On May 9, 1979, General Su Yu, as the top adviser of the "Sino-Japanese Friendship Ship Visiting Japan Delegation," took the "Minghua" cruise ship and began a month-long goodwill visit to Japan.
The "Sino-Japanese Friendship Ship Visiting Mission" is the largest delegation sent by China since the founding of New China, and the delegation visited 33 cities, 174 urban areas and 71 towns in Japan, sowing the seeds of peace between China and Japan.
Liao Chengzhi, the head of the delegation, wrote a poem about the visit in Japan, in which one of the sentences, "Take a boat around the circle, friendship is thousands of autumns", has become a well-known phrase in both countries.
During this visit, an interesting incident occurred, when Su Yu and his party visited Kobe, a Japanese veteran crossed several cities from Osaka to Kobe, just to see Su Yu.
When the Japanese veteran finally met General Su Yu, the top adviser of the delegation, in Kobe, he excitedly gave Su Yu a military salute and extended sincere greetings to Su Yu in very standard Mandarin: "Hello old chief!" ”
So, who is this Japanese veteran? Why did he call General Su Yu "Old Chief"? What kind of legendary experience did he have?
A ship of Sino-Japanese friendship
The veteran, Eiichi Yamada, represented a very important anti-fascist organization during the War of Resistance: the Japanese Anti-War League, and our story begins today in 1939.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="7" > Japan Anti-War League</h1>
During the War of Resistance Against Japan, in order to establish an anti-Japanese united front, the party's senior leaders realized that it was indispensable to win over Japanese prisoners to obtain their help.
To this end, Chairman Mao issued three regulations in 1928, one is that prisoners are not allowed to beat and curse, the other is that wounded prisoners should be treated in a timely manner, the third is to welcome prisoners who are willing to join the ranks of the Red Army, and the prisoners who do not want to join the Red Army must meet their basic living needs.
Since then, chairman Mao has gradually optimized the three broadband prisoner regulations, and the Eighth Route Army and the New Fourth Army under the leadership of the Communist Party of China have also strictly abided by this policy, not insulting or scolding the Japanese prisoners, and giving them full care in life and spiritual respect.
Chairman Mao
In this way, many Japanese prisoners reached a certain degree of understanding with the anti-Japanese fighters, and these Japanese prisoners gradually understood that the Eighth Route Army and the New Fourth Army under the leadership of our Party were not only "righteous divisions" but also "benevolent divisions." During the period of common life in our army, these Japanese prisoners gradually understood the evil of fascism, which laid the foundation for the establishment of the Japanese Anti-War Alliance in China.
At the beginning of 1938, the Eighth Route Army and the New Fourth Army on the anti-Japanese front in various places carried out the work of educating and reforming Japanese prisoners, and many Japanese prisoners "woke up" under the education and reform work of our army, showing full sympathy and understanding for the anti-Japanese cause of our army.
In this historical background, on the evening of January 2, 1939, in the village of Wangjiayu in Wuxiang County, Shanxi Province, a team of more than 1,000 people of the Eighth Route Army was holding a New Year's party in the village, at which three Japanese prisoners announced their participation in the Eighth Route Army and were warmly welcomed by the soldiers of the Eighth Route Army, namely Kazuo Sugimoto, Takeo Kobayashi and Yoshio Okada, the founders of the "Japan Anti-War Alliance Association".
Japan Anti-War Alliance
On November 7 of the same year, Kazuo Sugimoto, Takeo Kobayashi, and Yoshio Okada established the "Japan Awakening Alliance" at the field headquarters of the Eighth Route Army in Mada Town, Zuoquan County, Shanxi Province, which was the first anti-war organization established by the Chinese Japanese on the anti-Japanese battlefield.
The headquarters of the "Awakening Alliance" was set up in the General Political Department of the Eighth Route Army, and the "Awakening Alliance" also founded the organ publication "Awakening" as a tool for its anti-war propaganda.
After the establishment of the "Awakening Alliance," many Japanese prisoners of war, with the help of the Awakening Alliance, recognized the evil nature of the war of aggression and joined the alliance; they launched a propaganda offensive against the Japanese army by shouting in front of the battle, distributing leaflets, and sending condolence letters to Japanese soldiers, which played an extremely crucial role in weakening the Japanese army's will to fight and disintegrating the organization of the Japanese army.
