Chongqing - Sixty years ago, they joined the Chinese People's Volunteers and fought in the Korean War to defend their homeland. There, they experienced the baptism of blood and fire, dedicating their youth and sweat. Yesterday, 30 veterans from various parts of our city gathered at Dashiba in Jiangbei District. On April 1st, they will set off for North Korea with the blessings and instructions of their comrades-in-arms. During the Qingming Festival, they will lay flowers on the graves of their fallen comrades who rest far from home.
Recollections
Shrapnel was only as close to the brain marrow as a grain of millet
"Boldly and proudly, we crossed the Yalu River..." Yesterday morning, inside Shimen Park at Dashiba in Jiangbei District, the spirited singing of Xu Zhengzhong, a 78-year-old veteran of the Volunteer Army, drew the attention of many. Xu Zhengzhong is from Jiangjin. In 1951, during a mobilization meeting in the district, he was the first to sign up and went to Korea later that year, belonging to the 60th Army of the Volunteer Forces. "Back then, I wrote blood letters, biting my middle finger, demanding that the organization give me the most arduous tasks," Xu Zhengzhong recalled, having written two such blood letters back then.
In 1952, Xu Zhengzhong and his comrades were hit by enemy artillery shells while in their fortifications. The deputy battalion commander from Shandong province fell right in front of him. He felt a wave of dizziness and ran into a nearby warehouse in a confused state. His comrades found him when clearing the battlefield. By then, the blood on Xu Zhengzhong's head had already coagulated. Upon examination at the hospital, it was discovered that the shrapnel was only as close to his brain marrow as a grain of millet.
Still fighting after being hit by an artillery shell
Wu Juhui, now 77 years old, remains full of spirit and has a clear memory. Touching the few medals on his chest, which have somewhat faded over time, the elder man’s memories are brought back to the days of fierce warfare.
Due to being sickly since childhood, Wu Juhui developed a strong interest in medicine during his youth. In September 1950, while studying at the No. 29 Division Medical School, he was called up for military service and subsequently became a medic. In March 1951, he joined the Korean War with his unit and participated in three major campaigns, including the Battle of Shangganling, earning a third-class merit award.
During the Battle of Shangganling, Wu Juhui was unfortunately hit by an artillery shell, injuring his back. To complete the mission, after a simple disinfection and bandaging, Wu Juhui, still wrapped in bandages, rushed back to the front line. It wasn't until after the victory of the Korean War that he returned to China for surgery.
Since the bullet was lodged in the ribs of his back, to remove the bullet, part of his left lower lobe of the lung had to be removed, avoiding any other health risks. Although there seems to be no problem in daily life, whenever the weather turns cold, Wu Juhui can still feel a dull pain in the injured area.
Wish
Father, where exactly are you buried?
At yesterday's gathering site, nearly sixty-year-old Lü Yunfen approached the veterans with her martyr certificate, hoping they could help find her father's grave when they go to North Korea. In 1951, Lü Yunfen's father, Lü Guorong, went to Korea. At that time, Lü Yunfen, who was less than three months old, was still in swaddling clothes. In 1954, the organization delivered Lü Guorong's martyr certificate, and only then did the family learn that Lü Guorong had sacrificed himself in July 1953.
"I grew up without any impression of my father, only having a silent photo of him," Lü Yunfen said. After her father passed away, her mother remarried, and she was raised by her grandmother and maternal grandmother. Whenever she encountered insurmountable difficulties, the photo of her father that she carried with her was her spiritual support.
Although she never met her father, Lü Yunfen said she has always been proud of him. Every year before the Qingming Festival, she would burn paper money to honor her distant father. Starting at the age of 57, she learned to play the erhu, and songs about the Korean War were always among her required pieces. Upon hearing the news of the Korean War veterans' trip to North Korea, Lü Yunfen hastily wrote a letter to her father overnight, hoping the veterans could deliver her words if they find her father's grave: "Father, I have always been proud of you."
Traveling to North Korea to sweep the graves of fallen comrades
Wang Shaochuan, 76 years old, is one of the organizers of this veteran return trip to North Korea. He told reporters that originally, 25 people planned to travel together, but after the news spread, five more veterans came forward voluntarily. These veterans are all between 76 and 82 years old, with three needing family members to accompany them due to health reasons.
Wang Shaochuan joined the Korean War at the age of 15. Although he served as a cultural instructor, he also experienced various brutal battles, including the Battle of Shangganling. "Back then, more than ten classmates joined the army together and became comrades-in-arms, and some of their bodies remain forever in the green mountains of Shangganling."
The night before last, Wang Shaochuan spent the entire night writing a eulogy until four o'clock in the morning. "For so many years, I've had this wish in my heart. While I'm still physically able, I want to return to North Korea and sweep their graves." Wang Shaochuan said that revisiting the old battlegrounds 60 years later not only fulfills a long-held dream but also makes one deeply appreciate today's happy life, cherishing and striving forward even more.
Yesterday, 30 elderly veterans of the Volunteer Army gathered in Dashiba, Jiangbei District, and they will travel to North Korea next month to sweep the graves of their comrades-in-arms.
The veterans will depart on April 1st; yesterday they gathered in Jiangbei, recalling the glorious days of writing blood letters and continuing to fight despite injuries.