In 1952, Chen Geng was commanding the Chinese People's Volunteer Army in the Korean battlefield against the United States-led coalition. At this critical moment, the CPC and the Central Military Commission decided to set up a school dedicated to training senior military technical cadres in order to solve the situation of our army's backward technology.
But who was decided to start the school? After repeated weighing, the leader finally handed over the heavy responsibility to Chen Geng.
Chen Geng, a graduate of the Whampoa Military Academy, has outstanding military achievements, outstanding military command talent, and good management of the army, and has presided over the military and political schools many times. During the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea, he accumulated experience in fighting against the most modern army in the world and profoundly understood the characteristics of modern warfare and the importance of technical equipment.
Therefore, ** considered him the best person to start a military school at that time. In June 1952, he personally ordered the general to transfer Chen Geng back from the Korean front line to undertake the important task of establishing the Military Engineering College.
On June 23, ** and others met with Chen Geng in Zhongnanhai. ** To him: "Some people say that US imperialism is not easy to mess with, but in fact, the Chinese people are not easy to mess with.
Although they came in the name of the United Nations, we were not intimidated. If we have modern equipment and skilled cadres, it is entirely possible to drive the enemy out of the Korean battlefield.
We are determined to solve the problem of backward technology and equipment, and the reason for transferring you back is to ask you to establish a higher military engineering academy to train technical officers and strengthen the modernization of national defense.
You will serve as the dean and political commissar. ”
Chen Geng was invited to run a school, but said that he had no experience in running a school and might not be able to do well. Both persuaded him to accept this task, and said that the establishment of the Military Engineering Academy is very urgent, and technical officers are needed, and a large number of technical officers are also needed for national defense modernization.
It is suggested that a preparatory organization can be set up first, consider the plan for the establishment of the institute, and promise that the Government Affairs Yuan will vigorously support him to run China's first higher military engineering and technical college, so as to "start as soon as possible and produce talents as soon as possible".
In the face of the encouragement of *** and others, Chen Geng's determination in his heart was firmer, he knew the humiliation and sorrow of the Chinese nation over the past century, and he had personally experienced the helplessness of the army's equipment far inferior to the enemy in his revolutionary career.
He deeply hopes to realize the modernization of national defense at an early date, and now that he has entrusted him with the important task of cultivating high-level technical personnel of our army and realizing the modernization of national defense, how can he still hesitate?
For this mission, Chen Geng understands that this is a new challenge, in the past he led the troops to kill the enemy, and now he has to lead everyone to climb the peak in the unfamiliar field of science and technology.
The troops he wants to command are no longer the soldiers who have been under fire for decades, but some intellectuals of all kinds who deal with books, instruments, meters, and so on.
Thinking of this, he stood up and assured everyone in a fearless spirit: "Everything in the revolution is made from scratch, and the Military Engineering Academy can also be created from scratch, and the Communists are not afraid of difficulties, and there is no difficulty in the world that can intimidate us." ”
** The others were very happy after listening to Chen Geng's assurance, and encouraged him one after another. In the end, Chen Geng made a military order, he said: "As long as I am still alive one day, the Military Engineering Academy will definitely be able to do it!" ”
Chen Geng faced many difficulties in establishing a military engineering college, including the lack of teachers, school buildings, teaching materials and equipment, and the biggest headache was the lack of specialized personnel in various disciplines. In order to solve this problem, he took everyone around to investigate, and finally chose Harbin as the location for the establishment of the school.
During his inspection in Nanjing, Chen Geng discovered a military scientific research laboratory that had just been established, and the researchers in it were all first-class weapons experts in the country. He was overjoyed and invited all the experts from this laboratory.
These experts have become an important resource for Chen Geng's preparation of the Military Academy, they are familiar with the situation in the national education and scientific circles, and they have made a list of personnel for Chen Geng, and he took these lists to go to *** and others for approval.
After receiving the reply, Chen Geng personally rushed to the Ministry of Personnel, the Ministry of Higher Education, the General Political Department of the Central Military Commission, and the General Cadre Department to go through the relevant procedures.
