One day in 1947, a special middle-aged man came to Zhengjiatang Village in Qiliping, Huang'an County, Hubei Province. I saw him dressed in a People's Liberation Army uniform, looking around the village, walking and stopping, as if he was remembering something. After a while, he stopped in front of a dilapidated thatched hut.
What was surprising was that this People's Liberation Army paced back and forth at the door of the thatched hut for a long time, neither knocking nor calling, and the hesitant and tangled expression constantly appeared on his face. Just as everyone was guessing his identity, he slammed the dilapidated door.
After a while, an old woman with white hair in worn-out clothes slowly opened the door, saw this PLA in military uniform, and asked timidly:
"Sir, who are you looking for?"
At this time, the middle-aged officer was already in tears, and before the old woman could finish speaking, he threw himself on his knees and prostrated his head and said, "Mother, I am your son!" ”
When the old woman heard this, she was shocked, rubbed her eyes vigorously, and said:
"Sir, I do have a son, who went to join the army alone 18 years ago, but he has already died on the battlefield.
As soon as the words stopped, the PLA choked up and said:
"Mother, the child is back, and I am your filial son!"
So, who is this PLA? Why did you go to the army without your parents? Why didn't you come back in 18 years? Why did his parents think he had sacrificed? In this issue, we will approach the legendary life of the founding major general, Zheng Guozhong.
Join the Red Army and change your destiny
In 1913, Zheng Guozhong was born in zhengjiatang, huang'an county, Hubei Province, to a poor peasant family. In that era of not having enough to eat and wear, Zheng Guozhong's family only had less than one acre of land, and three meals a day could not be guaranteed. In order to reduce the burden on the family, Zheng Guozhong mastered the tailoring craft from an early age, hoping to support his family. But in that era of endless war, the people could not eat enough, how could they buy new clothes? Zheng Guozhong had to return home and start living a life facing the loess with his back to the sky. The fate of what I thought was this life was,
But a light shone into his life
。
On November 13, 1927, the jute uprising was successful, the Huang'an peasant government was established, and for a time the movement to divide the land among local tycoons began vigorously, and the flames of revolution spread to his hometown.
This was the first time Zheng Guozhong heard about the Communist Party of China and knew about the Workers' and Peasants' Revolutionary Army
He also had the desire to join the army, but because he was too young and his parents did not agree, he did not put it into action.
One day in the spring of 1929, the fate of 16-year-old Zheng Guozhong changed. On this day, he was doing farm work in the fields when he suddenly heard that the Red Army was recruiting troops there. In those two years, he had heard about it
The Red Army was a detachment that left the peasants in charge
。 So, full of excitement, he signed up for the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army without his parents' consent.
Originally, Zheng Guozhong had the opportunity to say goodbye to his parents, but because he was afraid that his parents would not agree as 2 years ago, Zheng Guozhong chose not to quit. Yes!
No parent in the world wants their children to go to war
。 At this time, his parents were waiting for him to return from the fields for dinner.
But the sky gradually turned dark, and Zheng Guozhong still did not return. Not only that, but the children of several families in the village did not return. So the parents of these young people rushed to inquire and went to the field to look for it, only to see a handful of agricultural tools that had been thrown into the soil. Until a villager came back from a foreign country, after understanding the situation, he said to everyone:
“
I see your children, they have all joined the Red Army units, they have left!
”
Although Zheng Guozhong, who participated in the revolution, was only 16 years old, in order to make himself grow up quickly and adapt to the requirements of the troops, he trained hard every day and actively completed the tasks assigned by his superiors. It was precisely because of his excellent performance that in June of the same year, Zheng Guozhong joined the Communist Party of China.
At this time, the whole of China was shrouded in the white terror of Chiang Kai-shek, and the Communist Party of China and the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army had always been a thorn in Chiang Kai-shek's eyes. In the anti-encirclement and suppression struggle again and again, Zheng Guozhong did not have the slightest fear, and became more and more courageous in the battle. In just over 5 years, Zheng Guozhong was continuously promoted from an ordinary soldier to regimental commander, and successively participated in four anti-encirclement and suppression campaigns in the Eyu-Anhui Soviet Region and the Long March of the Red Army, which tempered his courage, courage, will and command ability.
Outstanding Battle Achievements The Hundred Regiments Battle made the first achievement
On March 28, 1935, in order to cooperate with the combat operations of the Central Red Army in the border areas of Sichuan, Qian, and Yunnan, the Red Fourth Front decided to launch the Battle of Jialing River. At this time, Zheng Guozhong, who was the commander of the regiment, led his subordinates to clear the obstacles around Cangxi and Yilong, and annihilated the strength of a brigade of the Sichuan Army at a small cost at Tazi Mountain in Cangxi County.
Since then, Zheng Guozhong began to move with the strategy of the troops. During the Long March, he climbed the snowy mountains and crossed the meadows with his troops three times, and he also saw many comrades-in-arms fall on the road, and his revolutionary faith became stronger and stronger.
