In the early 1980s, General Yang Dezhi said: "It is to make the people rich first, not us." This sentence later became a precious spiritual treasure for their children. On October 19, 2021, the Red Boat Editorial Department contacted Yang Qiuhua, the daughter of General Yang Dezhi, to talk about the background of why his father said this sentence. Yang Qiuhua said: "Let the people get rich first is the common wish of the revolutionaries of the older generation and the founding generals. ”
General Yang Dezhi said three unexpected things at the age of 80
During the Red Army period, General Yang Dezhi was a senior commander of our army and made great contributions to national liberation and the founding of New China. He went abroad to fight in the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea, and he served as deputy commander-in-chief and commander-in-chief of the Chinese Volunteer Army. He was awarded the rank of general in 1955. In 1980, the Central Military Commission appointed him Chief of Staff of the Chinese People's Liberation Army. In October 1987, he was elected as a standing member of the Central Advisory Committee at the 13th Party Congress.
Admiral Yang Dezhi
In 1991, on the 80th birthday of General Yang Dezhi, he ate at a banquet for his family to celebrate his birthday, and told the children about three unexpected things in his revolutionary experience.
The first thing that could not be imagined was that in the old society, due to the poverty of the family, some of the nine brothers and sisters died of hunger, some died of disease, and the eldest brother died in the war, and he was the only one left to live to this day.
The second unthinkable thing: a cowherd who had not been to school for a few days, followed the Communist Party to carry out the revolution until the day of victory. The party and the state awarded him the rank of general, which not only gave him the supreme honor, but also appointed him to hold a number of important positions such as chief of the general staff of the People's Liberation Army.
The third inconceivable thing: to survive the years of war. General Yang Dezhi believes that those comrades who sacrificed their lives for the revolution have not been able to see the victory of the revolution, and they have not lived a good day. The liberation of New China was bought with the lives of countless martyrs, and we have the responsibility to let their families live a good life.
A tombstone made of a dozen sticks on the grass
When it came to the young soldiers who had crossed the meadow for a squad of the Long March and died of miasma, General Yang Dezhi could no longer control his emotions, and tears fell like beads with broken threads. In the minds of the children, the father is a founding general who has commanded thousands of armies and horses, and has experienced countless tests of war, and he has never seen his father's tears of anything moving outside the home. This sudden change in mood made the family members present feel helpless and did not know how to persuade them. After a while, General Yang Dezhi's mood gradually calmed down.
Yang Qiuhua told the Red Boat Editorial Department: "My father was the commander of the first regiment of the First Division of the Red First Army when the Red Army marched through the meadows. He was very sad about the sacrifice of these warriors, and after burying them, his father especially wanted to erect a monument in front of the tombs of these warriors. But there wasn't even a decent plank of wood or even a larger stone on the grass. In desperation, he cut out a plane with the crutches used by himself and the warriors, and carved the names of these young warriors who were only sixteen or seventeen years old. ”
These tombstones made of crutches stand on the vast grassland, and when more than 1,700 soldiers of the whole regiment pass through this place, they will consciously stand in front of the tomb, feeling great sorrow and regret for these fallen young lives. Many of the warriors stood there for a long time refusing to leave, carefully memorizing the names on the crutches, as if to engrave them in their hearts. An old squad leader stepped forward and, instead of urging the soldiers to move forward, he gave a solemn military salute to the tombstone. He said loudly, "Comrades, rest. When the day of the victory of the revolution, we will come back to see you. ”
The daughter of the Chief of the General Staff was transferred to the field in case of disarmament
In the early 1980s, the state's "reform and opening up" encouraged some people to get rich first. All six of General Yang's children served in the army. Like everyone else in society, who hasn't been moved by the idea of getting rich first. But their hopes were soon extinguished by their father, Yang Dezhi, with a scoop of cold water.
Family portrait of General Yang Dezhi
Daughter Yang Qiuhua whispered, "Doesn't the state encourage you to get rich first?" The father looked at her and said, "That is to make the people rich first, not us!" "I was young and didn't understand the meaning of this sentence, but now it seems that my father said 'we' not only for our children, but also for himself." Yang Qiuhua said.
What made Yang Qiuhua most memorable was that when he disarmed millions in 1986, his troops were within the scope of disarmament. Some comrades-in-arms who have not been disarmed will soon be awarded the title, and the salary of the soldier will be greatly increased after the award. Yang Qiuhua's work in the former unit was outstanding, and the superior leaders offered to transfer her to other departments without being transferred. For this reason, Yang Qiuhua was very happy in his heart, and he told his father the good news for the first time. Yang Qiuhua said: "Our family has a rule, major matters must be approved by their parents, and they cannot make their own decisions. ”
Yang Qiuhua
That night, my mother called Yang Qiuhua to the room and asked, "Are you unwilling to change careers to a place?" Yang Qiuhua replied: "Of course, I have almost 20 years of military experience, and it is a great thing to have this opportunity to stay in the army." Mom patiently said: "Why did the leader take the initiative to let you stay, because you are the daughter of the chief of the general staff." Once disarmament is cut, you can not change careers, and this has a bad impact. Do you think it's appropriate for you to do this? ”
Under the persuasion of his mother, although Yang Qiuhua was a little confused, he finally accepted his father's idea and transferred from the original unit to the local profession. What she couldn't figure out was whether a PLA chief of the general staff would be punished for her daughter's non-disarmament, and what would be the impact? After a complicated ideological struggle, Yang Qiuhua slowly figured it out.
The influence that parents say is not about their own. As the senior leader of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, the disarmament work is already difficult, and his father's every move represents the image of the Communist Party. "After changing careers, my salary income is very different from that of my comrades who joined the army in the same year and held the same position, but I have not regretted it. I am also a member of the Communist Party, and I cannot do anything to discredit the Party. Yang Qiuhua said with a smile. [Photo provided by Yang Qiuhua, may not be reproduced without permission]
Author: Wang Xiangming