After the death of ***, the deputy director of the security department, Wu Jicheng, was appointed as the head of the security team during the funeral activities.
He participated in the cremation of the body, the storage of ashes in the Taiwan Hall of the Great Hall of the People, and the holding of the memorial service, which ensured the safety and smooth progress of the entire funeral activities.
Wu Jicheng recalled that he had received instructions from his superior, Wang Dongxing, which was related to why he was unable to attend the memorial service.
At the same time, he also mentioned in his memories that he was selected to join the ** garrison regiment and was arranged to stand guard outside the *** hospital.
Before coming to Yan'an, Wu Jicheng had been engaged in grassroots work, and he knew about ***You*** and Commander-in-Chief Zhu, but he knew relatively little about Vice Chairman Zhou. Once, when he was standing guard, he unconsciously leaned on the wheel next to the well platform in the yard.
At this moment, a man in a leather jacket with a steady pace walked into the courtyard, followed by two guards escorted at gunpoint. According to the rules, anyone who doesn't know must stop and ask first.
Back then, Wu Jicheng guessed that the tall man should be Vice Chairman Zhou, but he chose not to stop him. I'm worried that if it gets out, it will become a joke. He told the squad leader about it, and from the squad leader, he learned some stories about Vice Chairman Zhou.
During the convening of the Seventh National Congress of the Communist Party of China, Wu Jicheng was on duty outside the Yangjialing ** Auditorium. Suddenly, a small car in which the chief was riding drove up, and a tall man stepped out of the car.
The squad leader told him that it was *** From March 11 to 18, 1947, Chiang Kai-shek bombed Yan'an frantically, and he threw one-third of the bombers of the Air Force over, and the bombing continued.
At that time, Wu Jicheng's class was stationed in Wangjiaping, and ** and Vice Chairman Zhou lived there.
Recalling that experience, Wu Jicheng said affectionately:'In Wangjiaping Taoyuan, we dug an air-raid shelter, ** lived in the north, and Vice Chairman Zhou lived in the south.
In the days when Yan'an was bombed by Kuomintang planes, they worked and rested in the cave. That hole is big and well equipped. 'After evacuating Yan'an, we escorted Vice Chairman Zhou and others to a small village - Liujiaqu after an emergency march.
In the evening, the whole crew went into the village to rest, parked the car outside, and used sorghum stacks as a disguise. The next day, because a car was not well camouflaged, the glass was exposed, and the reflection on it was detected by enemy planes, which attracted a dive and strafing.
When the commanders and fighters in the village heard the movement, they prepared to pick up their guns and fight.
** Decisively gave orders, showing a calm leadership style and superb wisdom, which deeply impressed Wu Jicheng. It is rumored that the front windshield of the Jeep was punctured and there were bullet holes in the seats.
However, ** faced it with a smile, looked at the bullet hole and said, "This bullet hole is very beautiful, like a small flower." "His composure and humor once again reflect his charisma and attitude towards life.
In mid-April, Wu Jicheng was selected into a special guard squad and took on the security task of guarding Vice Chairman Zhou and Ren Bishi together with more than a dozen people. The equipment of this class is very advanced.
In Xiaohe Village, Mao, Zhou, and Ren live in a cave with three eyes connected. Ren Bi's snoring interrupted ***'s rest. Once, ** discovered this problem, and he was going to wake up Ren Bishi.
But *** shook his head slightly, signaling not to alarm Ren.
In the days when he moved to northern Shaanxi, Wu Jicheng witnessed the firm and simple revolutionary feelings between *** and Vice Chairman Zhou. **In a coma before his death, he said a few "wu" pronunciations intermittently, which led to speculation that it might be the staff around ***, that is, Wu Qingtong, director of the Prime Minister's duty room.
This makes people deeply feel the firm conviction and simple emotions of the revolutionaries. ”
It turned out that ** was about to die, and suddenly wanted to meet him, a person who was responsible for security work. Although Wu Jicheng rushed to the 305 hospital in a hurry, he still didn't see ***, just watched silently with tears at the door of the ward.
**'s ashes were placed overnight in the Taiwan Hall of the Great Hall of the People, which was to fulfill the Prime Minister's wish for the reunification of the motherland during his lifetime.
The memorial service was held in the north hall of the Great Hall of the People, and the superior notified *** of possible attendance. Wu Jicheng followed the instructions and prepared the Taiwan Hall and the Jiangsu Hall for *** use.
But regrettably, ** was not able to attend ***'s memorial service in the end. According to Wu Jicheng's recollection, ** originally planned to go, but his physical condition did not allow it.
That day, ** sat alone on the sofa and cried silently. The secretary asked him if he wanted to attend the memorial service.
When he heard the chairman helplessly say, "A few months later, ** also passed away", Wu Jicheng, who was full of grief in his heart, also felt that the burden on his shoulders was even heavier.
The departure of the chairman made the CCP immediately set up a funeral committee headed by ***, which had 7 groups under its jurisdiction, and Wu Jicheng became one of the main members of the security group.
In the funeral process, he shouldered a heavy responsibility. However, despite the grief in his heart, he accepted the difficult task without hesitation.
In the spring of 1949, he was transferred out of the *** guard squad and went to work at the regimental headquarters of the ** garrison regiment, and was gradually promoted to deputy company commander.
After the founding of the People's Republic of China, Wu Jicheng was sent to the division training team to study, and stayed in the army to work after graduation. In 1979, he was appointed deputy commander of the Anhui Provincial Military Region, a position he held until his retirement in 1982.
After retiring, he began to write memoirs, and whenever he recalls the time he spent with *** and ***, he is always full of emotion. In his heart, he was deeply impressed by two great men.
Having experienced the whole process of Vice Chairman Zhou and ** from birth to death, he, Wu Jicheng, was full of emotion. He has witnessed the two great men in the same boat many times in the long river of time.
Regrettably, this old man who witnessed history passed away in Beijing on December 25, 2006, at the age of 79.