On December 23, 1939, Japanese revolutionaries in China, with the support of Guo Moruo, Zhou Enlai, and other patriots, formally established the southwest branch of the "Japanese People's Anti-War League in China" in Guilin, the kuomintang district, with Hideo Sakamoto as the representative, and founded the progressive journal "Friends of the People." In July of the following year, the anti-war alliance set up its headquarters in Chongqing, with Lu Di as the secretary-general, and founded the progressive journal "Struggle for truth".
Zhou Enlai
Since then, the "Japanese People's Anti-War Alliance in China" in various localities has been established one after another, and anti-war propaganda and other work have been carried out on the anti-Japanese fronts in various localities, and the achievements have been remarkable, and they have won high social evaluation.
Since then, the anti-war alliance has further developed into the Japanese People's Liberation Alliance, and by the eve of Japan's surrender in August 1945, the Liberation Alliance has established 6 local or regional agreements and 20 branches throughout the country, and the members of the Liberation Alliance have reached more than 1,000 people.
During the eight-year War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, there were 36 recorded members of the Anti-War Alliance who died for the great cause of the liberation of the Chinese people, and although they were not of the same ethnic group as us, they were of the same heart and were also heroes in our minds.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="21" > the awakening of the "artillery lieutenant"</h1>
The protagonist of our story today, Eiichi Yamada, is one of the members of the Japanese Anti-War Alliance, and his story is full of legends.
Born into a middle-class family in Japan, Yamada received a good education from an early age, and was also influenced by militarism from an early age, and deeply believed in the military dogma of "Great Japanese imperialism".
Japanese Army
At the age of sixteen, Yamada was admitted to the Japanese Officer School with excellent results, learning track science and artillery tactics, etc. After graduation, Yamada Eiichi officially served in the Japanese artillery corps and began his artillery career.
Yamada first entered the Korean Peninsula with the team in 1935, conducted more than half a year of military training on the Korean Peninsula, and was rated as a "first-class soldier" with excellent results, and then entered the northeast of China with most of the Japanese army.
However, even when Yamada was stationed in Korea, the persecution and cruelty of the Japanese soldiers against the Korean people could not help but make him suspicious.
That is, after Yamada Eiichi entered the northeast, the scene of the Japanese officers and soldiers killing the people was displayed in front of his eyes, and the so-called "imperial army" was no different from the bandits, which made Yamada Hideichi have a fundamental doubt about himself.
In fact, for the young Eiichi Yamada, he joined the army because he longed for the concept of "greater East Asia co-prosperity" preached by the Japanese army, and for him, if he could promote the peaceful development of Japan, China, Korea and other countries to achieve "common prosperity", such a "utopian world" was what Yamada Eiichi aspired to.
Japanese invading forces
But everything in front of him only made him feel deception, barbarism and injustice, and the bloody scenes flashed in his mind like a marquee, and he could dream of the desperate expressions of the villagers and women who had been ravaged by the Japanese soldiers every night.
After the Lugou Bridge Incident on July 7, 1937, Eiichi Yamada invaded the south of China with the invading army, and he was entrusted by the senior officers of the Japanese invading army to become an artillery captain by virtue of his strength as a first-class soldier and an excellent graduate of the artillery school.
Since entering the customs, the atrocities committed by the Japanese invading army against our people have long been numb to Yamada, and he is like a puppet who can only receive orders and carry out orders, and he commands the artillery to fire countless artillery fires at our army's positions, and his hands are stained with evil blood.
Just one day, Yamada Eiichi received a letter of condolence, opened it, it turned out to be a comrade-in-arms of his own sent to him, in the letter, Yamada Eiichi for the first time learned the name of the "Japanese People's Anti-War Alliance", the original comrade-in-arms is now a member of the Anti-War Alliance, Yamada Eiichi naturally also saw the New Fourth Army anti-war leaflet in the letter.
Yamada's numb heart was loosened, and the seed of justice was born in his heart, but his secret reading of enemy leaflets was eventually discovered by the Japanese commander, for which Yamada Hideichi was whipped and locked up in a confinement room for three days.
Soldiers of the Japanese Anti-War Coalition were shouting at the Japanese army with wounds
In the winter of 1943, the troops served by Eiichi Yamada met the New Fourth Army led by General Su Yu, and the two sides immediately engaged in a fierce battle, Su Yu was a military wizard who was rare in a hundred years, Yamada Eiichi's unit was quickly defeated, and Yamada Eiichi was also captured by our army and became a prisoner.
