Faith leads the way, and thoughts gather strength. The report of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China pointed out that it is necessary to "arm young people with the party's scientific theories and inspire young people with the party's original aspiration and mission." In response to the call of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, on February 1, 2024, members of the "Concentric to the Party, Shimmering Light" practice team of the School of Computer Science of Qufu Normal University visited veteran Cheng Chuanyu in Fangshan Town, Heze City, Shandong Province.
Cheng Chuanyu, who was born in December 1952, is now 72 years old. In that era when the education level was very limited and the family economy was in dire straits, young people wanted to find a way to struggle in life, so in April 1971, the old man Cheng Chuanyu embarked on the road of serving the motherland and joining the army. When he really becomes a soldier, defending the motherland and protecting the motherland becomes his only goal. "Now when I think of the day I joined the army, it's really like the current TV series, I wore a big red flower, and a large group of people gave me one, and I feel very proud and honored. Recalling the time when he joined the army, the old man Cheng Chuanyu's eyes flashed.
In the first three months, Cheng Chuanyu had to undergo training in the recruit camp, and he said: "At that time, the living conditions of the troops were not good, and the training in the recruit camp was also very hard. I lived in a thatched hut and slept on a hay floor, which was very different from what I thought, and I didn't expect the life of the army to be so hard. ”
In the training of the new barracks, Cheng Chuanyu was very unaccustomed at the beginning, standing in a military posture alone was two or three hours, he recalled the training scene at that time and said to the practice team members: "The most impressive night, starting from 7 o'clock in the evening, at the beginning is the continuous repetition of basic physical fitness, followed by rushing circles, and finally running a 3 kilometers, so stick to it until 12 o'clock, and the rest time in the middle of each time is no more than two minutes, I don't know how I survived at that time, but I think it is a kind of persistent belief." Shooting and touching the gun was originally a fun thing, but when you arrived at the training ground, it was not so fun, lying in one place for a morning, wanting to sleep or aiming badly, you would run back at the specified time with the gun on your back and ......But with the persistence day after day, Cheng Chuanyu slowly got used to the training of the army, and completed the three-month recruit training with tenacity.
When asked how he persevered under such difficult training and living conditions, the old man Cheng Chuanyu replied with a smile that he could persist mainly for two reasons: on the one hand, he could not disgrace his hometown, and since he came to the army, he had to stay forever; On the other hand, since other comrades-in-arms can persevere, they will definitely be able to persevere.
A year and a half after enlisting in the army, Cheng Chuanyu became an honorable Communist Party member. In 1973, he was awarded a third-class meritorious service for his outstanding work performance. Today, the certificate is still placed on the most conspicuous table in the elderly's home. Later, he won the regimental and branch commendations once. When mentioning the honor he had received, the old man Cheng Chuanyu had a proud smile on his face.
In his third year in the army, he became a squad leader in the unit, leading his comrades to train and make progress together. As a squad leader, he and his comrades-in-arms "touched real guns" and "threw detonators", and formed a lifelong friendship in danger again and again. Although he has been retired from the army for more than 40 years, he still remembers the scene with his comrades-in-arms at that time. "Every time I encounter something I can't remember, my comrades-in-arms will appear in my dreams at night. The old man Cheng Chuanyu told the practice team members that he was over the age and he couldn't remember many things clearly, but he always felt that his past comrades-in-arms were helping him in the dark. Even though life is a short military journey, for the old man Cheng Chuanyu, it carries his lifelong comradeship.
After being discharged from the army, Cheng Chuanyu returned to the countryside to live a farming life, and he also encouraged his children to join the army. In his view, although the life of the army is hard, it is extremely glorious to defend the homeland and the country. When asked what he would like to say to the contemporary youth, Cheng Chuanyu said: "Young students should cherish the hard-won peaceful life, be actively engaged in work and study, and even if they encounter setbacks and falls, they must immediately get up and re-devote themselves." We must always uphold the spirit and belief of enduring hardships and standing hard work, and make more contributions to the prosperity and strength of the country. ”
The story of the old man Cheng Chuanyu may not be as vivid and gorgeous as the interpretation in history books and film and television dramas, but his dedication and patriotism still deeply moved the practice team members. Through the search for veterans, the practice team members have a deeper understanding of the red spirit, "only by retaining the red memory can we gather the strength to move forward in the future".
Written by: You Yuqing.
Concentric to the party, glimmer to lead the way" practice team.
Instructor: Sun Yu.