How are they doing 70 years later?, Becoming a hero in the Korean War, 18 female workers joined the army from Shanghai | Photo | Volunteer Army | Heroes

In the spring of 1951, on the battlefield of the Korean War, Zhang Renchu, the commander of the 26th Army of the Volunteer Army, received a special banner.

The banner was produced by Shanghai Liberation Daily and embroidered with the words "Sincerely pay tribute to the Chinese People's Volunteer Army for their hard work and contributions in defending the country during the Korean War". It was brought by the first Chinese people's condolence delegation to North Korea.

Gift a banner. Information photos

The condolence group departed from Shanghai and entered North Korea in March 1951. They visited the volunteer army units, visited the wounded and sick, and performed literary and artistic performances in various places, conveying the respect of the Chinese people for volunteer officers and soldiers.

At that time, the person who presented a banner to Zhang Renchu was a college student named Lv Naijun. In 2020, Xie Bohua, the son of Lv Naijun, left a message on the backend of Shangguan News, mentioning that his mother had two photos that had been cherished for 70 years. One was a photo of presenting the banner of Liberation Daily to the leader, and the other was a group photo with female volunteers in the pine forest of "Jianfu Cave" in North Korea.

Take a group photo on the battlefield. Information photos

At that time, she was in a war environment and didn't have time to ask the names, positions, and hometown of several female soldiers. In the following years, she often thought about these female soldiers: whether they returned safely? How are they doing?

On October 23, 2020, Xie Bohua's article "Are these volunteer female soldiers in the photo okay?" was published on Shangguan News, and the front page of the Liberation Daily also published this article under the title "The Golden Flag for the cutest person".

July 27th this year marks the 70th anniversary of the victory of the Korean War. On the eve of Victory Day, this article was reposted in the military affiliated group. Someone recognized a female warrior in the photo and told this newspaper through Xie Bohua.

This female warrior is Chu Xinhua, 95 years old this year. The reporter contacted her eldest son Ge Jianjun. In order to answer the interview question, Ge Jianjun had a detailed conversation with his mother about his past experiences for the first time and carefully handwritten a response of over 20 pages.

In late August, our reporter arrived in Yantai, Shandong. In Chu Xinhua's bedroom, he saw the war group photo again, which was placed in the middle of the desktop. In the photo, young female soldiers are dressed in military uniforms, their tops are washed white, their pants are patched, and even cotton is exposed, with youthful smiles on their faces.

Store photos of Xinhua's bedroom. Photo by Liu Xueyan

Chu Xinhua picked up the photo and pointed to herself standing in the front row. She opened her mouth again, revealing only two remaining teeth. "Teeth, no, no," she grinned and said, "It's not pretty!"

In 1949, this Shanghai textile worker joined the 26th Army. In 1950, 18 of them enlisted female workers went to the Korean battlefield together. Walking through the snow in the dark, digging protective holes in permafrost, crossing key blockade lines, rescuing injured people in Changjin Lake... Chu Xinhua remembers every pile and piece very clearly.

She said that her work was ordinary throughout her life, and she did not have any amazing feats. However, she once stood up and participated in the Korean War when her country needed it the most. This was "the proudest life experience" and "the greatest honor of her life".

Chu Xinhua. Photo by Liu Xueyan

Blood Book

In the 95th year of life, many things have changed. My appetite has decreased, my ears have turned even harder, my spouse has left, and my comrades have rarely contacted me. Even my youngest daughter's hair has turned white. "When I was young, I ate rice in the south, and when I arrived in Shandong, I ate Mantou." On Chu Xinhua's table, Steamed dumplings, Mantou, millet Congee were typical meals in the north.

She was born in Yixing, Jiangsu, and has been a land of fish and rice since ancient times. However, under the rule of the Kuomintang, there were many harsh taxes and levies, and she often ate the previous meal without the next one. My father is deaf, and my mother has small feet. As the eldest, she not only takes care of her younger siblings, but also takes care of household chores. After the August 13th Incident, her hometown was occupied by Japanese soldiers. In order to support her family, she went to Shanghai with her fellow villagers to work.

