On a quiet morning in Yingshan, Sichuan, in 1943, He Qizong was born in this world. In 1961, at the age of 18, he stood at the crossroads of his life, with a flat road paved by his family: with his talent in sports and the excellent conditions of his family, it seemed natural to enter the sports academy. However, He Qizong had a yearning for military life in his heart, and he decided to give up a stable future and chose a path full of unknowns and challenges - to sign up for the army.
At the beginning of his enlistment, He Qizong was just one of many recruits. But his athleticism was soon taken seriously. By chance, Dong Zhanlin, the commander of the 54th Division of the 130th Army, a veteran who had participated in important battles such as the Battle of the Hundred Regiments, the Liaoshen Campaign, and the Pingjin Campaign, noticed him.
It was a day of collective physical training, and Commander Dong Zhanlin came to the training ground in person. He Qizong's performance is outstanding, whether it is running, long jump or weightlifting, he leads by an absolute advantage. Dong Zhanlin walked up to him, patted him on the shoulder and said, "Young man, come with me, I need a soldier like you." He Qizong was extremely excited, this was a recognition of his ability, and it was also a turning point in his military career.
With the outbreak of the Sino-Indian self-defense counterattack, He Qizong was entrusted with the important task of protecting the division commander. The 130th Division showed great strength in the Battle of Walong, and He Qizong performed well in the battle, he not only successfully protected the division commander, but also bravely charged into battle in the battle, making great contributions to the troops.
After the war, Dong Zhanlin summoned He Qizong to his office and personally wore the armband of the guard squad leader for him, which was the highest praise for his courage and sense of responsibility. He Qizong grew from an ordinary soldier to a squad leader, then to a platoon leader, and finally became a training staff officer of the military department, and his sweat and tears were condensed at every step.
In that stormy year of 1971, Dong Zhanlin, a veteran of Siye, was forced to resign due to the impact of the "913" incident, and He Qizong's military career also ushered in huge challenges. Originally, he was mentally prepared to leave the barracks and return to his hometown, where his relatives and fellow villagers had already arranged a decent job for him.
However, at this very moment, Wang Bicheng, the founding lieutenant general of the People's Republic of China, took over the post of the Kunming Military Region, and he brought a new wind and put forward a new requirement of "taking military training as the central task" and planned to select a group of top soldiers to go to the Nanjing Military Region to study the advanced "Guo Xingfu" teaching method. In this selection, He Qizong's fate changed again.
Although many people disagreed with He Qizong's choice, believing that he should change jobs because of Dong Zhanlin's affairs, General Wang Bicheng insisted on his own opinion and believed that He Qizong was a military talent worth cultivating. In a brief conversation, Wang Bicheng said to He Qizong: "In the army, what we need is soldiers who can face difficulties and keep learning and improving, and I believe that you are such a person." ”
He Qizong was deeply touched by these words, and he realized that he still had a bigger stage waiting for him. In the course of studying in the Nanjing Military Region, he eagerly absorbed the essence of each lesson and exchanged ideas with elite soldiers from all over the country.
After returning to Kunming, the team led by He Qizong demonstrated the advanced teaching methods learned in Nanjing, and won unanimous praise from the leaders and comrades for their exquisite skills and tacit cooperation of the team. This performance made He Qizong's position in the army more stable, and also laid a solid foundation for his future military career.
In 1979, with the tension between China and Vietnam, the conflict was on the verge of breaking out. At this critical moment, Zhao Fushun, the former chief of staff of the 130th Division of the 54th Army and the deputy commander of the 11th Army at the time, recommended He Qizong to the front-line command post. He Qizong was appointed deputy commander and chief of staff of the 31st Regiment of the 93rd Division, one of the main forces of the 11th Army and played an important role in the battles on the front.
He Qizong was known as the "Tiger of the Jungle against Vietnam" for his heroic performance on the battlefield, and his military talent was fully affirmed. His outstanding command skills in several key battles led him to be promoted to regimental commander after the war, and he became the target of organizational training. Soon after, he was sent to the Military Academy for further study, in order to use his military talents on a larger scale. In 1983, at the age of 40, he was promoted to deputy commander of the 11th Army, and his military career was in full swing.
In 1984, the battle of Laoshan and Zheyin Mountain commanded by He Qizong further consolidated his position in the army. Only a year later, he ushered in another peak of his career - becoming deputy chief of the general staff. With the reinstatement of the military rank system in 1988, he was awarded the rank of major general, and two years later promoted to lieutenant general, and at the age of 47, he is already at the pinnacle of his career.
In that era of reform and opening up full of challenges and opportunities, He Qizong became the first military leader in the General Staff system to clearly express his stance and resolutely support the reform and opening up policy. His stance not only reflects his political wisdom, but also demonstrates his deep understanding of the country's future development direction.
In November 1992, He Qizong was transferred to the post of deputy commander of the Nanjing Military Region, a position that gave him more of a stage to practice reform. However, in 1999, when he announced his retirement, many were shocked. He Qizong was tight-lipped about the reason for his retirement, which made the outside world full of curiosity and speculation about the reason for his sudden retirement. Some people say that this is related to the reform of the armed forces, but this claim has never been confirmed.
After retiring, He Qizong chose a calm and leisurely lifestyle, devoting his time and energy to his family and enjoying the quiet time spent with his relatives. Although there was a lot of discussion about the reason for his retirement, he always remained silent, telling the world in his own way that there are some choices just for inner peace and freedom.
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