once said: "You are our little hero, how can you do it without a name?"I thought about it for a while and wanted to give you a name, your surname is Ma, and your first name will follow my surname, call Sister Ma Mao, right?”。Sister Ma Mao recalled this history of her name at the celebration of the centenary of the founding of the party. This name was given by *** personally, and for Sister Ma Mao, who was born poor and had no official name before, this name is the most precious commemoration. Sister Ma Mao was born in 1935 and is the daughter of a fisherman's family in Anhui. As the third child in the family, due to her poor family, she does not have her own name, and her parents usually call her "third sister".
Sister Mamao's childhood life is a broken fishing boat in her memory, and the whole family's livelihood depends on this fishing boat. Despite her young age, Ma Mao was very capable, and at the age of eight she was able to sail a boat alone to fish, because children from poor families had to become self-reliant at an early age. However, no matter how capable she is, she can't fill the belly of the whole family. After the fish is sold, it must first be handed over to the landlord for all kinds of harsh taxes and miscellaneous taxes, and once the money is paid, the rest of the money cannot be saved at all, and it is already very good not to owe debts. There seems to be no end to these difficult days, but adults often talk together, "Let's get through it!".Just wait for the PLA to come!"Who is the PLA?
Sister Ma Mao has no specific concept of this, but through the talk of adults, she gradually understands that they are a group of great people who help the common people drive away the landlords and bullies, so that the poor people are no longer bullied. After learning about the existence of the People's Liberation Army, Sister Ma Mao also planted the seeds of hope in her heart, and she began to look forward to the arrival of the People's Liberation Army every day. It's here.
Ten. When she was two or thirteen years old, she realized that the People's Liberation Army was coming, because the local landlords and ** fled one after another, for fear of being sanctioned by the PLA. Looking at the panicked appearance of these wicked people, Sister Ma Mao has even more respect for the People's Liberation Army.
At the beginning of 1949, Sister Ma Mao met the People's Liberation Army for the first time, and they came, liberated Sister Ma Mao's hometown, and returned the fields occupied by the landlords to the common people. Sister Mamao's family no longer has to be afraid of the landlord and bullies, and they have been given their own land, and they can finally get rid of the broken fishing boat and live a stable life. Sister Mamao's heart was full of joy. Soon after, another news came that the People's Liberation Army was going to cross the Yangtze River!Once they cross the Yangtze River, they will arrive at the base camp of the national **, which means fighting a decisive battle to completely liberate the whole country. On the night of crossing the river, when the strength of the people ignited hope. As the battle to cross the river approached, the PLA urgently needed ships to cross the river.
In response to the people's response, hundreds of rudimentary fishing boats and cargo ships were brought in to support the People's Liberation Army (PLA) in crossing the river. Millions of PLA soldiers, with the help of these boats, began a vigorous assault on the river. Sister Mamao's family, like many ordinary people, generously donated the family's boat, and her brother joined the river-crossing commando without hesitation. Sister Ma Mao, who was only 14 years old, also resolutely signed up, and with her excellent boating skills and brave courage, she contributed her strength in this battle related to the fate of the country. After two months of drills, Sister Ma Mao finally waited for the start of the battle of crossing the river.
On the night of April 20, 1949, Sister Ma Mao and her brother drove a pioneer boat carrying 30 PLA soldiers to the other side of the Yangtze River. Although it was dark at night, Sister Mamao's clear eyes kept her at the helm steadily, while her brother assisted. In the heart of the river, the enemy's searchlight suddenly illuminated them, and the thin Ma Mao sister was full of combat effectiveness, she kept paddling the oars, and even rescued several PLA soldiers who had fallen into the water. The bullets were raging and the water was shaking, but she did not flinch, even if she was hit by an enemy bullet in the arm, she simply bandaged it, and continued to steer the boat firmly forward, becoming a heroine.
After a lot of hardships, the fisherman's daughter, Sister Ma Mao, finally sent the soldiers safely to the other side of the Yangtze River. Little did she know that she had made history, and that her ship would be the first to reach the other side in the battle to cross the river. After the mission was completed, she did not hesitate to turn back and continue transporting soldiers. During the entire process of crossing the river, she shuttled between the vast rivers six times, and nearly 100 PLA soldiers arrived safely at their destination. Because of this feat, she was awarded the honor of "First-class Meritorious Hero of River Crossing". In 1951, she came to Beijing and was personally received by ***. The brave Sister Ma Mao did not have stage fright after seeing the chairman, and soon chatted with the chairman, and the chairman praised the little hero.
Knowing that she had no official name, only the title of "Ma Sanjie", the chairman smiled and told her that she still needed an official name, so he gave her the name "Ma Mao Sister", which became her lifelong title. Years later, she still feels emotional when she looks back on the experience. As a girl from poor background, she never considered the need for an official name in the old society. However, the chairman told her that as our hero, you need a name. When parting, the chairman presented her with a book with the words "study hard and Xi hard, and make progress every day", sincerely wishing the little hero a better future.
In 2021, on the occasion of the centenary of the founding of the Communist Party of China, the white-haired Sister Ma Mao was awarded the "July 1st Medal". Looking at the earth-shaking China, she once again recalled her past. Together with New China, she experienced that period of blood, tears and glory, and behind her name, she carries that period of history, which will never be forgotten.