Some of the founding fathers remained in the military, while others went on to new positions and contributed to the construction and development of the new China. For various reasons, the life of each of these men has been different. For example, the vice-chairman of the Military Commission, basically by the founding marshals, the founding generals can assume this important role of only a few, but the founding of the lieutenant generals there is one, he is Zhang Zhen general.
Zhang Zhen was born in 1914 in Pingjiang, Hunan Province, a famous revolutionary shrine in Hunan Province, where several important historical events of the modern history of the party took place, and the people of Pingjiang made great sacrifices for the cause of the revolution. The reason why the people here are so devoted to the revolution and support the Red Army is that under the leadership of the Red Army, the poor people of Pingjiang have become the masters of the land in the peasant movement, and their living conditions have changed drastically.
The life of the peasants, who were oppressed by landlords and feudal bureaucrats, was so poor that we can see a glimpse of Zhang Zhen's life. Zhang Zhen, whose family name was Wu, was the fourth child in the family, and the arrival of this baby added not joy but increasing pressure to the family.
At first, the family could barely make ends meet with the little food they had and the wild vegetables they picked. A few months after Zhang Zhen's birth, his father became seriously ill, and the family couldn't afford to buy any medication, so they could only watch his father die from his illness. The death of his father was not only a great grief for his family, but also the collapse of the pillar of the family. The three older children were fine, but mainly the youngest son, who was still in his infancy. In order to keep him alive, his mother gave him to Gomer Zhang Jilun, who later named his stepson Zhang Jisheng. The name "Zhang Zhen" was changed later.
The adoptive parents did not have their own children, has always treated him like his own, to the age of six, but also sent him to the school for him to study. During his middle school years, Zhang Zhen's hometown witnessed important historical events such as the Autumn Harvest Uprising and the Pingjiang Uprising.
In school, Zhang Zhen read a lot of progressive books and magazines, and had a certain desire for the revolutionary cause. The several uprisings in his hometown made him decide to give up his pen and become a pioneer of the revolutionary path. In 1930, at the age of 16, Zhang Zhen got his wish and became a soldier of the Red Army.
Most of the soldiers and officers of the Red Army were poor peasants, and their poor family situation prevented them from pursuing their education. The new soldiers enrolled in the army, Zhang Zhen can be regarded as a big intellectual, the superiors understand his situation, he was transferred to the propaganda team, and later also rose to the red division of the 1st regiment of propaganda captain.
At this time, Zhang Zhen's main job is to engage in propaganda, but in the front line troops, soldiers fighting is inevitable. A few years down the line, Zhang Zhen also became a battle-hardened Red Army grass-roots commanders. After the outbreak of the war, Zhang Zhen became the chief of staff of the guerrilla detachment of the New Fourth Army, the detachment commander and political commissar is the New Fourth Army famous general Peng Xuefeng.
The two men have similar personalities and work very well together, which makes them a very good partner. Under the leadership of the two men, the guerrilla detachment has gradually grown in strength, and its number has been reorganized several times, and it has been reorganized into the Fourth Division of the New Fourth Army after the Anhui Incident.
The fighting strength of the fourth division is good, but the guerrilla area is located in the northern plains of Henan, the vast fields are very conducive to cavalry combat, the fourth division due to the lack of cavalry ate a big loss. Later, Mr. Peng discussed with Mr. Zhang Zhen and spent a lot of money and effort to create his own cavalry regiment.
Later, the cavalry regiment became one of the four divisions' winning assets, and the Japanese army did not eat a lot of losses of the four divisions' cavalry regiments. Unfortunately, Zhang Zhen's right-hand man, Peng Xuefeng, did not wait for the day of victory in the war, and died in September 1944 in the battle of Bali Zhuang.
The sacrifice of Peng's division commander is not only heartbreaking for Zhang Zhen, but also a major loss for the New Fourth Army. Guns and bullets on the battlefield have no eyes, Zhang Zhen was also wounded many times, but fortunately did not hit the vitals.
During a battle in February 1945, Zhang Zhen, who was visiting the front line, was observing the enemy with binoculars when his right arm was struck by a stray bullet, and blood flowed immediately. In order not to affect the morale, Zhang Zhen only let the hygienist stop the bleeding and bandage, and insisted on the end of the battle before going to the hospital.
The warhead requires surgery to remove, at this time has entered the period of the great counter-offensive, the war, Zhang Zhen as the main commander, the troops can not leave him. So he did not operate to take the warhead, but returned to the front line to direct the battle.
The warhead stayed in his body for more than eight years, until 1953, once Zhang Zhen went to inspect the work of the accident, hospitalized, the doctor found the warhead on his body check, it took out. Soon Zhang Zhen will be the warhead to his wife, said: "Leave it to the children, this is our family's 'heirloom' after.
In 1955, Zhang Zhen was awarded the Founding Lieutenant General, and since then has served as Minister of the War Department of the Military Commission, the President of the Nanjing Military Academy, and later became deputy commander of the Wuhan Military Region, but to the special era, Zhang Zhen has been retired to the second line.
In 1975, Deng Gong resumed his work, in his proposal, Zhang Zhen was re-activated, responsible for the work of the General Logistics Department, soon appointed as Deputy Chief of General Staff, that is, to cultivate a lot of outstanding military talents of the National Defense University, is also his hand in organizing, and he is still the first president of the University.
At this time, Zhang felt that he was too old, should give up the post to the more talented young people, but his application for retirement has not been approved, but the position is more and more high, in the 90s was also elected as Vice Chairman of the Military Commission.
The old general had a life of military service, and in his later years his achievements were brilliant, and his sons and daughters had such a good father as a pointing lamp in their lives, and they all developed well. Four sons are generals, son-in-law Shou Xiaosong is also a major general, plus the old general, their family **** out of six generals, can be really remarkable.
September 3, 2015, is the 70th anniversary of the victory of anti-fascism, this day also held a military parade, in this important day, Zhang Lao left us forever, the end of the meritorious and glittering life at the age of 101 years.