Source: Hubei Daily
Hubei Daily all-media reporter Jiang Hui correspondent He Wutao Zhu Yong
The cold spring was steep and the wind and rain could not stop the people who sent General Fang Huai away.
On February 20, more than 100 officers and men of the army and people from all walks of life braved the rain to come to the Wuchang Funeral Home to bid farewell to Fang Huai, the founding major general and former deputy commander of the air force of the Wuhan Military Region.
"Fangzheng Park Cheng's blood and fire baptism Beijing Grand Ceremony Blue Sky Escort, casting a historical monument; Huailin Muxiu Iron Horse Jingo Gan Xinzhi General's original heart, the spirit of the Long March will last forever." This painting at the scene of the farewell ceremony of the body summarizes the life of Elder Fang's selfless dedication to the people's liberation cause and the aviation cause.
Climbing the snowy mountain, a stone revived him; during the march, the shells exploded around him—
After walking through the Long March, nine deaths in a lifetime
"A send (Rig) Red Army, (JieZhi) down the mountain, autumn rain (Rig) is endless..." In the farewell hall, a song "Ten Send the Red Army" echoed for a long time, and a frame flashed -
In October 1917, Fang Huai was born in a poor peasant family in Yinkeng District, Yudu County, Jiangxi Province. Seeing his father join the peasant association to make a revolution, at the age of 13, he joined the local armed Red Guards as a messenger. Soon, the Red Army expanded its recruitment, and he officially joined the Red Army.
Messengers, squad leaders, field hospital club directors... In the big school of the Red Army, Fang Huai grew up very fast. Before the Long March set off, he was already a "veteran".
During the Long March, Fang Huai served as the captain of the "containment team" many times. In September 2016, Elder Fang recalled in an interview with Hubei Daily that although he was not fighting on the front line, the work of the shelter team was not easy. In addition to checking the mass discipline of the units and urging the fallen personnel to keep up with the troops, it is also necessary to carry a stretcher.
On the Long March Road, Fang Huai successively participated in the battles of the Xiang River, the four crossings of Chishui, the threat of Guiyang, the passage of Qianxiang Road, and the forcible capture of Luding Bridge.
Long journey, nine deaths in a lifetime, Fang Huai has also been in danger many times. "When climbing the snowy mountain, I fell asleep walking and then I woke up with a headache after kicking a rock." Before his death, Elder Fang once mentioned, "Fortunately, I woke up in pain, and many people fell asleep and never woke up again." During one march, enemy shells exploded not far from Fang Huai, and the soil that blew up almost buried him.
"My father was strong and optimistic all his life, and no matter what difficulties or ups and downs he encountered, he took pleasure in suffering and laughed at it, which was not unrelated to his baptism of fire and suffering." Fang Lei, the eldest daughter of Elder Fang, said.
Swinging the wings of the motive and paying tribute to the leaders of the party and the state three times -
The founding ceremony, a flight across the ages
The cypress is the base, the white flowers are drawn, and a "fighter" comes to life.
At the farewell ceremony, people traced Fang Lao's flying life from this "fighter plane".
"The first generation of pilots of our army and the first builders of the people's air force." In the People's Air Force, Fang Huai is known as one of the "aviation fires".
In January 1938, dispatched by the Party Central Committee, Fang Huai and more than 40 comrades went to Xinjiang to learn to fly. He seriously consulted the instructor, trained rigorously, and was soon able to fly alone.
In 1949, Chairman Mao, the Party Central Committee, and the Central Military Commission decided to let the fledgling People's Air Force participate in the military parade ceremony of the founding ceremony and accept the review of the party and the people. In just 20 days of training, Fang Huai and his comrades began flight training at 3 o'clock in the morning every day.
In 2007, Fang Huai wrote in the "People's Liberation Army Daily" that at that time, he also suggested to Nie Rongzhen that in view of the fact that the whole country has not yet been completely liberated, there are sometimes incidents of harassment by Kuomintang aircraft, and at least 4 aircraft under review are carrying live ammunition to cope with possible sudden situations. This recommendation was eventually adopted.
Those familiar with the flight parade know that it is forbidden to carry live ammunition on the aircraft under parade. The founding ceremony was paraded by aircraft with bullets, which is rare in the history of military parades in the world.
The exciting moment has finally arrived. At about 16:00 on October 1, 1949, he personally led a flying echelon from Nanyuan Airport to fly from east to west through Tiananmen Square, during which they swung their wings three times to pay tribute to the party and state leaders and the people of the capital!
"The Communists had their own air force overnight!" Some foreign media and journalists could not help but marvel.
Before his death, every time he mentioned the parade flight, Elder Fang was very excited: "Flying at the founding ceremony of the People's Republic of China is a flight that spans the times, and it is also a microcosm and witness to the growth and expansion of the People's Liberation Army." ”
The "Party Card" issued by Liu Bojian, he has preserved to this day -
Do not forget the original intention, believe in the party and love the party all your life
Among the flowers, a bright red Chinese Communist Flag covered the body of General Fang Huai.
Fang Huai gloriously joined the Communist Party of China in February 1933, just a year into the army. The "Party Card" issued by Liu Bojian, then director of the Political Department of the Fifth Red Army, has been preserved to this day.
This "Party Card" followed Fang Huai through the 25,000-mile Long March, and is the only monument he has that can witness and experience the Long March. Before his death, he went to the army many times to tell the soldiers the story of the "Party Card", "I have always kept the Party Card close to my body, and my idea is very simple: the Party Card is more valuable than life, and everything can be lost, it cannot be lost." ”
In fact, this "Party Card" has left Fang Huai for 12 years. At the end of 1937, before Fang Huai went to Xinjiang to study aviation technology, his comrade-in-arms Chen Heqiao gave Fang Huai a silver dollar as a souvenir, and Fang Huai gave him his "Party Card" and a bust photo for safekeeping. At the end of 1949, the two met in Chongqing, and the "Party Card" and photos were returned to their original owners.
"My father believed in the party and loved the party all his life, his faith was firm, and he insisted on taking the People's Daily and the People's Liberation Army Daily to the ward to see it in the hospital, and wrote study notes when he had time." The eldest daughter, Fang Lei, told reporters.
At the farewell ceremony, many soldiers wearing air force uniforms, bomber jackets and descendants of comrades from afar came to send Fang Lao on his last journey.
"No shelf, good temper, caring for people." In the former Wuhan Military Region Air Force, the staff officers commented on Fang Huai, who had served as deputy commander.
In a high position, Elder Fang never let his family "stain the light". Fang Lei still remembers that in that year, because her father "did work", she twice gave up the house that she had assigned to herself to her comrades-in-arms.
Fan Hui, a staff member of the dry rest center, introduced that Elder Fang was very picky about himself, and in the past few years, he sewed his own socks when his hands and feet were neat, but he was generous in donating to the difficult groups.