was immortal, was actually rescued by two North Korean fellows.
In the nearest field hospital, doctors removed four bullets from his body. However, there were still bullets left in his legs, making him lose the possibility of returning to the battlefield.
This warrior, who fought valiantly on the battlefield, was forced to say goodbye to his fighting career due to injury and illness.
After returning to China, although he could choose to return to the army and enjoy the treatment of a hero, Lei Baosen decided to take a different path, because for a soldier who could no longer fight, those honors were just a flash in the pan.
In 1952, Lei Baosen chose to return to his hometown and use his savings for many years to support his adoptive parents, and did his filial piety in ordinary life.
Unwilling to do nothing, he found a job as a cleaner in the guest house of the Henan Provincial People's Government through a friend's introduction.
It wasn't until 1953 that the leader saw the missing person notice in the newspaper and unraveled Lei Baosen's identity as a war hero, and once his identity was made public, his original position as a cleaner in the guest house was no longer suitable.
For this reason, the organization decided to transfer him to a more important position and arrange for him to serve in the Naval Changshan Fortress. Despite this, Lei Baosen has never been arrogant because of his past heroic deeds, and rarely mentions his past bravery on the battlefield.
By 1965, Lei Baosen was a 41-year-old retired soldier, and he returned to his hometown in Shangcai to recuperate with a revolutionary disabled veteran certificate.
On March 9, 2009, Lei Baosen died in Shangcai County, Zhumadian City, Henan Province, at the age of 86.
Resources:
Hero.com - Lei Baosen
Zhumadian News Network - Remembering Lei Baosen, a Special Hero of the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea-Zhumadian 2016-08-22