After the outbreak of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, Zheng Guozhong accompanied the army in the southern expedition to the northern war, commanded many classic battles, and made outstanding contributions to the War of Resistance. In 1940, the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression entered a stalemate. At this point,
The Japanese army implemented the "cage policy" of using railways as pillars, highways as chains, and bunkers as locks in the anti-Japanese base areas in North China.
In the southeast of Jin, the enemy divided and blockaded the Taihang and Taiyue base areas, and rushed to repair the Baijin Railway day and night in order to plunder local resources. In order to crush the enemy's plot, the 129th Division Liu Bocheng, Deng Xiaoping decided to launch
Battle of Baijin
。 At this time, Zheng Guozhong led the regiment to attack the county seat of Nanguan. Faced with the number of weapons and equipment of the Japanese puppet army and the advantage of defending the city, Zheng Guozhong organized a commando team to lurk in the city at night, using grenades to solve the enemy and annihilate more than 400 Japanese puppet troops.
After that, the Japanese army stepped up the policy of cages, plundered resources, and gathered heavy troops on the frontal battlefield in a vain attempt to force China to surrender. At this critical juncture, the Eighth Route Army decided to launch a large-scale operation, known in history as the Battle of the Hundred Regiments. The central task of the first phase of the Hundred Regiments War was to destroy the Zhengtai Road traffic.
The Zhengtai Railway was one of the important pillars of the Japanese army's cage policy
, by the Japanese army
Claimed to be an inaccessible area
Every 10 to 15 kilometers there was a strong Japanese stronghold, each with tens to hundreds of troops. The Lion's Brain Mountain, located a few miles west of yangquan railway station, is the throat of the Zhengtai Railway, and the Japanese army has stationed a large number of elite troops.
Everyone knows that only by controlling The Lion Brain Mountain can the Japanese army in Yangquan be contained, and can the military and civilians in the western section of Zhengtai Road be covered.
It's a nine-life mission, but it's also a must-do task
。 This task also fell to the 14th Regiment of the 385th Brigade and the 769th Regiment led by Zheng Guozhong.
At this time, the three battalion commanders under Zheng Guozhong's 769 Regiment were all generals who had experienced hundreds of battles. The first battalion commander Li Desheng, the second battalion commander Zhang Tianshu, and the third battalion commander Ma Zhongquan were all awarded the rank of major general in 1955.
During the battle, the enemy dispatched hundreds of planes to bomb Shinaoshan in turn, and Zheng Guozhong led the 769th Regiment and the 14th Regiment to brave artillery fire to engage in a 7-day and night-long battle with the enemy, which made the first contribution to the comprehensive victory of the first phase of the Hundred Regiments War, and also solved the worries of the Eighth Route Army and opened up the lifeline of the anti-Japanese base area.
Afterwards, the headquarters of the Eighth Route Army issued the "Victory Report" for 4 consecutive days, informing the whole country of the battle of Shinao Mountain. Li Da, chief of staff of the 129th Division, praised:
This battle not only shows that our army is attacking like a fierce tiger, but also defending like Mount Tai, and killing the mighty wind of the Japanese army!
Mr. Peng also said in the summary:
The troops guarding Lion's Brain Mountain are heroic and tenacious
。 ”
Zuo Quan sacrificed and felt deeply guilty
In late October 1940, the Japanese army discovered the Huangyadong Arsenal, which was the largest production base of weapons and ammunition established by the headquarters of our army behind enemy lines in North China. In order not to let the news spread, Mr. Peng ordered the surrounding troops to immediately come and surround and annihilate the Japanese army. At this time, the Japanese army occupied Guanjia'an overnight. Guanjia'an is located in the heart of the Taihang Anti-Japanese Base Area, with undulating mountains, easy to defend and difficult to attack, the north is a cliff steep slope, the east and west sides of the slope is steeper, only the south slope is relatively gentle.
At this time, Zheng Guozhong's 769 regiment once again served as the main attacker, because only the southern slope could be used as an offensive route, but the enemy built a strict firepower network there, and the troops suffered heavy casualties. At this critical moment, Zheng Guozhong found that the obstacles in the enemy's forward position were all yellow earth, so he personally led his army to dig tunnels and directly penetrate the enemy's position, and after one battle after another, he dealt a heavy blow to the enemy.
Since joining the army, Zheng Guozhong can be said to have experienced hundreds of battles and experienced countless tests of life and death. But
General Zheng Guozhong's most memorable event was the operation of covering the front line headquarters of the Eighth Route Army in May 1942.
The defeat of the Hundred Regiments War made the Japanese army angry and ashamed, and it was planned to put the headquarters of the Cpc Central Committee Northern Army, the headquarters of the Eighth Route Army and the 129th Division into a pot, and formulated the infamous one
C Action
。 In order to complete this task, the Japanese army specially dispatched a group of experienced agents to form a special close killing team. They claimed to be the Eighth Route Army, deceived many people, and also found the location of the former enemy headquarters of the Eighth Route Army.
