Looking for the remains of the volunteers' father for 60 years

Captain Gu Xi and his father "meet in the air"

  On January 9th, Chen Dezhi, the former captain of China Southern Airlines, was in the studio of Lin Yuhui, Jinan's "Magic Pen Police Detective", in the studio of Lin Yuhui, who had drawn Lin Yuhui's father for a long time.

"Father, where are you loyal?" This question has been haunting Chen Dezhi since he can remember.

He secretly made up his mind: In this life, he must find the remains of his father who died in the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea, and let his soul return to his hometown.

  After 60 years of hard searching, Chen Dezhi finally found the place where his father's loyal bones were buried, and he also asked someone to draw a picture of his father when he was young.

After sixty years of searching for his father, Chen Dezhi had a particularly difficult journey.

But in the process, he was touched, and he also gained friendship.

  Text, picture/Guangzhou Daily full media reporter Xiao Huanhuan, intern Wu Dishi

  Chen Dezhi is a native of Xiangyang, Hubei. He was elected as an honorable pilot in 1969 and joined the Civil Aviation Administration of Guangzhou (the predecessor of China Southern Airlines). Before his retirement, he was assistant general manager and senior captain of China Southern Airlines.

In the past 60 years, he has never given up on one thing: looking for the volunteer father who died on the Korean battlefield.

  He inherited his father’s will to join the army

  When the Korean War broke out in 1950, the Chinese People's Volunteers marched to Korea. Chen Dezhi's father, Chen Daoyou, was a soldier who died on the Korean battlefield.

The time recorded on the Martyr Card showed that Chen Daoyou participated in the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea in May 1951 and died on the battlefield on March 9, 1952. His life was fixed at the age of 23.

When Chen Daoyou died, Chen Dezhi was a 9-month-old baby when his sister was only two years old.

  Chen Dezhi also learned some details from his aunt about his father's participation in the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea.

"Our family was poor back then. Although my father was born in the countryside, he was very patriotic. He was the only male in the family at that time. My grandparents died early. After the war broke out, my father signed up for the battle without saying anything. "

  Chen Dezhi said that his mother had never mentioned his father before him.

But since he was a child, he found that he was different from other children. "When I started to be sensible at the age of five or six, I saw that there was a martyred honor card hung up in our house, but no one else’s door. At the time, I didn’t even go to school and could not read. Mom told me, and I’ll know when I’m older. Later, my neighbor told me that my father had died on the Korean battlefield."

  Chen Dezhi said that although he had never seen his father, from the bottom of his heart, he was proud of his father, because his father was a hero who defended his family and the country.

But without the company of his father, when encountering difficulties and setbacks, Chen Dezhi will miss his father more deeply.

"I envy the children in the village, they all have fathers."

  In 1968, Chen Dezhi inherited his father's will and signed up to join the army, which made him feel that he was closer to his father.

"I was already working as a purchaser in a supply and marketing agency, which was very popular at the time. I signed up with my mother behind my back. I knew she would not agree if I discussed it with her. When my mother knew the news, She was very sad, because my father just joined the frontline as a soldier and never returned, and his only son signed up for the soldier again. My mother was really scared in her heart, and she was really reluctant to give up."

  One year after Chen Dezhi joined the army, he passed the military's political trial in 1969. He became a pilot and joined the Civil Aviation Administration of Guangzhou (the predecessor of China Southern Airlines).

Later, he became an assistant general manager and senior captain of China Southern Airlines Co., Ltd.

  Sixty years of struggling to find a father

  Chen Dezhi said frankly that his father did not leave any images when he was alive, and he has no way to pay attention to his father's legacy.

But the blood is thicker than water, so Chen Dezhi made a vow to find his father.

After joining the work, Chen Dezhi's idea became even stronger.

"Even if you can't find the remains, you have to go to North Korea to find the place where your father sacrificed, visit him and worship him." Because North Korea's tourism was not open before, Chen Dezhi has been unable to fulfill this wish.

After retiring in 2011, Chen Dezhi devoted all his energy to finding his father's whereabouts.

  In 2018, Chen Dezhi applied for a visa to North Korea to find his father.

Because the back of the father's martyrs certificate records the place where his father died.

In July 2018, he found his father's sacrifice in Kaesong. At the Kaesong Volunteer Army Martyrs Cemetery, Chen Dezhi presented flowers to the volunteers.

It is written on the famous wall where more than 15,000 martyrs are buried, but there are actually only 10084 martyrs on the famous wall, and there are more than 5,000 martyrs whose names cannot be confirmed because of the long time.

Chen Dezhi carefully searched for his father's name on the wall of British names, but he regretted that he did not find it.