Yamada Hideichi thought that he was "destined to rest", but he soon found that the New Fourth Army did not kill prisoners, not only did not kill, general Su Yu also came to visit him several times and three times, asked him whether there were any problems or needs in his life and emotions, and paid full attention to him.
Yamada was greatly moved, and during his captivity, the soldiers of the New Fourth Army also often conducted ideological education to these captured Japanese soldiers, told these Japanese prisoners about the injustice of the war of aggression against China, and called on them to join the anti-aggression camp of the Chinese people.
During the time spent with the New Fourth Army, Yamada Eiichi gradually realized the fascist nature of Japan's war of aggression against China, so he resolutely joined the Japanese Anti-War Alliance and became a member of the glorious New Fourth Army, directly led by Su Yu.
Su Yu
At first, Su Yu did not know his identity as an artillery lieutenant until Eiichi Yamada joined the New Fourth Army.
Former senior Japanese officers joined the New Fourth Army, which was an unexpected gain, and Su Yu soon discovered Eiichi Yamada's talent and value.
It turned out that in several battles between the New Fourth Army and the Japanese army, the New Fourth Army captured a lot of Japanese artillery, but in the New Fourth Army, few people knew how to control these "iron knots", let alone proficient.
Eiichi Yamada, a former Captain of japanese artillery, was a well-known expert in orbital science and artillery tactics in the Japanese army, and was familiar with artillery.
So Su Yu made a request to Eiichi Yamada, hoping that he would teach the soldiers of the New Fourth Army to use these "iron knots" against the Japanese invaders.
Su Yu knew that this move was tantamount to making Yamada Eiichi a "blood-bladed compatriot", so he made sufficient psychological preparations for Yamada Eiichi's refusal, but he did not expect that Yamada Hideichi was impressed by Su Yu's broad mind and the character of repaying virtue with resentment, and he had no psychological obstacles and happily agreed.
Artillery of the Red Army
To digress, after the founding of the People's Republic of China, Chairman Mao patted Su Yu on the shoulder and praised him, saying that General Su Yu's PLA is the general who knows how to subdue people with virtue, just as Si said, and his name is worthy of the name.
After taking over the task of teaching the New Fourth Army to control artillery, Yamada Eiichi formulated a very strict training plan, on the training ground, as long as there are soldiers of the New Fourth Army practicing artillery, there must be his figure, Yamada Hideichi will teach what he knows and learn, the soldiers of the New Fourth Army also learn very carefully, and the New Fourth Army has emerged a group of excellent gunners under the training of Yamada Eiichi.
Eiichi Yamada's conscientious and responsible attitude and determination to oppose the war won the trust of the soldiers of the New Fourth Army, and then Su Yu established an artillery battalion, and Yamada Eiichi became the commander of the artillery battalion.
By the spring of 1944, due to the unfavorable war situation of the Japanese army, the communication line of the rear garrison troops to deliver materials to the front was seriously blocked, and in order to open up the japanese army's communication line in mainland China, the Japanese army mobilized a large number of troops from central China to prepare for offensive and defensive battles with the New Fourth Army in the area of Cheqiao.
Soldiers of the New Fourth Army who guarded their positions in the Battle of Cheqiao
On March 5, 1944, during a fort offensive and defensive battle, the New Fourth Army broke through the Japanese wall, and the Japanese army stubbornly resisted, and finally shrank into a bunker.
Matsuno Kyaw, a soldier of the New Fourth Army of the Japanese Anti-War Alliance, asked Commander Chen Chaohuan to say, "Commander, please turn off the fire first!" I am going to save my countrymen, and in any case, let me go to the front and shout to them once again. ”
After Commander Chen Chaohuan agreed, Matsuno Kyaw lifted the horn barrel and went to the bunker at the front of the position to shout to the remaining remnants of the Japanese army, but the Japanese soldiers, who had long been paralyzed by Japanese militarism, did not pay attention to Matsuno Kyaw, but instead raised their guns and secretly aimed them at Matsuno Kyaw with a dark muzzle.