In 1952, the New Literature and Art Publishing House published the book "A Record of Visiting Korea", in which "Eighteen Female Workers" told their stories. As mentioned in the article, most of these 18 female warriors come from the Shanghai textile system, including Rongfeng Second Factory, Yong'an First Factory, Huafeng Woolen Mill, Xinguang Underwear Factory, Guangzhong Dyeing and Weaving Factory, and so on.

"I am a spinner at a factory in Yong'an, constantly winding bundles of cotton yarn onto the machines." The old man's memory is as long as yarn, and when talking about the past, Chu Xinhua unconsciously closed his eyes. "The workload is very heavy, and the machines don't wait. We work day and night shifts, standing for a whole day. Sometimes our whole body aches and our legs and feet are swollen." Although the work is hard, she cherishes it very much and has always been diligent. After all, she used to work odd jobs without a fixed income and could only pick up vegetable leaves or go to restaurants to beg for leftovers.

In 1949, after a bitter battle, Shanghai was liberated, and people cheered and rushed to the streets to welcome them. "The lively atmosphere at that time was indescribable. After the People's Liberation Army entered the city, they camped on the streets without any harm, which moved us very much," said Chu Xinhua. The 26th Army stationed in Shanghai soon began to recruit soldiers, hoping that the working class and progressive youth in Shanghai would actively join the army. "Joining the army" became the most popular topic among young people at that time.

That autumn, the Municipal Federation of Trade Unions sent a working group to the factory to mobilize workers to join the army. Zhou Shouyu, a 21-year-old female worker from Rongfeng Second Factory, is an underground party member and union cadre who is experienced and capable. She was immediately taken in. Yin Yongxue from Huafeng Woolen Mill is very thin and small. She is 16 years old and weighs only 35 kilograms. The working group was initially hesitant, but she cried and said she must join the army. The person in charge softened her heart and accepted her. Yong'an Factory has recruited a total of 10 people, and Chu Xinhua is on the list.

After political review and physical examination, these workers officially became soldiers of the People's Liberation Army and were assigned to the Civil Movement Work Team of the Political Department of the 26th Army. After three months of intensive study, they were sent back to the factory to mobilize the masses for production, maintain production order, and promote the Party's policies. In June 1950, the Korean War broke out. On October 8th, the 26th Army was ordered to move north.

"We were sitting in a closed tank car, traveling from Shanghai to Nanjing, crossing the Yangtze River, and reaching Teng County in Shandong. We didn't even know where to go or what tasks to carry out." Chu Xinhua said that when we arrived in Fushun, Liaoning, we changed our equipment, replenished our weapons and ammunition, and held a mobilization conference for overseas operations, and everyone knew we were going to resist the US and aid Korea. On November 19th, the troops crossed the Yalu River from Linjiang, Jilin and headed to the Korean battlefield.

Considering the difficult conditions in North Korea, the leadership has decided to arrange for female soldiers to stay in the rear of the motherland. But the female soldiers in Shanghai bit their fingers, wrote blood letters, and resolutely requested to cross the Yalu River. The military leader was moved by their behavior and assigned 18 of them to the political work team to join the military in North Korea.

Chu Xinhua is in the bedroom. Photo by Liu Xueyan

Extreme cold

In the winter of 1950, North Korea experienced a once-in-50-year extreme cold, with temperatures dropping to minus 40 degrees Celsius. On November 21st, 18 female soldiers set foot on North Korean soil, accompanied by two doctors and two experienced cadres, serving as captain and instructor respectively. "As soon as we crossed the river, we saw groups of refugees carrying children, wrapped around their heads, and carrying their families, rushing towards the banks of the Yalu River," said Chu Xinhua.

When they arrived in Manpu County, American planes had just bombed, with ruins and flames everywhere, electric poles tilted in all directions, and corpses everywhere. North Koreans are working hard to rescue people under the ruins. They quickly stopped marching and joined the rescue efforts, rescuing several injured people from the ruins. Some were covered in blood, some had their faces deformed by being smashed, and some had broken arms and legs, howling incessantly.

Because their task is to closely follow the combat forces and rescue the wounded, they dare not delay and must continue on their journey. In the midst of wind and snow, American planes bombed recklessly, unable to march during the day. They had to rely on the burning flames of American flares at night to trek through the snow, glaciers, and winding paths. The incendiary bombs dropped by the US military almost wiped out everything, with flames blazing everywhere, and the bodies of North Korean civilians and volunteer officers and soldiers frozen, starved, bombed, and burned to death can be seen everywhere.

