"The enemy plane is coming, evacuate quickly!"
On November 25, 1950, over the Korean battlefield, enemy planes whizzed by, and the air was mixed with explosions and shouts.
Daeyu-dong, northern Korea, where the headquarters of the Volunteer Army is located, is facing a sudden and fierce air raid.
In this unexpected disaster, Mao Anying, who was only 28 years old, and his comrade-in-arms Gao Ruixin died in the flames of war under the ravages of incendiary bombs.
Regarding Mao Anying's sacrifice, there have always been different opinions. It wasn't until 2020 that a long-sealed top-secret telegram was made public for the first time, which completely revealed the true cause of Mao Anying's death.
Sacrifice in the midst of war
On November 25, 1950, Mao Anying, as usual, was dressed in military uniform, and was busy as usual in the simple wooden house war room. No one could have predicted the danger coming.
Suddenly, sirens sounded in the sky, and four enemy planes quickly dived down, dropping one incendiary bomb after another.
In an instant, the flames soared into the sky, and billowing smoke filled the entire headquarters.
For a while, the soldiers on the battlefield were busy dealing with the indiscriminate bombardment of air raids, but Mao Anying and Gao Ruixin were trapped in the burning wooden hut.
Outside the war room, the comrades-in-arms tried to rescue in the firelight, but everything seemed so powerless, the wooden house gradually collapsed in the fire, and the two were swallowed by the merciless tongue of fire.
Mao Anying, as Chairman Mao's eldest son, a young man who studied in Moscow, finally fell on the battlefield in a foreign land, and his life was frozen in that cold winter.
For a long time, people only knew that Chairman Mao's eldest son Mao Anying died on the battlefield, but the specific circumstances and reasons for the sacrifice were not known.
It wasn't until 1920 that Peng Dehuai's top-secret telegram was made public, which revealed the true cause of Mao Anying's death.
Disclosure of top-secret telegrams
It turned out that after the news of Mao Anying's death reached Beijing, Peng Dehuai quickly drafted a top-secret telegram to truthfully report the incident to the central authorities. The cable, which was considered classified at the time, was not first declassified and made public until 2020.
The content of the telegram, though brief, was heavy:
"We entered the air-raid shelter at 7 o'clock today, Mao Anying and three staff officers were in the house, at 11 o'clock, when the four enemy planes passed by, the four of them had already come out, after the enemy planes had passed, the four of them returned to the house, and suddenly four more enemy planes came, dropping nearly 100 incendiary bombs, hitting the house, at that time two staff officers ran out, Mao Anying and Gao Ruixin were burned to death before they could escape, and there was no other loss."
In the telegram, Peng Dehuai described in detail the process of the attack by enemy planes and the sacrifices of Mao Anying and Gao Ruixin.
In 2020, this top-secret telegram was declassified, which immediately caused an uproar in all walks of life.
Through this telegram, many people learned for the first time about Mao Anying's specific sacrifice, and more deeply understood the great sacrifice made by this young man for the country and the people.
The publication of this telegram is like a key that opens the long-sealed historical truth and allows future generations to get a glimpse of the other side of this history.
The disclosure of the telegram is not just a reenactment of a piece of history, it has much more than that.
The public revelation of this incident reveals the painful choice made by China's top leaders at the time between the great interests of the country and the sacrifice of their loved ones, and also shows the sense of responsibility and loyalty shown by a commander-in-chief in extreme circumstances.
In such difficult years, this telegram is like a stone that weighs on everyone's hearts, on the one hand, Mao Anying's tragic sacrifice, and on the other hand, Peng Dehuai's serious attitude towards this matter, the two are superimposed, leaving endless thoughts and emotions for future generations.
The personal grief of the leader and the responsibility of the state
For various reasons, Mr. Peng's telegram was not known to Chairman Mao in time, and it was not until 1951 that the relevant personnel reported the news to him.
Chairman Mao couldn't calm down for a long time after learning the news of the death of his eldest son Mao Anying.
In fact, in Mao Anying's short 28 years, Chairman Mao and Mao Anying spent very little time together.
