After the liberation of Lanzhou, General Peng ordered the march to the Hexi Corridor. The 6th Army of our 2nd Corps arrived in Wuwei on 21 September 1949, the 1st Division of the 16th Division liberated Minqin, and the main force of the 6th Army entered Zhangye on 23rd to join the 1st Corps.
The journey from Lanzhou to Jiuquan was rather arduous, and soon after the troops left Lanzhou, they climbed Wuxiaoling. After the Wuxiao Mountains, there is the Gobi Plateau in front. The soldiers who came from northern Shaanxi were not accustomed to the terrain and climate here, and not only did they have difficulty walking, but they also felt difficult to breathe.
In the Hexi Corridor in September, the farther west you go, the colder it gets. At that time, our six armies had not yet been replenished, and most of them were still wearing single clothes. It was the cold that urged the recruits, and the commanders and fighters increased the heat by speeding up their pace, so the speed of progress was not slow. But how can one not sleep?When I was camping in the Gobi, it was freezing miserably, and I really didn't know whether to sleep well or not.
Following the 1st Corps and the 2nd Corps, we arrived at Jiuquan on 25 September. On the day our troops entered Jiuquan, Huang Zuxun, commander of the Kuomintang garrison in Hexi, sent spies to set fire to the warehouses and houses, so that the entire Jiuquan was shrouded in flames and smoke. Ordinary people closed their doors, and there were few people on the streets. On the one hand, we organized troops to extinguish the fires, and on the other hand, we went door-to-door to do mass work. Later, the masses knew that it was the Red Army that had come, and they all flocked to the streets to welcome the PLA.
September 30 is a day that will never be forgotten. On the same day, we received a notice that the People's Republic of China would be declared established on the same day. When the good news came, the whole army was overjoyed. At dinner that day, we told each company to add food and made an exception for the cadres and soldiers to drink some wine to celebrate the birth of the People's Republic of China. In the evening, the soldiers and civilians gathered on the playground, and the whole square was full of fire trees and silver flowers, and the soldiers and civilians cheered and were very lively.
At dawn on the first day of October, before dawn we got up, changed into new uniforms, and shaved our beards clean. When I walked out of the door, I saw a round of red sun erupting from among the mountains. AhhThe newly-born People's Republic, like a rising sun, rose from the eastern horizon.
In the afternoon, the front and back rooms of the command post were already crowded with people, who gathered around a radio, waiting for that solemn, global moment of attention, waiting for the good news from Beijing.
At three o'clock in the afternoon, cheers rang out on the radio, and then, in a loud voice, the world announced: The People's Republic of China has been founded!The Chinese people have stood up since then!
Long live the People's Republic of China!”
Long live the Communist Party of China!”
Hooray!”
The radio was chanted in unison. This is a voice from the heart, this is a sound that shakes the world!
My vision blurred, tears of excitement welling up in my eyes. AhhMore than 10 years of fighting and more than 10 years of bloody fighting. More than ten years, in the long river of history, it is only a short moment, but in our life of blood and fire, it is thousands of hard days and nights!In these days and nights, our leading comrades have borne many worries, spent many brains, experienced many dangerous journeys, and endured many hardships for the Chinese people!In all these days and nights, our troops, our masses are bleeding and dying. Some of them held explosive bags and rushed towards the swarming enemy groups;Some of them carried bayonets and fought until the last drop of blood was shed;Some poured on the wind-cold water-cold grass;Some fell ...... the bitter heat and thirst of the sandy plainsToday, we have finally won. Our victory was won by the revolutionary martyrs with their precious lives, and our five-star red flag was dyed red with the blood of countless martyrs
One day in October, Mr. Peng came to Jiuquan from Beijing via Lanzhou. As soon as we met, Mr. Peng excitedly told me about the grand occasion of the founding ceremony. He said: "New China has been born, the Chinese people have stood up, we are all masters of the country, but we must really have a master's attitude." We are not done yet, we still have to take steps and move on!”
Yes, the road is not over yet, and we have to keep going!