Among the founding generals, not all of them were destitute people, and their lives were rich and colorful, even with some Jianghu flavor. For example, the founding general Wang Hongkun was proficient in gambling when he was a child and was known as the "God of Gambling". Wang Hongkun and his cousin Wang Shusheng were born in a squire family in Chengmagang, Macheng, Hubei Province, and lived a wealthy life when they were young. Wang Hongkun's family often holds parties, gambling money is an indispensable entertainment, the intelligent Wang Hongkun has been affected by gambling since childhood, mastered a variety of gambling skills, and is famous in the township for his superb gambling skills at a young age, known as the "God of Gambling". Although some people expressed dissatisfaction with Wang Hongkun's gambling behavior and thought that he had embarked on an evil path, in the old society, people had not yet come into contact with Marxist ideology and had admiration for the heroes who acted chivalrous and righteous.
These heroes and heroes often drink and have fun like the heroes of Liangshan, and they also have some gambling atmosphere. Wang Hongkun was one such person, although he had a gambling Xi, but he had a passion for the revolution, and then participated in the famous Jute Uprising with his brother Wang Shusheng. After the failure of the uprising, Wang Hongkun was penniless and had to rely on gambling to make ends meet, and later joined the forces of the Gui warlords. However, despite being in the Gui Army, he was concerned about the revolution, and when he learned that his comrades had started a rebellion again, he resolutely decided to go to support. In order to raise funds for the revolution, Wang Hongkun traveled around various casinos, winning large gambling funds every time, and then brought these funds to the team of his eldest brother Wang Shusheng to solve many problems of the army. However, after joining the Red Army, he quit gambling and strictly adhered to the discipline of the Red Army. In addition to the "God of Gamblers", Wang Hongkun also has a nickname called "King of Guns", and his marksmanship is very accurate.
Once, when the Red Army attacked the enemy walled city, the walls illuminated the city walls with nine oil lamps below, which discouraged the Red Army soldiers. Wang Hongkun stepped forward and fired nine shots in succession, and the nine oil lamps were extinguished, a feat that amazed the soldiers, and the enemy was also frightened and fled. Eventually, the Red Army succeeded in capturing the walled city. In the Red Fourth Front Army, Wang Hongkun had a resounding nickname - "God of War", a title derived from his excellent tactical strategy. Whether it was in the battle against the "three-sided encirclement" or the "six-way encirclement" in the Sichuan-Shaanxi Soviet region, Wang Hongkun made major contributions. At that time, he served as the commander of the 10th Division of the Red Fourth Front Army, and in the famous Battle of Sujiabu, he forced the Kuomintang two brigades and five battalions to surrender collectively, which was the first case in the history of the Red Army. During the entire campaign, the Red Fourth Front Army destroyed more than 30,000 enemy troops, captured more than 20,000 people, and captured countless trophies.
The Provisional Chinese Soviet also sent a congratulatory telegram, saying: "Your victory has given infinite excitement to the anti-imperialist and anti-Kuomintang revolutionary movement throughout the country, and the Provisional Soviet Provisional Party has warmly congratulated and comforted you. ”。After the outbreak of the all-out Anti-Japanese War, Wang Hongkun was appointed as the commander of the 385th Brigade of the 129th Division of the Eighth Route Army, becoming one of the six brigade commanders of the Eighth Route Army, and the other five brigade commanders were Chen Guang, Xu Haidong, Lu Dongsheng, Chen Bojun, and Chen Geng, basically the level of a general. During the War of Liberation, Wang Hongkun served as the deputy commander of the Shanxi-Hebei-Shandong-Henan Military Region and the commander of the 10th Column of the Shanxi-Hebei-Shandong-Henan Field Army. In 1955, Wang Hongkun was once included in the ranks of generals together with his brother Wang Shusheng, and was one of the 22 generals.
However, in the end, only 10 generals were recognized, and Wang Hongkun failed to do so and was only awarded the rank of general. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, Wang Hongkun mainly served in the navy, serving as deputy commander of the navy and second political commissar, and his status in the navy was second only to that of commander Xiao Jinguang. However, during the special period, ** stretched out a covetous hand to the navy, and Li Zuopeng became the deputy commander and first political commissar of the navy. At his instigation, Wang Hongkun was unfortunately deceived and followed the ** group to make some wrong decisions. After the 913 incident, Wang Hongkun consciously reviewed, and in view of the relatively minor crimes, he continued to hold important positions in the navy, and was elected as a member of the first committee in the "Top 10" in 1973. In 1984, ** finally made a decision: to remove Wang Hongkun from his position, to be placed on probation in the party for two years, and to enjoy the treatment of the regular corps, and to spend his old age in peace.
In 1988, Wang Hongkun was awarded the first-class Red Star Meritorious Service Medal, fully affirming his historical achievements. Until August 20, 1993, Wang Hongkun passed away at the age of 84. (References: "Remembering My Red Army Career", "Recalling the Career of the Campaign", "Party History").