  After kneeling down, Chen Dezhi spilled the wine he was going to bring to his father in front of the long wall of heroes.

Then he poured the soil he had brought from Guangzhou on the grave where the martyrs were buried together. He grabbed two more soils from the grave and put them in a bottle and took them home.

  Over the years, Chen Dezhi has successively found a batch of descendants of volunteer martyrs through various channels. Everyone communicates with each other and hopes that one day they can find the remains of their parents.

Chen Dezhi said that it is not easy to find the descendants and relatives of these martyrs, but it is even more difficult to help them find the burial place of their parents.

  Finally found his father in the country

  Although no tombstone and remains of his father were found in North Korea, Chen Dezhi did not give up.

You can find his heroic deeds by typing in the name of Daoyou Chen on the Chinese Martyrs website.

After joining the army, Chen Daoyou won a prize for his bravery in combat. During the battle in the three counties, he picked up a grenade thrown by the US army and died while fighting back.

"Maybe he was bombed so that his body was incomplete, so there was no way to confirm his identity. As a result, his name was not on the wall of the hero."

  After returning to China, Chen Dezhi went to the Martyrs Cemetery in the northeast to inquire about his father's whereabouts many times, but he would not let go of any clue.

He has always had a belief: no matter how hard it is, no matter how hard he eats, he must find his father.

The effort paid off. Chen Dezhi later learned that there was a cemetery for the martyrs in Shenyang to resist US aggression and aid Korea, and through consultation with friends, he confirmed that the name of his father Chen Daoyou was on the wall of martyrs' fame.

At this point, Chen Dezhi's search finally has definite clues.

  At the end of 2018, Chen Dezhi and his wife came to the Shenyang Anti-US Aid Korea Martyrs Cemetery to "meet" with their father.

Early that morning, Chen Dezhi put on a brand new pilot uniform.

"For me, this is the most important and longing day in my life, and I look forward to 68 years. It is my life's dream to see my father. I wear this dress to show my father. His son is a glorious pilot. He didn't shame him and didn't shame his fame. I believe my father will be happy for me."

  Chen Dezhi finally found his father on the wall of 190,000 martyrs' names. He gently stroked his father's name on the wall of heroes.

A 68-year-old man, who had never called his father before, yelled "Dad" timidly, and then wailed loudly.

  Chen Dezhi knelt in front of the Wall of Heroes for a long time. He hadn't seen his father in 1968. He had too much to say to his father.

"Dad, mom, and sister have all passed away, and we are the only one in this world in our family." The 68 years of yearning suppressed in his heart echoed over the Martyrs Cemetery.

  Considering that my father has been away from home for many years, the couple also specially prepared special products from the hometown. "If my mother is still alive and knows that I have found my father, then she should be so happy."

  Chen Dezhi's wife said that her husband dreamed of his father knocking on his door countless times, and many times, he cried and wet the pillow towel in his sleep.

"After finding his father's burial site, he was much calmer."

  "Superior Pen Detective" meets my wish

  Although he found his father's trace, Chen Dezhi still has a wish. He hopes to have a photo of his father for him to pay his respects and pay his respects.

Just recently, Lin Yuhui, a well-known domestic "magic pen police detective", realized his dream.

  Before his retirement, Lin Yuhui was a senior engineer in the Audiovisual Room of the Material Evidence Appraisal Center of the Shandong Provincial Public Security Department, and has provided critical technical support for dozens of major and serious cases.

After retiring, Lin Yuhui, in addition to assisting the police in handling the case, has another wish-to provide free portraits of 100 revolutionary martyrs.

After being recommended by friends around him, Chen Dezhi approached Lin Yuhui and expressed his wish-a portrait of his father Chen Daoyou.

Knowing that Chen Dezhi had been looking for his father for the past 60 years, Lin Yuhui was deeply moved and readily agreed.

  But Chen Dezhi does not have a photo of his father, and the portrait is extremely difficult.

Lin Yuhui asked Chen Dezhi to find photos of himself when he was young, as well as photos of other members of the family, and to find Chen Dezhi's aunt to introduce Chen Daoyou.

After several nights of conceiving and revising, the portrait was finally drawn.

On January 9, 2021, Chen Dezhi flew from Guangzhou to Jinan to meet his father's portrait.

After getting the portrait, Chen Dezhi quickly connected with his aunt in Hubei.

Chen Dezhi's aunt is over 80 years old and is the only living person who has seen his father's face.

Facing the lifelike father in the portrait, Chen Dezhi cried with joy: "Father, it's been 70 years. Today my son finally saw you."

  Chen Dezhi said with emotion that his long-cherished wish was finally realized with the help of kind people.

"I can proudly tell my father: For 70 years, I have been using your fame to spur myself, and I am proud of you."