General Wu Kehua, born in a peasant family in Yiyang, Jiangxi, grew up in the magnificent red era. He rose to prominence in the wave of the agrarian revolution and became the commander of the Red First Army, with a brilliant military career, especially in the Tashan Blockade Battle, and finally won the rank of lieutenant general.
However, at the focal point of our story, General Wu Kehua is in western China and has a crucial task – to serve as commander of the Chengdu Military Region on the eve of a self-defensive counterattack against Vietnam. It happened in 1979, a tense time. The whole country was shrouded in the tense atmosphere that preceded the counterattack against Vietnam, rumors swirled, and people tried to flee in panic. One of the most notable places is Xinjiang.
General Wu Kehua received the task and needed to go to Xinjiang, and in the face of a complex and dangerous situation, he had to stabilize the morale of the army and the people in this frontier land. When the news came, he was in the Chengdu Military Region. At this time, Ye Shuai, deputy director of the General Political Department, had an in-depth talk with Wu Kehua, asked Wu Kehua about his physical condition with concern, and revealed his worries about Vietnam's self-defense counterattack and the importance of the task. This in-depth discussion is not only about the concern for the military task, but also about the concern for the general personally, allowing people to see the brilliance of humanity behind the soldiers.
In the stage of preparing for the response, General Wu Kehua formulated three measures, including the strategy of stabilizing the morale of the army and the people. He paid attention to the morale of the 13th and 50th armies, which showed that his concern was not limited to the military level, but also included the care for every soldier. The general's attitude of caring for the soldiers and putting the people's will in an important position made his leadership style more and more obvious.
Upon arrival in Xinjiang, General Wu Kehua acted quickly. He beat his family and interrupted his son's studies, which is not only a responsibility to the family, but also a loyalty to the motherland. At the meeting of the military district, he worked out a series of measures to stabilize the border. In the face of rumors, panic among the people, and the predicament of fleeing the surging tide, General Wu Kehua showed decisive and determined leadership. Every step he made was aimed at stabilizing the situation and protecting the peace of the country.
While facing the grim situation, General Wu Kehua not only organized the survey of Xinjiang's borders and fulfilled his duties, but also took the lead in personally visiting the soldiers and sharing difficult times with them. Such a leadership style deeply infected the people around him and became a model for the troops.
With the firm leadership of General Wu Kehua, the situation gradually stabilized. His military wisdom and extraordinary courage created favorable logistical and military conditions for the self-defense and counterattack against Vietnam. The pre-war preparations for the counterattack against Vietnam, including the deduction of possible moves of the Soviet Union and the improvement of combat readiness and morale, were inseparable from the wise decision of General Wu Kehua.
However, this glorious journey eventually came to a sad end. General Wu Kehua died in Guangzhou at the age of 74. He left a deep impression, not only at the military level, but also in the hearts of the people. On the eve of the counterattack against Vietnam, General Wu Kehua demonstrated outstanding leadership and military wisdom. His actions not only stabilized the situation in Xinjiang and created favorable conditions for self-defense and counterattack against Vietnam, but also became a model of our army's leadership and sacrificial spirit. General Wu Kehua's life is like a majestic war song, stirring in the long river of time and passing on forever.