In 1988, our army awarded the second major title after the founding of the People's Republic of China, and awarded a total of 17 generals, including the founding general Hong Xuezhi in 1955, Lieutenant General Zhang Zhen, Qin Jiwei, Major General You Taizhong, Li Desheng and others.
Among them, there was another admiral, who was only a colonel in 1955, named Yang Baibing.
When he was awarded the title in 1988, Yang Baibing was a member of the Central Military Commission and director of the General Political Department of the People's Liberation Army, and he had an older brother with a higher status, Yang Shangkun, who was then the president of the state and vice chairman of the Central Military Commission.
Yang Baibing was born in 1920 in Shuangjiang Town, Tongnan County, Sichuan (now part of Chongqing), his father Yang Xuanyong is a very enlightened person, more than a dozen children in the family are all thrown into the revolution, Yang Baibing until his old age still remembers what his father said to him: "Baby, look at your fourth brother (Yang Mingong) and fifth brother (Yang Shangkun), to look at them, the head is not terrible, the terrible thing is that the country has broken its head!" ”
Under the influence of his brothers, Yang Baibing also went to Yan'an in 1938, joined the Communist Party, and began a revolutionary journey.
After graduating from the Anti-Japanese Military and Political University, Yang Baibing repeatedly asked him to go to the front line, and his superiors, considering that he was still a student, advised him to stay in the rear, but Yang Baibing firmly said: "Although I am a student, I am even more a Communist Party member, and I should stand at the forefront of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression!" ”
At his insistence, he finally went to the anti-Japanese front in North China as he wished.
When he first arrived in Shanxi, everything in front of him made him silent, the loess and the flames of war were intertwined, and the ruins of broken walls could be seen everywhere, but what made him happy was that there was a group of simple ordinary people who were still full of yearning for life, and the words he heard the most were: "Believe in the Communist Party, believe in the Eighth Route Army, and you will definitely be able to defeat the Japanese Kou!" ”
In 1942, the Japanese began the "Great Purge", when Yang Baibing was serving as the leader of the democratic movement team and organizing the villagers to retreat to the mountains. Along the way, men, women and children dragged their families with their mouths, the speed was slow, Yang Baibing stood by the side of the road, pulling his throat and shouting: "Folks step up their efforts!" You must go up the mountain before dark! ”
At this time, a flustered lady suddenly rushed to him, tugged at his sleeve and said, "Child, child, my sheep is gone, you help me find it!" The old lady cried while talking, and Yang Baibing immediately prepared to go back to find it.
Someone advised him that the back was too dangerous, for a sheep, it was not worth the risk of going back, but Yang Baibing said: "That is the most valuable thing for the old lady, of course!" ”
Yang Baibing returned to the village and finally found the sheep, but Rikou had already arrived in the village, and Yang Baibing held the sheep and hid in a thatched pile. Miraculously, the sheep never barked, allowing Yang Baibing to escape the disaster.
In 1947, Yang Baibing left North China and marched with his army into the Dabie Mountains, beginning to turn into a strategic counteroffensive. After our army captured Xinxian County, Henan, Yang Baibing stayed behind and served as the political commissar of the county guerrilla brigade. Although the new county has been defeated, it does not mean that it will be stable, for example, the Kuomintang vigilante groups that remain in this area often come out to harass the people and make the people miserable.
When Yang Baibing found out, he was very angry and said to the members of the guerrilla brigade: "We must fight, fight fiercely!" Otherwise, the people would not have a safe birthday! Of course, Yang Baibing also knew that the strength of the guerrilla brigade was too weak to confront them, so Yang Baibing thought of a way.
Yang Baibing summoned the local squires and asked them to set up a stage outside the city to sing operas, praying that the wind and rain would be smooth in the coming year, and spread news in the city that the guerrillas had withdrawn from Xinxian county and gone to the front.
Sure enough, a few days later, the Kuomintang vigilante groups came, drinking wine and eating meat, so unhappy, and the squires also toasted with smiling faces. Half drunk, the guerrillas suddenly descended from the sky and surrounded several leaders of the vigilante group.
Yang Baibing held a gun and said to the leaders of the militia: "This dish has also been eaten, and the wine has also been drunk, should we also pay back the previous debts?" ”
Three days later, the leaders of these vigilante groups were publicly executed, the militia ranks were also dismantled, and the local people all clapped their hands and applauded.
When he was awarded the rank in 1955, Yang Baibing was awarded the rank of colonel, which was not very high, but his subsequent development was very rapid, and by the time of the second award in 1988, he had already ranked high as a member of the Central Military Commission and director of the General Political Department of the People's Liberation Army, and was awarded the rank of general in anticipation.
On January 15, 2013, General Yang Baibing died of illness at the age of 93.
——To learn more about the story of the founding generals, you can check out the column of the history inn, a total of 100 founding generals.