"There are no women's shoes, we are all wearing big toe shoes, and our feet are clattering inside, all covered in blisters." North Korea has high mountains and steep roads, coupled with continuous snow and ice, and the temperature has dropped to over minus 30 degrees Celsius. They, who came from Shanghai, had never seen such heavy snow before and had never walked on such a slippery ice road. They skated like ice skating and accidentally stumbled. "At first, we found it interesting, laughed heartily, but later we couldn't laugh anymore." The cotton pants were thrown out of their knees, and the cold wind poured in, freezing them to the bone. Their whole body was covered in frost, and their fingers were red, swollen, and purple. Yin Yongxue silently counted that one night she fell 83 times. Even so, the group can travel up to 120 miles a day at night, and at least 60 miles.

The enemy's firepower was too strong to transport food, and they didn't have a bite to eat for three consecutive days, but they still had to continue marching. When passing by Huangcaoling, heavy snow fell and blocked the mountain road, making it steep and slippery, making it impossible to walk. Yin Yongxue felt physically exhausted and fainted. Several male comrades wrapped her in raincloths, lifted her down the mountain, and Chu Xinhua kept pinching her among the people before finally rescuing her. The wind and snow filled the air, walking and stopping, spinning and turning. Everyone was too tired to walk and could only camp on the spot.

In the vast snow, where can we block the snow and avoid the wind. Chu Xinhua and Zhou Yulan were shining around with small flashlights and saw a shelter. When they went over, they saw an American soldier lying in a sleeping bag. They were so scared that they quickly pulled out their pistols and loaded their bullets. Upon closer inspection, it turned out that the opponent had been shot in the head and had already died. They dragged him out of the bag, buried him in snow, and lay down to sleep warmly. In the morning, a female soldier screamed loudly. It turned out that she had fallen asleep when it was dark. When she woke up, she found herself sleeping all night with the body of an American soldier on her pillow.

The volunteer army is very difficult, and female soldiers are even more suffering than male soldiers. "It's menstruation now, and there's no tissue left. I had to open my cotton jacket or pants, tear off a handful of cotton, which was soaked in blood and then dried and solidified by my body. It's very hard, and my thighs are bleeding and painful. The wound just healed this month, but it's worn out again next month." Chu Xinhua said, and the head of the military logistics department came to see that their clothes were empty. Upon learning the reason, he felt very guilty and immediately took measures to help the female soldiers solve the problem when he returned.

Chu Xinhua talks about photos. Photo by Liu Xueyan

Changjin Lake

"I love my family and motherland! I love my honor even more! I am a glorious volunteer soldier! Ice and snow! I will never submit to you, even if I freeze to death, I will stand proudly on my position!"

On November 28, 1950, the second day after the Battle of Changjin Lake, the 6th Company of the 1st Battalion of the 177th Regiment of the 59th Division of the 20th Army of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army was ordered to attack Death Eagle Ridge and block the US Marine 1st Division. However, in the extreme cold of minus 40 degrees Celsius, all 125 officers and soldiers in the company froze to death on the Death Eagle Ridge position. Later, comrades discovered this poem on Song Amao, a Shanghai soldier in the 6th company.

"Our soldiers sacrificed themselves on North Korean soil without firing a single shot or bullet, which is truly heartbreaking." Along the way, Chu Xinhua saw countless soldiers who had been frozen to death, starved to death, frostbitten, bombed to death, or injured. In early December, the second battle began, and the 26th Army joined the battle. The medical team finally arrived at Xiajieyuli Town, which is located south of Changjin Lake and the only route south of the Changjin Lake area. Here, more than 40 kilometers away from the front line, you can clearly hear the rumbling sound of gunfire.

At the entrance of a mountain ditch, they found a wooden sign with the words "Entry of the wounded hiding place" written on it. The instructor and team leader followed the map and led everyone into a very hidden mountain ditch. After walking two or three miles, a messenger came out and took them to a small forest. There are no houses here, and over 20 injured people are lying on straw bags. These bags are used to transport food to the front line and are used as bedding. Above the injured were trellises made of pine branches, with chunks of snow falling down. They were frozen in the ice and snow, their lips turning purple and they couldn't help but moan.

