The US military continues to bombard our formation indiscriminately | Veterans of the Volunteer Army recount their history and command our formation one minute before the ceasefire agreement takes effect | Our army | formation
Narrator: Xu Niankui, male, 89 years old, commanding platoon leader of the 21st Regiment of the 7th Artillery Division of the Chinese People's Volunteer Army. He went to North Korea to participate in the war in October 1951.
When I went to Korea to participate in the Korean War in 1951, I was 17 years old and served as the deputy platoon leader of the Sixth Company Command Platoon; When I returned to my home country, I was 19 years old and promoted to platoon leader. Looking back on the life in the battlefield, those days were filled with gunfire and bullets, and life and death were uncertain. However, we maintained an uplifting and optimistic attitude, because our blood and sacrifice protected the safety of the people of our motherland.
The young man crossed the Yalu River
On the evening of October 23, 1951, our artillery 21st regiment crossed the Yalu River and entered North Korea to participate in the war. At a mobilization meeting before going abroad, the political commissar of the teacher said, "The Korean battlefield is an alchemy furnace. Whether you are real gold or brass, you will know with a single alchemy." I am determined not to disappoint the trust of my motherland, brave and skilled in battle, not afraid of sacrifice, and vow to forge myself into the pure gold that the Chinese people need.
I remember the first time under the leadership of company commander Zeng Jizhong, an observation post was established at the forefront of Qingpo Mountain. There was a six or seven mile road from the position to the top of Qingpo Mountain, and we had to pass through the artillery blockade line. I crossed the blockade for the first time, and my heart was already beating rapidly. The platoon leader walked at the front and turned to everyone, saying, "Keep the distance!" There was a small bridge ahead, with numerous craters and shrapnel of various shapes scattered everywhere. There were shells exploding around, as if they were about to hit me. A shell passed over my head and made a "hiss" sound. I quickly lay down, but in fact, the distance was far away. Afterwards, I felt a little flushed.
From left to right are the cloth used by veteran Xu Niankui to wrap his gun, the homemade spoon, the rope from the captured US military parachute, and the commemorative cup
After entering the court, I often wrote letters to my mother at first, telling her the good news of our victory in eliminating the enemy. Later on, communication was not very smooth for a while, and I was injured again. I didn't write to my mother for a while, and she went around asking if I had sacrificed myself. It wasn't until I recovered from my injury and my mother received my commendation that she finally felt relieved.
It should be said that when I first entered the battlefield, I was a bit scared. But after several battles, he quickly became brave and strong.
Often at dawn, enemy artillery reconnaissance planes fly over the sky, overlooking our position, and only give up at night. As long as someone takes action, no matter how much; With cars moving around, no matter what, they immediately command artillery to shoot and occasionally engage in blockade shelling. The sound of bombs, shells, and infantry weapons is very harsh. Over time, we also got used to it, and for a few days there was no longer a loud explosion, but instead we found it strange.
Although life on the battlefield is bitter, it is still glorious
We haven't eaten fresh vegetables once in two years. The enemy reconnaissance plane saw smoke and commanded artillery fire, so we had to wait until it was dark before cooking. Many people suffer from night blindness, and it is common to chew on compressed biscuits. It is also common to crawl and play in mud and ditches.
In late October, it is still late autumn in the southern part of our country, and North Korea has already seen heavy snowfall. The land of North Korea is riddled with bullet marks and devastation. Enemy planes launched day and night airstrikes, bombarding indiscriminately. During the day, personnel and vehicles should not be exposed; At night, any lights need to be concealed, making it very difficult for marching and transportation.
The weather is getting colder, and the battlefield conditions are becoming more difficult. On the morning of December 31, 1951, 11 American tanks suddenly approached the open area at the forefront of our infantry, set up their positions, and quickly fired densely at the forefront and observation points of our infantry. The on duty observer and I calculated the target direction, distance, height, and fired at the tank.
The shell exploded between the tanks, and while we were further adjusting the impact point, suddenly a tank shell hit the observation port. With a loud bang, black smoke and gunpowder choked me, and I was knocked unconscious. A few seconds later, I woke up and touched my head. There was no blood, only black gunpowder and dust. Looking down, a white cotton ball appeared on my right shoulder, and I knew I had been injured. Looking at the observer next to him, shrapnel embedded in his head, blood streaming down his spine, he remained motionless and had already sacrificed himself.
The battalion commander called, praising our good shelling and asking me to go to the rear to recuperate. I said that the shrapnel only injured my skin and flesh, not my bones, so there was no need to go to the rear to recuperate, so I continued to assist the platoon leader in commanding at the observation post. I remember receiving a pension of 7.5 yuan according to regulations at that time, and after three weeks of recovery, I still have a glorious scar near my shoulder.
The fighting life in North Korea is quite difficult, but none of us take it to heart. Our emotions are always full and our fighting spirit is very strong. At that time, chopsticks were easy to lose, so we used a cannon barrel to knock out a spoon for eating. Although it is no longer used now, seeing it will evoke many beautiful memories of our comrades in arms.
We also enjoy beautiful and melodious Korean songs. During combat breaks, we gather lyrics and sing them according to the simplified notation. Then, we annotate the Korean language according to the Chinese pronunciation and learn to sing. We also ask our Korean compatriots to correct us! Whenever the enemy is eliminated and a difficult task is completed, everyone sings, dances, and cheers. It is precisely because we endure hardship in North Korea that the people of our motherland can live a peaceful and prosperous life. Therefore, we take pleasure in hardship, even though it may be bitter.
The People Behind Victory
When I entered North Korea to fight, the Volunteer Army had already fought five battles. The morale of the American army was low, and they only relied on their own weapons and equipment for defense. In the summer of 1952, especially after the Battle of Shangganling, our morale grew higher and we gained the initiative on the battlefield.
Finally, the ceasefire agreement was signed on the morning of July 27, 1953, but it did not officially take effect until the evening. We know that the enemy loves to play tricks the most, so during this period, we still need to be 100 times more vigilant and prepare to eliminate the enemy. At that time, the enemy was still harassing our army from time to time at the forefront, machine guns were strafing aimlessly towards our positions, shells were occasionally hitting us, planes were transporting and dropping bombs one at a time... We were very careful to squat in the tunnel, letting them go crazy, and only fired a few shots when the threat to us was too great, to make them calm down. Until one minute before the ceasefire agreement came into effect, the US military continued to bombard our positions indiscriminately.
At 9 pm Beijing time, the agreement officially came into effect, and the sound of gunfire and aircraft roaring on the entire North Korean battlefield came to an abrupt end. We all walked out of the tunnel, and the front mountain was filled with people. On the opposite mountain, the enemy also walked out. Looking at each other, I wonder what it feels like to be together? The next day, we held a battlefield party with infantry on a slightly larger flat ground on the front mountain, using white sheets to pull up a banner. We also sent people to the enemy to invite them to participate. But they dare not come, as if they are particularly afraid.
Later, I returned to my dear motherland with pain. But many comrades in arms, with love for the people and hatred for the enemy, sacrificed heroically and slept in a foreign land. Whenever I think of my fallen comrades, my heart is filled with immense sorrow. This year marks the 70th anniversary of the victory of the Korean War, and the first thing that comes to my mind is them. We old comrades are all old, but our revolutionary will cannot decline. We must have a firm political stance, constantly new ideas, and eternal ideals.
Sacrificed comrades will endure forever!