Before leaving, Chen Geng instructed everyone: "We must communicate patiently, negotiate to solve problems, not rely on orders to oppress others, but also need to consider the actual difficulties of the other party, and not only take care of our own needs." ”
Under the promotion of Chen Geng, hundreds of professors and lecturers were successfully hired, the staff of the preparatory office were very busy, the security department was also very busy, and the deputy minister kept sending the questionnaire to Chen Geng's office for approval.
Chen Geng's office is located in the old house of Harbin Medical University, where the corridor is full of old furniture and building materials, and the sound of footsteps echoes in the corridor.
One day, the deputy minister of security knocked on Chen Geng's office, sat down at the table, and handed Chen Geng a list.
Chen Geng took off his square glasses, waved his hand, and didn't say a word, he picked up the list and glanced at it, and suddenly asked in surprise: "What does this question mark mean?" ”
The deputy minister sat closer, shook the pen in his hand and replied: "This symbol means that there is a doubt, this person's situation is quite special, her brother is an important member of the Kuomintang in Taiwan, and it may not be suitable to stay in our academy to work." ”
Chen Geng couldn't help laughing out loud after hearing this, and asked the other party: "You only know that her brother is an important member of the Taiwan Kuomintang, do you know that she also has an elder brother who is a ** member of our Communist Party?"
She didn't go to Taiwan with the Kuomintang brother, but stayed in the motherland with the Communist brother, doesn't this just show that she is progressive? The deputy minister was a little surprised when he heard this, but he still insisted on his opinion and said hesitantly: "But this person ......."”
He studied in France and is a gem in our ballistics. ”
Professor Zhang, can you help us get this baby? "Chen Geng couldn't wait to ask"If it's really a baby, we can't let it go. "
Zhang Shuzu shook his head, his expression was puzzled and uncertain"I'm afraid not, even the prime minister can't approve of him. "Chen Geng was confused, and he asked the deputy minister:"What is the origin of this person, and why can't even the prime minister approve it? "
I've got to get him here! ”
Chen Geng insisted on keeping a criminal on the grounds that his skills were unrivaled and that he should be given a chance to make meritorious service and atone for his crimes. The vice minister objected to this, but Chen Geng insisted on his own opinion and decided to go to Beijing in person to find the superior leaders to fight for this opportunity.
Although the vice minister showed strong stubbornness, he could not resist Chen Geng's resolute attitude in the end.
For the sake of a ballistics expert and a person who understands French, Chen Geng did not hesitate to go to Beijing and found Dong Biwu, president of the Supreme People's Court. He expressed his hope to get this "baby" from Shen Yi of the Civil Aviation Administration.
After Dong Biwu understood Chen Geng's request, although he was a little embarrassed, he still agreed to help him. He promised to report the situation to the chairman and the prime minister to see if Shen Yi could be commuted to serve his sentence outside of prison.
Chen Geng was very happy about this and urged Dong Biwu to handle it as soon as possible.
Dean Chen, I think it's better to go to Harbin and get it again. ”
Chen Geng walked up to Shen Yi, held the handcuffs in his hand, and then gestured to the deputy minister. Seeing Chen Geng's resolute attitude, the deputy minister reluctantly untied the handcuffs. Shen Yi saw Chen Geng's smiling face, and immediately knelt down and wept bitterly: "Chief, you are my reborn parents, as long as you tell me to do something, I will not hesitate to do it, even if it is up the sword mountain and down the sea of fire." ”
Chen Geng helped Shen Yi up and comforted him: "Get up, don't be like this." You are under our protection, and we hope that you will not bring shame on the face of the "Kazakh military industry". When you arrive in Harbin, I will find you a house where you can specialize in translating scientific and technological information materials, and work and work there to reform your life. ”
Winter came, and one night, the deputy minister of security came to Chen Geng's office again. Chen Geng asked, "Has Shen Yi's amnesty report been hit?" The deputy minister hesitated for a moment and said, "Dean, I think it's better to wait for this matter......”
Chen Geng asked with a smile: "Who leaked the news and wanted to pardon him?" The deputy minister said worriedly: "This kid often drinks heavily, and he is still there in the middle of the night." Chen Geng laughed: "It won't be me, right?"
