In February 1949, the 26th Army was established, and Chen Hong served as the first chief of staff, and since then, the 26th Army has had a total of 10 chiefs of staff, namely:
Chen Hong, Feng Dingsan, Zhao Feng, Ma Lianhui
Qi Qianzhai, Zeng Yonghua, Lu Qinzhi, Zhu Zhen
Cong Junzi, Zhang Qihong
In addition, Zhang Gongxiu, Chen Zhongmei, Yang Donglou, and Zhang Xiaolin are deputy commanders.
Chen Hong
Served in office: 1949.02-1950.01
A native of Jinzhai, Anhui Province, he was born in 1915.
Born in the old Red Army, he participated in the anti-"encirclement and suppression" and the Long March.
He came to Shandong during the Anti-Japanese War and served as an instructor, instructor, and political commissar in the Shandong Column.
Entering the Liberation War, Chen Hong, who was born as a political work cadre, was transferred to a military command post and served as the commander of the 9th Division in the Luzhong Military Region. When the 8th Column was established, he was the commander of the 23rd Division.
In August 1948, he served as the chief of staff of the 8th Column, and when the 26th Army was established, he served as the chief of staff.
After returning to China to resist US aggression and aid Korea, he served as political commissar of the Bohai Military Region, and later successively served as commander of the 28th Army and 26th Army, chief of staff and deputy commander of the Jinan Military Region, commander of the PLA Armored Corps, and deputy commander of the Chengdu Military Region, Nanjing Military Region, and Lanzhou Military Region.
In 1955 he was awarded the rank of Major General.
He died on May 21, 2004, at the age of 89.
Feng Dingsan
Served in office: 1950.10-1953.01
He was born in 1905 in Laoxian County, Shanxi Province (now Yuanping).
In his early years, he served as a company commander and deputy battalion commander in the Northwest Army, and experienced the "Xi'an Incident". In September 1946, he served as the chief of staff of the 28th Division of the 10th Vertical and the commander of the 30th Division of Huaye, and later the commander of the 34th Division of the 28th Army.
During the period of resisting US aggression and aiding Korea, he was transferred to the 26th Army as chief of staff. After returning to China, he successively served as deputy commander, chief of staff, and first deputy commander of the 26th Army of the People's Liberation Army, deputy commander and chief of staff of the Inner Changshan Fortress Area, and deputy director of the Logistics Department of the Nanjing Military Region.
In 1955 he was awarded the rank of colonel.
He died in 1997 at the age of 92.
Zhao Feng
Served in office: 1959.10-1960.06
After Feng Dingsan, the two deputy military commanders, Zhang Gongxiu and Chen Zhongmei, concurrently served as the chief of staff. In October 1959, Zhao Feng was transferred to the chief of staff of the 26th Army.
Zhao Feng was born in 1914 in Piyang County, Henan Province.
Zhao Feng served in the New Fourth Army for a long time, and when the Liberation War began to go north to the Northeast, he served as the chief of staff of the 145th Division of the 49th Army of the 4th Field.
After the founding of the People's Republic of China, he served as deputy commander of the Qinlian Military Division of the Guangxi Military Region.
Later, he served as deputy commander and commander of the 26th Army, and commander of the Shandong Provincial Military Region.
In 1964, he was promoted to the rank of major general.
He died on December 16, 2007 at the age of 93.
Ma Lianhui
Served in office: 1960.06-1963.05
He was born in Houmabaoding Village, Jing County, Hebei Province, in August 1917.
In August 1948, when the cadres of the 8th Column were adjusted, he was transferred to the commander of the 67th Regiment of the 23rd Division.
When the 26th Army was established, he served as the chief of staff of the 76th Division, and when the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea entered Korea, he was the head of the 26th Army Teaching Corps.
Later, he served as deputy director and chief of staff of the engineering corps of the Jinan Military Region and commander of the Qingdao Garrison District of the Jinan Military Region.
In 1955 he was awarded the rank of colonel.
He died in Qingdao on June 2, 1998 at the age of 81.
Qi Qian Zhai
Served in office: 1965.11-1968.02
In November 1965, Qi Qianzhai succeeded Yang Donglou, deputy commander of the 26th Army.
Qi Qianzhai was born in Laiwu, Shandong Province in December 1921.
During the Anti-Japanese War, he served in the predecessor unit of the 26th Army, and when the Liberation War began, he served as an instructor and battalion commander of the first battalion of the 10th Regiment of the 4th Division of the Luzhong Military Region.
In September 1948, he served as the commander of the 70th Regiment of the 22nd Division of the 8th Column. When the 26th Army was established, he served as the commander of the 231st Regiment of the 77th Division. During the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea, he was transferred to the chief of staff of the 76th Division.
Later, he successively served as the commander of the 76th Division, the chief of staff and deputy commander of the 26th Army, and the deputy commander of the Railway Corps.
In 1960, he was promoted to the rank of colonel.
He died in Beijing on July 8, 2002 at the age of 82.
Zeng Yonghua
Served from 1968.02 to 1969.03
Shaanxi Ankang Hengkou people. Born in June 1920.
During the Anti-Japanese War, he served in the first branch of Shandong Anti-Japanese University, the 115th Division, and the Bohai First Division. During the Liberation War, he served as the deputy commander and chief of staff of the 11th Regiment of the 19th Division of the Shandong Military Region.
After returning to China to resist US aggression and aid Korea, he served as the commander of the 293rd Regiment of the 98th Division of the 33rd Army, and led his troops to exterminate the Huangbamei bandit department on Tanhu Island. He used to be the commander of the 25th Garrison Division of the Jinan Military Region.
Later, he served as deputy commander of the 26th Army, leaving office in May 1978.
In 1964, he was promoted to the rank of colonel.
He died in Yantai in March 2002 at the age of 82.
Lu Qinzhi
Served in office: 1971.06-1978.05
In his early years, he served as a company commander in the 8th Column and was the commander of the 7th Company of the famous Huangya Mountain Hero.
When Lufang broke through, he was Zhang Renchu's guard.
In February 1970, the 78th Division was rebuilt, and Lu Qinzhi served as the first commander of the rebuilt 78th Division.
Zhu Zhen
Served in office: 1978.05-1980.12
Cong Junzi
Served in office: 1980.12-1983.05
Zhang Qihong
Served in office: 1983.05-1985.09
Born in December 1943, he is a native of Laiyang, Shandong.
After joining the army in 1962, he worked in the 229th Regiment of the 77th Division of the 26th Army from a soldier to a squad leader, platoon commander, company commander, battalion commander, and then to regiment commander.
After August 1976, he served as the deputy commander of the 77th Division.
In May 1983, he was appointed Chief of Staff of the 26th Army, the last Chief of Staff of the 26th Army, and the first Chief of Staff of the 26th Group Army.
Later, he served as Chief of Staff and Deputy Commander of the 20th Group Army, and Commander of the Shandong Provincial Military Region.
He was awarded the rank of colonel in 1988 and promoted to the rank of major general in 1990.