At the first investiture ceremony in New China, a puzzling thing happened. The commander and deputy commander of the 13th Army of this excellent unit were awarded the rank of general, while the commissar Zhang Lixiong received only the rank of colonel, despite his notable achievements for the country.
Zhang Lixiong, political commissar of the 13th Army, is a prominent figure in military and political circles. His life was full of challenges and hardships, but it was also very rewarding. Let's take a closer look at his legacy.
Born in 1913 into a poor peasant family, Zhang Lixiong did not receive a good cultural education due to family conditions. At the age of sixteen, he met a Red Army unit, which made him deeply feel the care and love of the Chinese Communist Party for the people.
Joining the Chinese Communist Youth League, he began to get in touch with the revolutionary cause of our party, and two years later he officially joined the Communist Party of China and became a Red Army soldier. In the big family of the Red Army, Zhang Lixiong not only exercised his combat ability, but also absorbed a great deal of cultural and political knowledge.
His upbringing taught us that even if we come from a poor background, as long as we have the courage to pursue our dreams, we will be able to realize our self-worth.
The tempering of his youth made him deeply realize that cultural literacy is as important as practical experience. He studied diligently, made rapid progress in a short period of time, and showed exceptional ability.
After graduating from the Red Army School, he achieved success for the first time in independently commanding battles. In a fierce battle in 1933, he quickly occupied a vantage point, suppressed enemy fire, and assisted his comrades in breaking through the defensive line.
In 1934, he again made a contribution to the battle to cover the withdrawal of large forces from the Soviet zone. He led 800 cadet soldiers, and faced ten times the number of Kuomintang troops, without fear.
He persevered, fought fiercely with the Kuomintang army for three days and two nights, and successfully bought precious time for the transfer of the main force. After that, he followed the army on a long march of 25,000 miles and endured hardships.
After the completion of the land reform, the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the War of Liberation broke out, Zhang Lixiong always maintained his heroic nature, devoted himself to battles, and made many achievements. At the New China Investiture Ceremony, he deserves to be commended.
However, some have questioned his experience of being separated from the army in 1937. In the Battle of Gaotai, Zhang Lixiong was wounded and continued to fight, but his guards disappeared after the battle.
Despite this, Zhang Lixiong still survived alone and continued to fight for the revolutionary cause.
Zhang Lixiong was wounded on the Long March and met a fellow villager who helped him. The spirit of the Red Army was greatly admired by the fellow countrymen, and he told Zhang Lixiong that the enemy's search was very strict, and suggested that he hide in his own home.
Under the cover of his fellow countrymen, Zhang Lixiong successfully evaded the enemy's search. A few days later, the fellow sent Zhang Lixiong out of the city and pointed him in the direction. However, many years later, some people questioned the period of Zhang Lixiong's departure from the team, and no one confirmed it.
Before finding the proof, ** decided to confer the rank of colonel on Zhang Lixiong.
Zhang Lixiong's friends felt unfair about his rank of colonel, because he suffered both physical and psychological injuries during the battle, and most of his comrades who fought alongside him died.
Despite this, Zhang Lixiong is very open-minded, and he thinks that he has been very lucky compared to those heroes who sacrificed. But the organization can't let a hero miss out on glory because of rank.
After six years of investigation, the organization found Chai Weiren, a fellow countryman who had saved Zhang Lixiong, and promoted him to the rank of major general. However, Zhang Lixiong was unable to thank Chai Weiren in person, which is also a big regret in his heart.
The contributions of Zhang Lixiong, Chen Kang, Zhou Xueyi, Cui Jiangong and other political commissars of the 13th Army cannot be underestimated, and their stories are worthy of our memory and praise.
Chen Kang, a brave and fearless military commander, his combat achievements are innumerable. In the Battle of Jianmen Pass, he was the first to charge, led the death squad, and took Jianmen Pass in one go, and his courage was amazing.
He also showed a brilliant mind in his methods of warfare. For example, in the battle of Qiqian Village, he set up two ambushes and let the soldiers directly insert into the Japanese army for hand-to-hand combat, and annihilated more than 400 Japanese troops at the cost of more than ten people, and harvested a large number of materials.
When facing the Kuomintang, which was fully equipped with American weapons and equipment and had a total strength of 30,000 troops, he lured the enemy by constantly circling around Funiu Mountain in western Henan, and finally introduced him into the encirclement that had already been set up, and took the Fifth Corps of the Kuomintang with more than 20,000 men in one fell swoop.