Let's go see him. The deputy minister suggested: "It's so late, why don't you go tomorrow?" Chen Geng said resolutely: "It's okay, give him a surprise attack, don't knock him, he still thinks he is a dragon." ”
The deputy minister had no choice but to follow Chen Geng, and took a look into the room through the window hole, Chen Geng patted him on the shoulder and said, "Don't **, let's go in generously!" ”
Entering the house, a smell of wine came to his face, and Shen Yi was full of dirt, sitting behind a few stacks of materials, flipping through a thick dictionary.
Chen Geng frowned and asked, "Drinking again?" You have translated a lot of information during this time, and the ancients said: Those who travel a hundred miles are half ninety, and you must be more rigorous in life, and you can't fall short. ”
Shen Yi hurriedly promised: "Dean, I understand, I am working overtime and want to complete the last batch of materials as soon as possible." Chen Geng nodded, and suddenly found that there was no fire in the house, he glanced at the deputy minister and asked, and the deputy minister immediately asked, "Why don't you make a stove?" ”
Shen Yi pointed to the materials and manuscript papers piled up on the table, and explained: "This information is the only one in the country, and I am afraid that the improper management of the furnace fire will cause a fire, so I will be guilty of one more crime."
Moreover, the raw stove is easy to make the house gray, making it easy to get sleepy. Chen Geng raised his voice and said, "If you continue like this, you will get frostbite!" "No, no. ”
Shen Yi pointed to the wine bottle behind the door and said, "When it's cold, I'll take a sip of wine to warm up." ”
Chen Geng understood the truth, and his eyes were slightly red. He walked out of the room in silence, and when he returned to his office, he said to the deputy minister in a commanding tone: "We need to get him to move into the building as soon as possible." ”
The deputy minister hesitated a little and reminded: "Dean, this will be a bit too preferential for him, don't the other professors all live in bungalows?" "Then move all the professors in the bungalow into the building." ”
But we don't have enough empty rooms. "Then move my office and the office of the Political Department to the bungalow. "Dean, so the old cadres will have opinions. ”
Let them come to me for advice! Dude, you have to understand the value of that information. To make them work, give them positions and powers, and do it boldly. Let them move into the building tomorrow, and if a professor freezes out, I will not spare you!
Chen Geng started with this, leading the experts and professors to move into the building, while he himself moved into a simple small bungalow. Even if several buildings were later built, he did not move inside, but gave priority to these experts and professors to move in.
He also came up with the idea of developing party members among experts and professors, but encountered difficulties due to problems such as their family origin and social composition. However, Chen Geng insisted on "not only the theory of ingredients", and used his own experience as an example to emphasize that his background cannot be an obstacle to progress.
His measures were appreciated by everyone, and the teaching work of the college was quickly regularized. In 1958, when the whole people made steel, some departments organized students to dig coal, and Chen Geng criticized after hearing it: "The country spends so much money to run a school, is it just to learn to dig coal?"
Instructors and students are going to dig coal, so what else do you want to run a school? ”
Under the guidance and support of Chen Geng, the party committee of the academy encouraged teachers and students to carry out technological innovation, develop new first-class equipment for all branches of the armed forces, and achieved hundreds of scientific research results in a short period of time.
After Chen Geng learned about it, he was very satisfied, and specially instructed the vice president to select a batch of achievements to celebrate the August 1 Army Day and present gifts to the 31st anniversary of the founding of the army. On 1 August, Chen Geng led **, Lin Boqu, **Su Yu, Huang Kecheng, and leaders of various headquarters of the Central Military Commission and various branches of the military to the exhibition room to display the scientific research achievements of the college, which was well received by everyone.
Although Chen Geng often presided over the work during the first two years of the military engineering college, after the college was basically completed, he transferred his energy to the headquarters of the Military Commission, but still served as the dean and political commissar of the college.
Under the influence of his philosophy of running a school and his fine work style, the Military Engineering Academy has rapidly developed into the "only one in the Far East" higher military technical college, trained a large number of talents for national defense modernization, and provided the country with many high-tech research results.
Although Chen Geng unfortunately passed away on March 16, 1961, his outstanding contributions to China's national defense modernization will always be remembered, and his spirit will always inspire and inspire those of us who come after him.