Qian Xuesen, a well-known national treasure in China, is recognized as the "father of rockets" and the "king of missiles". As the 2007 Moving China Award Speech said, "In his heart, the country is important, the family is light, science is the heaviest, and fame and fortune are the lightest." 5 years to return to the country, 10 years two bombs. Pioneering the aerospace of the motherland, he was a pioneer, cutting thorns and thorns, forging wisdom into a ladder and leaving it to later climbers. He is a treasure of knowledge, a banner of science, and a model for the intellectuals of the Chinese nation. ”
On October 31, 2009, Qian Xuesen died in Beijing at the age of 98. When the news came, the whole country mourned. The day after Qian Xuesen's death, heavy snow fell in Beijing, as if to bid him farewell. This is a set of old photos reflecting the scene of Qian Xuesen's memorial service (or funeral), when hundreds of thousands of people came to bid farewell.
[Qian Yonggang] In the eyes of outsiders, as the son of the great scientist Qian Xuesen, the pressure must be very great. Qian Yonggang did not think so, he said: "I was once called by the teacher to lecture, like your condition should be all 5 points, why do you have 4 4 points?" It shows that we do not have high requirements for ourselves. Later I went back to my father to see me pouting and saying what happened today? I told you what the situation was. I said Dad, I know it's not impossible to eliminate 4 points, but it's not about making me read less extracurricular books. After half a semester of hard work, the last 4 points were eliminated, all 5 points. As a result, my dad came back with a sentence, and I saw that there were two 4 points which were also good. ”
[People who came to send farewell] Everyone knows that Qian Xuesen's road back to China is extremely tortuous, and it took five years before and after. However, few people know how Qian Xuesen spent these 5 years. On September 7, 1950, Qian Xuesen was illegally detained by the U.S. Department of Justice's Immigration and Naturalization Service in a detention facility on The island of Termino, south of Los Angeles. If it were not for the payment of $15,000 bail, Qian Xuesen would not have been able to release it.
During the 15 days he was detained in the Nantemino Island Detention Center, US personnel did not allow him to sleep. Qian Xuesen's wife Jiang Ying said: "The powerful searchlight was aimed at him 24 hours a day to prevent him from getting a rest, and every ten minutes a soldier opened the bulky iron door and reached in to see if he had escaped. ”
[Qian Xuesen's wife Jiang Ying] "Qian Xuesen's return to China is definitely not to plant apple trees! "Wherever Qian Xuesen goes, he is worth five divisions!" These two evaluations of Qian Xuesen by Americans have long been household names. In fact, Qian Xuesen's contribution to China's national defense cause is unimaginable, taking missiles as an example, it is Qian Xuesen's early return to China that has advanced the successful launch of China's missiles and atomic bombs for at least 20 years.
When Qian Xuesen first returned to China, his monthly salary was 335.8 yuan, and his annual salary in the United States reached 50,000 US dollars. Giving up the superior treatment of the United States, Qian Xuesen has a strong sense of home and country. Qian Xuesen once said: "Although my surname is Qian, I don't love money. Qian Xuesen said and did this, and he donated the prize money many times.
When Qian Xuesen returned to China, he was interviewed by reporters, saying: "I am very happy to be able to return to my own country, I do not plan to return to the United States, I have been deliberately delayed by the US authorities to return to the motherland, and the reason for this is that I suggest that you ask the US government." In the future, I will do my utmost to build my country with Chinese people so that my compatriots can live a happy life with dignity. ”
After the success of China's two bombs and one star, many foreign universities and associations wanted to award Qian Xuesen various honorary titles, except for his alma mater, California Institute of Technology, Qian Xuesen refused. Qian Xuesen once said: "As a scientific and technological worker in China, the purpose of my life is to serve the people. If the people end up satisfied with all the work I have done in my life, that is the highest reward. ”
After Qian Xuesen's death, his son Qian Yonggang commented on his father, "He has the historical responsibility of Chinese intellectuals, and he believes that as a reader, he must use his own skills to serve the prosperity and strength of the country and the rejuvenation of the nation. More importantly, we must keep a low profile and always keep a low profile for fame and profit. ”