In 1922, Mao Anying was born in a turbulent era. At that time, Chairman Mao was busy with the revolution, and under the pressure of the situation that year, in 1927, the young Mao Anying could only return to Bancang in Dongxiang, Changsha County, with his mother.
However, this short period of peace did not last long, and his mother was arrested.
Mao Anying witnessed her mother's heroic struggle at the hands of the enemy until her death, and she was briefly imprisoned.
After being released from prison, he and his younger brother were sent to Shanghai to enter the underground party-run Datong Kindergarten, where they soon experienced displacement.
In 1936, Mao Anying was sent to the International Children's Home in Moscow, Soviet Union, where he received a systematic education.
After the outbreak of World War II, he insisted on joining the army, was sent to study at a military academy, and after graduation, he participated in many battles of the Soviet Red Army with the rank of lieutenant, demonstrating strong will and courage.
In 1946, Mao Anying returned to China, and after a short reunion with Chairman Mao, he was sent to various places to carry out land reform work and actively participated in the construction of New China.
After the founding of the People's Republic of China, Mao Anying had more opportunities to accompany Chairman Mao.
However, this time did not take long, in 1950, the Korean War was on the verge of breaking out, and finally, after the deliberation of the central government, the mainland was ready to send Mr. Peng to lead the army to resist US aggression and aid Korea to defend the country.
Before Mr. Peng went on the expedition, Chairman Mao took Mao Anying to practice for Mr. Peng in the Juxiang Book House.
During this period, Mao Anying said to Mr. Peng: "Uncle Peng Dehuai, to resist US aggression and aid Korea, I can have a share in the front line to fight." ”
Chairman Mao saw Mr. Peng's concerns and explained: "My son doesn't want to work in the factory anymore, he wants to go to war with you, he has already handed in a war petition for my approval, I don't have this right, you are the commander, do you want this soldier?"
The results speak for themselves, and in the end, Mao Anying went to the front line as Mr. Peng's Russian translator.
Unexpectedly, not long after, he received a telegram from Peng Dehuai and learned the news of Mao Anying's sacrifice on the battlefield.
At that moment, Chairman Mao stared at the content of the short telegram for several minutes.
Chairman Mao's eyes were wet, but in the end, he just gently spit out a sentence: "Who called him Mao Zedong's son......"
But as a father, Chairman Mao still seemed a little at a loss after learning the news.
According to a guard who was by Chairman Mao's side at the time, Chairman Mao went to get a cigarette at that time, but lost it again. Turning around, as if looking for some solace, he mechanically picked up another cigarette and lit it.
At this time, Mao Zedong seemed a little distracted, and he turned a blind eye to the matchbox that was originally placed in front of the table, but groped in his pocket in confusion.
Later, Mao Anying was buried in the Chinese People's Volunteer Army Martyrs' Cemetery in Hichang County, South Pyongan Province, North Korea. At that time, Mao Anying's family wanted to move Mao Anying's remains back to China, but Chairman Mao refused:
"Qingshan buries loyal bones everywhere, why do you need to return the horse leather shroud! Aren't there thousands of volunteer martyrs buried in North Korea? Kishi Ying should also be buried in North Korea. ”
Didn't Chairman Mao miss Mao Anying? In 1990, when people were sorting out Chairman Mao's relics, they accidentally found a box.
There were two shirts, a pair of socks, a military hat and a towel at the bottom of the box, all of which were Mao Anying's clothes.
Until this moment, people knew that Chairman Mao was hiding from everyone and remembering Mao Anying in his own way......
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Mao Anying's sacrifice is not only a family's grief, but also a symbol of history.
Under the cruelty and ruthlessness of that war, how many young lives like him were willing to shed their blood for the country and the people.
Peng Dehuai's top-secret telegram uncovered the truth of this dusty history, and also allowed future generations to have a deeper understanding of the indelible sacrifices and glory behind these histories.
Memory and remembrance are not only to look back on the past, but also to inspire the future. Today, the echoes of this history are still resonant, reminding us to cherish peace, to honor sacrifice, and to continue to fight for a better future.
Resources:
1. "First Release! Peng Dehuai's top-secret telegram tells the details of Mao Anying's sacrifice" Global Times
2. "Revealed: What did Mao Zedong say after learning that his son Mao Anying had died? People's Daily Online