My old army commander, Commander Wang Ke, is a leader I deeply respect. He was a man of great stature, outstanding talent, affable, and eloquent. Although he is not a direct supervisor, I am deeply impressed by his work style and care for his subordinates.
The first time I met Commander Wang Ke was at a meeting where the troops welcomed him to take office. At that time, the cadres of the army were younger, and he was promoted from the commander of the 57th Division to the commander of the 21st Army, when he was 52 years old. He delivered a speech at the 21st Army Cadre Conference, expressing his gratitude for the trust of the organization, humbly taking responsibility, and expressing his willingness to ask for advice and learn from the old leaders. The new commander was dignified and humble in speech.
Soon after, the old army commander came to me to teach the brigade to inspect the work, and he called me "Commissar Wang", which was unexpected but also kind. During the inspection, he spoke about the importance of teaching the brigade and explained why it was called a "brigade". I was impressed by his affability and approachability.
In July 1990, the veteran army commander came to our division to inspect the work and affirmed the reorganization of the division and the relocation of the troops. He talked with the leaders of each division in different forms, showing that he was extremely familiar with the situation of the cadres. His familiarity with the army is surprising, and he deserves to be a good leader with both military and political excellence.
During this period, I received a letter from my primary school classmate, Lao Hua, asking for help in solving the problem of his son's job transfer. I think of the old military commander. I wrote to him for help, but I didn't expect him to reply in person, and I asked about this trivial matter. Eventually, my classmate's son successfully became a volunteer. I was impressed by the care of the old leaders and their hands-on approach to solving problems.
These experiences have impressed me deeply with the care of the old military commanders and the way in which they value their subordinates, and this good tradition is worth learning and inheriting.
December 3, 2023.