Eiichi Yamada and Kyaw Matsuno were very good friends in the anti-war alliance, and when he learned of his friend's death, Yamada Eiichi felt unprecedented anger, he understood that even if they were brothers and sisters, their compatriots who had lost their humanity could no longer be called "people", so Yamada Eiichi petitioned Su Yu, hoping to give the task of conquering the last bunker to the artillery battalion.
Su Yu agreed to Eiichi Yamada's request, and Eiichi Yamada took the artillery battalion and opened more than a dozen mortars in front of the front.
Artillery of the New Fourth Army
Matsuno Kyaw was known for his death, the soldiers of the New Fourth Army felt extremely sad, and the resentment against the Japanese devils was high, and after Yamada Eiichi ordered the gunners to load their mortars, at the sound of an order, a row of shells merged into a line, dragging a long smoke tail in the air, and immediately exploded at the Japanese bunker, and the Japanese bunker instantly turned into powder.
After a day and two nights of arduous fighting, the Cheqiao Campaign was a complete victory, at the expense of the sacrifice of 54 soldiers of our army, a total of 465 Japanese troops and 483 puppet troops were annihilated, and the Car Bridge was successfully broken, opening up the communication lines in central Jiangsu, Huaibei, and Huainan, which had a decisive impact on the victory of the war.
On August 15, 1945, the Japanese Emperor issued an edict of surrender, Japan officially announced its surrender, when Japan surrendered, Su Yu had asked Yamada Eiichi if he had any plans to return to Japan, but Yamada Eiichi said that he hoped that the party organization would allow him to stay and continue to fight for the cause of China's revolution!
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="56" after > victory</h1>
Since then, Eiichi Yamada and the artillery fighters he brought out have participated in the Liberation War and the Korean War, and have made great contributions to the liberation of the country and the defense of territorial sovereignty.
The famous Yu Xiu, Baoju, Yu Xiu and Baoju in the Battle of Chen Guanzhuang from late 1948 to early 1949, used ordinary field artillery as temporary anti-aircraft guns to shoot down Kuomintang aircraft, and for the first time created the feat of "field artillery hitting planes", and was rated as "second-class merit".
Bao Sentence (left), Yu Xiu (also)
And in the Battle of Laiwu, the artillery battalion taught by Yamada (not the battalion commander of Yamada Hideichi at that time) used extremely strong firepower to suppress the Kuomintang army to a corner, and under the huge casualty price of more than 8,000 people, the soldiers of the artillery battalion did not suffer a single casualty.
During the Period of the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea, Yamada Eiichi and his students rushed to the Korean battlefield, causing huge casualties to the enemy in the Battles of Wonsan and Chosin Lake.
After that, Yamada Hideichi stayed in China and contributed his strength to the training of Chinese artillery, until 1958, when the relations between China and Japan tended to improve, and the international situation had undergone earth-shaking changes.
Out of the consideration of the relations between China and Japan and human feelings, the organization approved Eiichi Yamada's application for retirement, and applied for a ticket to Japan by cruise ship.
Until May 9, 1979, Su Yu, as the top adviser of the "Sino-Japanese Friendship Ship Visiting Group", went to Japan to begin a one-month friendly visit, and Su Yu's visit to Japan had a great impact on Japan at that time, and almost every household was broadcasting the white-haired old man's deeds on television.
The delegation of the "Ship of Sino-Japanese Friendship" took a group photo with the Japanese students
Eiichi Yamada, who was living in Osaka, naturally also saw this "old chief", and at this time, Eiichi Yamada was also old, looking back at the past, he was full of emotions, and he couldn't wait to see the old chief.
As a result, Eiichi Yamada crossed several cities from Osaka to Kobe and met the "old chief" Su Yu, whom he had in mind.
Su Yu was very excited to see Eiichi Yamada, and he shook Eiichi Yamada's hand and said, "I remember you!" You were the artillery battalion commander I used to be! Your name is Eiichi Yamada! ”
Reunited in a foreign land, the two old men had two lines of tears on their faces, Su Yu did not expect to meet with Yamada Eiichi at first, and did not prepare gifts, so Su Yu took off his robe and put it on Yamada Eiichi's body, Su Yu shook Yamada Eiichi's hand and said: "I hope that the people of our two countries can always maintain peace, and I hope that there will be no more wars like that in the future!" ”
The fact that Su Yu gave Eiichi Yamada clothes was recorded and passed down to this day.