At the enlarged meeting of the Military Commission in 1958, a controversy over the accusation of Su Yu, the chief of the General Staff, attracted widespread attention. During the meeting, Su Yu was accused of having "individualistic" tendencies, which led to severe criticism. Many people with ulterior motives took this opportunity to retaliate against Su Yu, not only exposing his past behavior, but also accusing him of every bit of his work. There are also many people who are forced by environmental pressures to make statements against their will.
However, just as the turmoil intensified, someone stood up and said a word, which immediately quieted the originally tense venue. It turned out that Chen Geng, deputy director of the National Defense Science and Technology Commission and founding general, could not sit idly by. He knew very well that such criticism hurt Su Yu a lot, and he also understood that this was not Su Yu's real person. Therefore, he decided to stand up and speak up for this old comrade-in-arms, and confronted the person who accused Su Yu and said: "Su Yu can't fight, so who is present will, please stand up and see."
Chen Geng, a native of Xiangxiang, Hunan, is open-minded, witty and humorous, and sociable. As early as the Whampoa Military Academy, he had already made a name for himself. Later, he participated in the Long March, and repeatedly made meritorious achievements in the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the War of Liberation. He was an upright person, optimistic, and able to maintain a positive attitude no matter how difficult the circumstances, which also influenced his comrades.
Su Yu, a native of Hunan, is introverted and calm, thoughtful, and brave in battle. He was engaged in guerrilla warfare in the south for a long time and gradually became an outstanding military commander of our army. He was rigorous and serious in his work, caring and considerate in his comrades, and ruthless in his treatment of the enemy, and he was an outstanding general in our army.
Although Chen Geng and Su Yu had different personalities, they were both full of enthusiasm and belief in the revolutionary cause. In their long fighting careers, they supported each other, helped each other, and grew together. Their friendship is not only a working relationship, but also a relationship of mutual understanding and mutual trust.
During the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, Chen Geng and Su Yu fought together many times. They supported each other, worked closely together, and achieved many major victories. On the battlefield, they used practical actions to explain what is true comradeship. Even in difficult and dangerous situations, they always remained calm and determined, setting an example for their comrades-in-arms.
During the Liberation War, Chen Geng and Su Yu served as commanders of the Shanxi-Hebei-Shandong-Henan Field Army and the East China Field Army respectively. Although they belonged to different theaters of operations, they often exchanged combat experience and tactical ideas through letters. Their friendship was strengthened by their common pursuit of the revolutionary cause and their unique views on military command.
In the face of the criticism of Su Yu at the enlarged meeting of the Military Commission, Chen Geng knew very well that this was not Su Yu's fault. He had fought alongside Su Yu and was well aware of his military talent and talent. Therefore, he firmly believed that Su Yu's losses in the battles of Lianshui and Nanma in Huaye were not caused by Su Yu's command. On that occasion, Chen Geng's righteous words undoubtedly brought Su Yu great support.
In addition, Chen Geng also admired Su Yu's performance during the Liberation War. Su Yu became one of the senior generals who could command a large corps in his heart, and his military talent was brought into full play, but despite this, the comradeship between them became deeper and deeper.
When the Central Military Commission was preparing to build a multi-service comprehensive military engineering academy, Su Yu immediately thought of Chen Geng, believing that Comrade Chen Geng was the most suitable candidate for the president of the military academy. At his strong suggestion, General Chen Geng was recalled from the Korean battlefield to participate in the construction of the Kazakh military industry. After that, Chen Geng entered the General Staff and served as Deputy Chief of the General Staff. In his work, he fully supports and cooperates with Su Yu, and Su Yu also trusts him very much.
However, the good times were short-lived. Chen Geng's physical condition began to deteriorate dramatically from then on. A serious heart attack prevented him from continuing to work. **He is required to recuperate and wait for recovery before continuing to work. But Chen Geng is a workaholic, a person who can't be idle. After Su Yu learned of this situation, he often visited him and told him to take care of his body, and not to overwork the capital of the revolution.
At the beginning of 1961, Chen Geng traveled from Beijing to Shanghai for treatment. So Su Yu, who was also recuperating in Shanghai, often visited him. The two confided in each other about the past eventful years and comradeship. On the morning of the 16th, when Comrade Chen Geng died of a heart attack, Su Yu suddenly received the news like a bolt from the blue. He immediately rushed to the hospital to see off this old comrade-in-arms, and participated in the whole process of Chen Geng's aftermath.
Since Chen Geng's death, Su Yu has been busy dealing with the aftermath of his old comrades-in-arms, and his body has been extremely weak. However, on the day that Comrade Chen Geng's ashes were transported back to Beijing, he still insisted on coming to the airport to see off the last leg in person, and he stood there silently watching the special plane disappear from view. Tears have long blurred his eyes, and his friendship with Comrade Chen Geng has also been integrated into these tears.