These are the embodiment of his bravery and extraordinary mind.
After being captured, Li Tiejun reluctantly lamented that the Fifth Corps suffered heavy losses, half of which was defeated and half of which was dragged down. However, Deputy Army Commander Zhou Xueyi is a hero who firmly fights for the motherland and the people.
He took an active part in the struggle during the Revolution, and under the influence of his older brother, he embarked on the road of revolution. He joined the guerrillas in 1929, joined the Red Army the following year, and officially joined the Chinese Communist Party in 1933.
In the War of Resistance Against Japan, he performed well in many battles, especially in the Battle of the Hundred Regiments, his brave exploits spread throughout the country, and he was even awarded the Meritorious Service Medal by Chief Deng himself.
Zhou Xueyi showed heroic command skills in the War of Liberation, successfully liberating Huangmei County, and capturing Wu Tinglin, the commander of the 15th Division of the Kuomintang, during the attack on Jiaxian, Henan.
Unlike Chen Kang and Zhou Xueyi, who chose to join the Red Army at the beginning, Cui Jiangong initially served in the Kuomintang army, and even became a prisoner of our army in a battle.
However, through the transformation of our army, he successfully became a member of the Red Army, and was deeply influenced by the two books "Popular Philosophy" and "Introduction to Dialectical Materialism" presented by Tang Tianji, the minister of the 15th Red Army Corps.
In the Battle of Shangganling, he took the lead and led the whole battalion of soldiers to hold their positions under the enemy's frantic bombardment for several days.
The artillery of war was roaring fiercely, and the enemy launched a fierce attack on our positions at a rate of six rounds per second. In just four days, our party suffered a lot. On the verge of despair, Cui Jiangong and all the soldiers, even the handymen and guards, did not hesitate to throw themselves into the battle and resist the enemy with their flesh and blood.
They held their ground for 43 days and paid great sacrifices. After the war, 85-year-old Cui Jiangong sat in a wheelchair and was interviewed by reporters. Although time passed, he still said resolutely: "As a veteran of the Republic, although I have fought many battles, the most memorable thing is the bloody battle in Shangganling. ”
Time is like an arrow, time is like a shuttle, and the Communist Party of China has been born for a hundred years. During this period, many heroic predecessors have left us, such as Chen Kang and Zhou Xueyi. However, there are still two founding major generals, such as Zhang Lixiong, the political commissar of the 13th Army, who are still alive, and they have witnessed the ups and downs of history.
On the day of General Zhang Lixiong's 110th birthday, ** specially sent leaders to Nanjing to express condolences and handed over a letter of condolence. Although he is old, his concern for the motherland and the people has never changed.
"Even though I'm old, I've been watching the country," he said. This brought tears to the eyes of those present who were there. In fact, even in his later years, he has been doing his part for the construction and development of the motherland.
In 2016, to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Red Army's Long March, his children donated 100,000 yuan to his hometown on his behalf and set up a scholarship. In August 2023, while in his hospital bed, he donated 1,236 books and 100,000 yuan in grants to his hometown of Shanghang County, Fujian Province.
Zhang Lixiong is a hero who has fought for the revolutionary cause all his life. In 1998, he was 85 years old, but he still personally drew a "Sketch Map of the Red Army's Long March Route I Walked".
The picture was later donated to the Museum of the History of the Soviet District. From the picture, we can see the difficulties and obstacles that Zhang Lixiong experienced for the revolutionary cause, as well as his deep friendship and sincerity for the motherland and the people.
Under his influence, Zhang Lixiong's children also shine in their respective fields, and are rated as advanced workers and outstanding party members, all of whom are outstanding talents of the country. Zhang Lixiong's daughter said that the reason why he has set up scholarships many times is because he deeply understands the importance of education to a person.
Zhang Lixiong's family, as well as the leaders and cadres who had visited him, were all moved by his spirit and full of praise.
General Zhang Lixiong, General Chen Kang and all the soldiers of the Republic who were awarded the title illuminated the future of the motherland with their sweat and blood, they are real national heroes.
As sons and daughters of China, we should not only be full of respect and love for them, but also learn from and inherit their indomitable spirit, which is the quality of heroes and the Chinese nation.