The female soldiers didn't care about rest and started caring for the wounded after simple training. Their task was originally to quickly transfer the injured to the rear hospital after receiving simple treatment. But unable to find stretchers and migrant workers for a while, and unable to keep the injured from freezing, they decided to dig a shelter. In the severe cold of over minus 30 degrees Celsius, the soil froze like cement, with every white spot scraped, and they boiled water in a teapot, melting and digging layer by layer.

In recent days, the word "pain" has appeared frequently in Zhou Shouyu's battlefield diary - walking on the icy road for over four hours a day, feeling dizzy, and experiencing waves of pain in his back; Marching on the ice, my whole body was bruised, my waist and head were painful, there were eight blisters on my feet, and four or five had already broken their skin and bled; On the first day of digging a shelter, I dug out 10 blisters in my hand. In the morning, I dug a hole, and in the afternoon, I lifted a tree. Each tree weighed hundreds of pounds and my whole body was painful

Although her body was very painful, Zhou Shouyu still encouraged everyone. She made up a piece of fast board: "Don't let the injured get cold. Everyone came to dig a hole, and there were blisters on their hands. Everyone held back the pain. The injured entered the hole, blocking the wind on all sides. The hole was warm, and we all contributed." After the air raid shelter was dug, a pine stick was covered on the top, and soil was piled up, making sure there was no air leakage. The injured squeezed inside, very satisfied, and everyone said they had a home.

The air raid shelter is on the mountain, and the female soldiers have to go up to the mountain every day to take care of them. At first, when they saw the wounded with blood and flesh, they were afraid, but they quickly adapted. "We need to feed the wounded with water, food, change dressing, scrub, and take their urine and urine. Some of the wounded feel embarrassed and refuse to let us take their urine and urine. They insist on crawling on their own, while others argue to be discharged from the hospital and return to the front line." Chu Xinhua said, feeling embarrassed at first, but thinking that they were injured to defend their country, he felt that it was only natural to serve them, so he treated them as family and took good care of them.

A group photo on the battlefield. Information photos

Although not on the front line, death follows closely——

Xiao Zhao, the 16-year-old correspondent of Captain Liu of the surgical team, was discovered by a US plane while delivering a message. He dived down and chased after him, but was shot all over and died a heroic death. After Xiao Zhao was brought back, his body was already smashed. Captain Liu took out 12 bullets one by one, covering his face and crying bitterly.

Chu Xinhua once took care of an injured person. When he woke up early to take over, he said he was thirsty and wanted to drink water. She picked up the teapot and went to the kitchen. When she returned, he had already passed away. "I hate myself, why didn't I take good care of him, why didn't I warm him up a bit at night?" Everyone was very sad, the hero who had shed blood sacrificed himself in the open ice and snow. Later, after diagnosis, he died of cardiac arrest.

After 20 days and nights of resistance, the work became increasingly heavy. When a wounded soldier was brought in, his right shoulder was blasted open by a shell, with a hole the size of a bowl, which had turned black and purple. Chu Xinhua wanted to carry him to the air raid shelter, but he firmly refused. He said his legs were fine and he could walk, so she helped him slowly walk back. Later, he was amputated, and soon his wound deteriorated and he quietly passed away.

There is also a soldier with frostbitten feet. When he was sent over, his feet were ulcerated and purulent, revealing dense white bones and emitting a foul odor. This soldier often looks at his feet in a daze and has a low mood. Chu Xinhua carefully cleans and changes his dressing for him, and often talks and laughs with him, making him feel at home. His emotions quickly recovered and he actively cooperated with treatment until he recovered. Later, this soldier sacrificed himself in the Battle of Shangganling.

crisis

At dawn on December 14th, several female soldiers went to the mountain valley together to search for wild vegetables. Encountering a thatched cottage on the way, Dujuan, who had been caring for the injured all night the night before and was also burning a fever, wanted to take a break. Everyone asked her to have a good sleep. Not long after the others had left, an American plane swooped over and threw two incendiary bombs at the thatched cottage, which instantly caught fire. "We shouted the name of the azalea, and when we rushed down the mountain and found her in the ashes, she was already burnt," said Chu Xinhua.

