In 1952, the army was adjusted, and the 21st Corps of the People's Liberation Army was reorganized into the 55th Army, and in addition to the 21st Corps, part of the 48th Army and the 49th Army was also added to form the new 55th Army.
Chen Mingren was appointed as the first military commander, and Wang Zhenqian was appointed as the first political commissar. Today, let's learn about Wang Zhenqian's story.
Wang Zhenqian was born in 1914 in a wealthy family in Liaoning. He was fortunate to have a good education in his childhood, and when he was 15 years old, his family sent him to Peking for further study. Two years later, however, Japan launched the 918 Incident and occupied Tohoku, including his hometown.
Although Wang Zhenqian was studying in Beiping at the time, he always cared about the dynamics of his hometown. After the outbreak of the September 18 Incident, he actively participated in the anti-Japanese salvation movement. In 1932, Wang Zhenqian officially joined the Communist Youth League, and under the leadership of the party, he participated in the "129" patriotic movement, and he also made contributions.
Under the leadership of the party, Wang Zhenqian actively propagated anti-Japanese propaganda among the student group and gradually became an outstanding revolutionary. In 1936, Wang Zhenqian joined our party. After the outbreak of the Xi'an Incident, he accepted the organizational order, entered the Northeast Army, engaged in the first work in the Northeast Army, and formed the second detachment of the Anti-Japanese Salvation Vanguard in the Northeast Army, guiding many aspiring young people to devote themselves to the cause of resisting Japan and saving the country under the leadership of our party.
After a series of trainings, Wang Zhenqian also grew into an outstanding political worker.
During his time in the Northeast Army, Wang Zhenqian successfully rebelled against Chang Enduo, the commander of the 111th Division. Chang Enduo was an outstanding general of the Northeast Army, who refused to implement the Kuomintang's policy of passive resistance to Japan and resolutely advocated active resistance to Japan.
After learning of Chang Enduo's idea, his superiors sent Wang Zhenqian to the 111th Division to serve as Chang Enduo's secretary and create opportunities for him to come into contact. With Wang Zhenqian's active efforts, Chang Enduo joined our party in 1939, and in 1942 he led the 111th Division to switch to the embrace of our party, and this unit was later reorganized into the coastal detachment of the Eighth Route Army.
Wang Zhenqian served as the political commissar of the detachment and led this unit to make great contributions to the nation in the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the War of Liberation.
Wang Zhenqian showed outstanding political talent in the transformation of the Northeast Army and the Yunnan Army. After the liberation of Changchun, he was appointed director of the Political Department of the 50th Army of the People's Liberation Army, and successfully reorganized the Yunnan Army into a unit with strong combat effectiveness, making important contributions to the War of Liberation and the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea.
Later, he was appointed as the first political commissar of the 55th Army, leading this new army to garrison in the Guilin and Zhanjiang areas, contributing to the cause of national defense. However, in 1962, Huang Yongsheng, commander of the Guangzhou Military Region, launched a surprise attack on Wang Zhenqian at the party committee and attacked him for no reason, which was undoubtedly an injustice to him.
Huang Yongsheng is Wang Zhenqian's direct leader, and although the two have a superior-subordinate relationship, Wang Zhenqian does not usually work in the military region, and there is almost no conflict of interest between Wang Zhenqian and Huang Yongsheng.
Therefore, when Huang Yongsheng accused Wang Zhenqian, Wang Zhenqian's heart was full of confusion, and he did not know how to respond to Huang Yongsheng, let alone how to prove his innocence.
Wen Niansheng, a strong and upright descendant of Wen Tianxiang, stepped forward at this time and helped Wang Zhenqian in time. He resolutely resisted Huang Yongsheng's injustice and provided strong protection for Wang Zhenqian.
Since then, Wang Zhenqian has been transferred to the National Defense Science and Technology Commission, where he has served as political commissar of the Sixth Research Institute, and later as vice minister of the Third Ministry of Machinery Industry. He died in Beijing in 2005 at the age of 91.