Meet you丨Through the war and the years, 88 veterans are "reunited" again...
Recently, such a "family portrait" of 88 people has attracted widespread attention. In the photo, they are all veterans of the Chinese People's Volunteers from Fuyang District, Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province. The oldest of the 88 elderly is 100 years old and the youngest There are also 85 years old.
This group photo is made by stitching together individual photos.
These veterans of the Volunteer Army wore the "70th Anniversary of the Chinese People's Volunteers' War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea" on their chests.
The initiator of this "big group photo" is Xue Yuhua, who is the person in charge of the "Fuyang District Volunteer Army Veterans Care Fund" project in Hangzhou.
On New Year's Day in 2021, with the support of the Veterans Affairs Bureau of Fuyang District, Hangzhou and the local Civil Affairs Bureau, the "Fuyang District Volunteer Army Veterans Care Fund" project was launched locally.
The old man on the screen is named Zhou Rongfu, a veteran of the Chinese People's Volunteers.
Every time the old man saw this big group photo before his life, he would talk about his experience on the Korean battlefield.
Xue Yuhua, the project leader of the "Fuyang District Volunteer Army Veterans Care Fund" project in Hangzhou City: There are twelve people in a class. In this shelter, after two bombs fell, he was the only one of the twelve people who came out alive.
The small black bag that the old man had kept beside him all his life was full of his treasures, and everything was tightly wrapped.
Xue Yuhua, the project leader of the "Fuyang District Volunteer Army Veterans Care Fund" project in Hangzhou: This is a top marksman's certificate, this is the 70th anniversary of the war to resist US aggression and aid Korea, and there is a commemorative badge.
Xue Yuhua, the project leader of the "Fuyang District Volunteer Army Veterans Care Fund" project in Hangzhou: He is in a wheelchair, and Mr. He will show them after filming. He just keeps smiling and saying yes .
The old man's smile at that time strengthened Xue Yuhua's thoughts.
Speaking of how he thought of taking a group photo for the veterans, Xue Yuhua told us that they have been interacting with these veterans since the "Fuyang District Volunteer Army Veterans Care Fund" project was launched locally.
After a visit in early October last year, he received feedback from some volunteers.
Xue Yuhua, the person in charge of the "Fuyang District Volunteer Army Veterans Care Fund" project in Hangzhou City: Because some veterans have two more commemorative medals in the past two years, one is the commemorative medal for the 70th anniversary of the (Chinese People's Volunteer Army) to resist US aggression and aid Korea (going abroad), and the other ( Glorious) at the party's 50th anniversary medal.
These two medals are like treasures to them. They are eager to put on military uniforms, hang these two medals together with the (previous) medals, and take this photo for their children and grandchildren.
The original plan was to take a photo of each person, but one day, Xue Yuhua suddenly had an idea to take a big group photo for everyone.
Xue Yuhua, project leader of the "Fuyang District Volunteer Army Veterans Care Fund" project in Hangzhou: They all have different (degrees) obstacles in their bodies, and they can't get together. Can they combine individual (photos) into a group photo by technical means.
Hanging this group photo at home, he can look at his comrades and old friends every day, and intuitively see that there are so many lovely people around us.
They also came back from the hail of bullets and the test of life and death, and they are by our side.
The mountains and rivers are safe, the family and the country are safe and the elderly heroes "gather" again
These volunteer veterans, each took a photo, and finally combined into a group photo.
Sounds like a big project.
After having this idea, Xue Yuhua successively contacted the two photography teams. Before the other party gave a clear answer, he received a call from He Rongfa, the former head of the photography and art department of Fuyang Daily.
Since the idea of "big group photo", Xue Yuhua has asked He Lao several times over the phone, but because He is 79 years old this year, Xue Yuhua was afraid that his body would not be able to bear it, so Xue Yuhua never thought about letting He Lao go out.
But after a night of thinking, Mr. He decided to do his best to cover all the tasks of pre-shooting and post-production.
He Rongfa, head of the photography and art department of Fuyang Daily: Retired, I take the salary paid by the state, and I should do something. It is very meaningful to do this.
Before the shooting, He Lao repeatedly thought, carefully planned, and drew this seat map.
He divided more than 80 people into five rows, with seventeen or eighteen seats in each row, and asked Xue Yuhua to arrange the seats according to the seat map.
After determining the position of each person, He Lao can pay attention to the angle when shooting.
After having the general framework, Xue Yuhua began to plan the clothes.