Before joining the army, Du Juan was a probationary party member of Shanghai Xinguang Underwear Factory. In the memoirs of Zhou Shouyu and Yin Yongxue, their impression of her was also cultural, talented in singing and dancing, lively and beautiful. Now, there are still photos of her in the sixth exhibition hall of the Longhua Martyrs Memorial Hall.

As the number of injured people increased, news of future transportation became increasingly uncertain, and serious difficulties occurred, with food almost running out.

The food was in urgent need, and three female soldiers, Wang Rumei, Yuan Shuzhen, and Gao Qin, volunteered to find American canned food. The others waited anxiously all night, but they didn't come back. Unexpectedly, the next day they returned carrying a full load of forty or fifty pounds of horse meat. Without a stove, everyone used pine wood to grill horse meat, and served dried radish with sauce. They had the most delicious meal of that time.

These grains were hard won, and the three of them walked all the way without finding any food. Finally, they found a dead horse at the foot of the mountain. I originally wanted to drag the horse back, but after dragging for two or three miles, I couldn't move it anymore. I had to use an empty tin can, tear off a large piece with a band saw, and then carry the horse meat back with a stick. After dark, they got lost. When they encountered their comrades pointing the way, they realized that they had already walked more than 40 miles in the opposite direction. They leaned against the Big Dipper and groped back. When they reached dawn, they found that they had gone over and turned back.

A few days later, the volunteer army captured an airport, and their superiors asked them to collect spoils of war. Chu Xinhua followed them to the airport and saw smoke everywhere, with destroyed tanks, armored vehicles, and cars emitting thick smoke. On this side, the bodies of the US military were taken away by large trucks that were seized one by one, and it is unknown where they were being transported. On the other side, spoils of war such as canned goods, fried noodles, rice noodles, beef, and medicine are piled up like mountains. "I was deeply shocked, this is the battlefield, this is the battlefield of fighting for life."

Take a group photo on the battlefield. Information photos

truce

In May 1951, the Volunteer Army achieved successive victories on the battlefield. "We have anti-aircraft guns and airplanes, and enemy planes no longer dare to dominate like before. They can also come out and operate during the day." Chu Xinhua remembers that they had seen intense air battles many times, and after American planes were shot down, everyone cheered and shouted, "We are no longer afraid of airplanes!"

After the second battle, the surgical team was ordered to rest in Wulaoli and conduct a summary and evaluation. Zhou Shouyu was awarded first-class merit, Chen Yan, the director of the military radio station, was awarded first-class merit, and Chu Xinhua and Shi Aihua were awarded second-class merit. At this time, the condolence delegation to North Korea arrived at the 26th Army, and several female soldiers who had made contributions were selected as reception personnel. Most of the condolence groups are from Shanghai and are particularly concerned about the situation of female soldiers in Shanghai. They have held a special symposium. "The condolence group had people from all walks of life give presentations, bringing greetings from the Chinese people. Everywhere they went, applause and cheers poured down the mountain, and the soldiers were very excited."

Summer is the rainy season in North Korea, with rain falling day and night. Water is everywhere on the mountains and muddy everywhere. Many air raid shelters have been flooded and even collapsed. Chu Xinhua remembers that the air raid shelter became an animal park, frequented by frogs, toads, venomous snakes, and mice, swimming back and forth.

At that time, Ge Changshan, who was working in the Organization Department of the Political Department of the 26th Army and also the husband of Chu Xinhua, woke up one morning feeling sticky and soft under his body. It turned out that he had crushed three fat and large earthworms. He also wrote a limerick poem: "The heavy rain lasted for more than ten days, with clear springs flowing all over the mountains and fields. The thatched hut was filled with water, and boats could be rowed in the transportation trench. During the day, frogs and snakes came to accompany, and at night, earthworms came to sleep together."

Chu Xinhua married couple. Photo by Liu Xueyan

No matter how heavy the rain is, the soldiers still hold their posts. In his diary in July 1951, Zhou Shouyu wrote: On the night shift of the 11th, there were 9 general anesthetized patients and 8 wounded holes; On the 13th, there was another night shift, and it was raining heavily. There were 6 holes to drink water and 4 holes to handle urination and defecation. I also fell and broke my watch; I hardly slept for two days and nights. On the night shift of the 14th, I felt dizzy and dizzy. Fortunately, it didn't hinder my work.

After the victory of the war, most of these female soldiers returned to their hometowns as the first batch and transferred to other regions