Therefore, the Japanese army dispatched a large number of troops, together with the aircraft cannons, began to encircle the iron wall, in a vain attempt to trap the main force of our army in the Taihang Mountains. At this time, the strength of the former enemy headquarters of the Eighth Route Army was very thin, and the only one who could fight was Zheng Guozhong's 769 regiment. In the face of thousands of enemies whose weapons and equipment were superior to those of our army, Zheng Guozhong did not hesitate in the slightest and solemnly said to President Peng:
“7
The 69th Regiment must have covered the safe breakthrough of the headquarters, even if it fought until the last person did not yield
。 ”.
During the cover operation, Zheng Guozhong occupied the cross ridge heights with dangerous terrain and ease of retreat. Naturally, the enemy was not a fool, and he also discovered the importance of the place, and a great war began. In between battles, agents of the Japanese special advance killing squad came up from behind in plain clothes. And that night, he met the deputy chief of general staff of Zuo Quan, who led the last unit of the Eighth Route Army,
During the battle, Zuo Quan was unfortunately killed by enemy shells
When Zheng Guozhong learned the news, he was very guilty and sad. In addition to his parents, Zheng Guozhong always felt sorry for General Zuo Quan. After that, Zheng Guozhong fought more heroically on the anti-Japanese battlefield, venting his anger fiercely on the enemy.
Mother and child do not know each other
In 1947, Liu Bocheng and Deng Xiaoping led a large army closer to Dabie Mountain. When the troops advanced to the Huang'an area, Zheng Guozhong's homesickness was difficult to suppress, leaving home for a full 18 years, Zheng Guozhong had not been in contact with his family, afraid that one day he would die on the battlefield, not to contact his family, but also let his parents have a thought.
But 18 years later, are your parents still there?
At this time, Zheng Guozhong was already the deputy commander of the Nakano Three Columns, and if he left the army in the middle of the way, he would violate the regulations, but when Liu Bocheng and Deng Xiaoping knew about it, they understood his feelings very well and immediately granted him family leave.
After receiving the approval of the organization, Zheng Guozhong immediately rode his horse to embark on the road back to his hometown, and the mood at this time was self-evident, excited and complicated. Soon, Zheng Guozhong returned to his hometown, and did not return for 18 years, and his hometown changed a lot. Looking at the unfamiliar scene in front of him, Zheng Guozhong came to a thatched hut with the impression left in his mind.
At this time, he paced back and forth in front of the thatched hut, wanting to knock on the door but did not dare, afraid that his parents were gone. After a while, he knocked on the door. In less than a minute, the door was slowly opened by an old woman with white hair. At a glance, he immediately recognized the old woman in front of him as his mother, and tears swirled in his eyes. But while he was still speaking, the old woman asked softly:
"Sir, who are you looking for?"
After 18 years, a 16-year-old child has become a deputy commander, and the cruelty of war has changed a person's face. How could an elderly mother recognize it? In addition, since joining the army, his mother has asked many people about him, but has not heard back. Over time, his parents thought that he had died on the battlefield, and his mother shed tears day and night, and her eyes could not see clearly, which led to the failure to recognize Zheng Guozhong.
At this time, Zheng Guozhong's father also asked:
"Sir, my son Zheng Guozhong has no information since he joined the army, have you seen him?"
At this time, Zheng Guozhong looked at the old parents, who were already in tears, and he fell to his knees with a loud cry and said guiltily:
"Father, mother, your filial son Zheng Guozhong has returned!"
Suddenly, the family of three hugged each other tightly, and I believe that everyone who saw this scene could not help but shed tears. In the following days, Zheng Guozhong explained to his parents about his various experiences since joining the army, of course, he reported good news but not worries, so that the second elder was assured.
The founding major general shines brightly
Due to the relationship between combat tasks, Zheng Guozhong returned to the army a few days after accompanying his parents. After approaching Dabie Mountain, he and other commanders launched the Battle of Zhangjiadian, annihilating more than 5,300 Kuomintang troops and fighting the arrogance of the enemy army. With his military exploits, he served as the deputy commander of the Eleventh Army of the Third Corps of the Second Field Army. In the subsequent revolutions, he participated in the huaihai, river crossing, and liberation of the great southwest.
After the founding of New China, Zheng Guozhong was ordered to establish the Navy Qingdao Base and served as the first deputy commander of the Navy's Qingdao Base, which was 8 years. During this period, he also took his parents to his side and let the second elder enjoy his old age.
After that, he served as the commander of the East China Sea Fleet of the Navy and the deputy commander of the Navy, and made great contributions to the new Chinese Navy. In 1955,
Zheng Guozhong was awarded the rank of major general
On January 11, 1992, General Zheng Guozhong completed his life at the age of 79.
In that era, Zheng Guozhong gave up his small family for everyone, for the victory of the revolution, and did not return home for 18 years. It is precisely because there are countless revolutionary ancestors like Zheng Guozhong that there is a new China and that there is now a peaceful and prosperous world.
Heroes should be remembered, especially in this era of peace, heroes should become the idols of our Chinese sons and daughters!