Xue Yuhua, the director of the "Fuyang District Volunteer Army Veterans Care Fund" project in Hangzhou: It is a costume, which is often used when shooting movies.
As soon as you look at this costume, you will know that this is the costume of the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea, which is easy for everyone to accept.
On October 25, 2021, the shooting work officially started. In order to complete the "big group photo", the volunteers successively traveled to 16 towns (streets) including Fuyang Xindeng, Wanshi, and Dongqiao, with a total travel distance of more than 1,000 kilometers.
In the process of shooting, this behind-the-scenes footage also attracted the attention of many people.
Volunteer veteran Wang Quanyuan was bedridden for more than a year due to illness. In order to complete the shooting, He Lao could only stand on a stool and look down.
In addition, several veterans were hospitalized due to illness, and the filming team could not enter. He Lao directed their families to complete the filming over and over again.
In order to make it easier for the family to understand, Mr. He also drew a schematic diagram of the shooting, guided patiently, and went back and forth more than a dozen times, just to take the most satisfactory photos for the veterans.
However, because the shooting conditions of each veteran are very different, the workload of post-production has also increased a lot.
He Rongfa, the former head of the photography and art department of Fuyang Daily: first adjust the proportions, the size of the person, the second adjust the color of the face, and then the color of the clothes.
I usually go out at 7:30 in the morning, and I come back to work until 12:00 at night. If I don’t go the next day, I will start at 5:00 (to take pictures).
After I finished this thing, I lay on the bed for more than half a month. Since I accepted this task, I want to take a good photo of this volunteer army. I will be successful, and I cannot discount it.
On December 5, 2021, this "big group photo" took more than 50 days and was finally completed.
The smoke of gunpowder dissipates and enjoys peace, don't forget the people of Wei
In this race against time, the original intention is not to let the veterans have regrets.
And when this photo was sent to the veterans, they cherished it very much.
This self-confident volunteer veteran who salutes everyone is called Fu Tuquan. At the age of 93 this year, he looks very energetic.
Since the clothes were photographed and posted, the old man often wears it on the street, with the "70th Anniversary of the Chinese People's Volunteers' War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea" on his chest.
The old man put the photo in the most conspicuous place in the house.
Zhang Ronggen, a veteran of the Volunteer Army, is 88 years old this year. He also put the photo at the door of his house, and he can see it every day when he goes in and out.
Zhang Ronggen, former coordinator of the anti-aircraft machine gun company of the 180th Regiment of the 60th Division of the 20th Army of the Chinese People's Volunteers: I am the twelfth in the second row in this photo. Several of my comrades were originally from the same class. This photo is very precious, like We went back to the past, back to the battlefield to resist U.S. aggression and aid Korea.
The old soldier Cheng Jinshang handed this photo to his grandson and asked him to keep it well.
Cheng Jinshang, the former anti-aircraft machine gun of the 29th Regiment of the 80th Division of the 27th Army of the Chinese People's Volunteers: He can pass it on, and he can (send) it to the museum to educate the next generation.
The grandmother that Xue Yuhua visited was the wife of a veteran of the Volunteer Army, Zhang Hongsheng. Not long ago, the old man Zhang Hongsheng passed away due to illness. Before leaving, he left an important entrustment to his son, marking the "70th Anniversary of the Chinese People's Volunteers' War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea". Give it to Xue Yuhua.
Xue Yuhua, the person in charge of the "Fuyang District Volunteer Army Veterans Care Fund" project in Hangzhou: On January 7, he received a number of items donated by veteran Zhang Hongsheng, one chapter, and a demobilization certificate.
Xue Yuhua told us that the scene before the old man left will never be forgotten in his life.
Xue Yuhua, the person in charge of the "Fuyang District Volunteer Army Veterans Care Fund" project in Hangzhou: He had no expression or movement at all when I was talking.
His son said, "Dad, what you said, these chapters will be handed over to them, and I will hand them over now."
I went up to him and told him that I would salute you before I leave today. I didn't expect that a hand would give me such a salute from the bed, and I couldn't hold back the tears.
Xue Yuhua, the person in charge of the "Fuyang District Volunteer Army Veterans Care Fund" project in Hangzhou: I am also a veteran. Although we have taken off our military uniforms, in fact, every retired soldier still retains that military spirit.
At that time, we held a belief that there should be no shortage of surviving veterans, and we should let them go (photo). Today, they exchanged their lives and blood, and cherish the current peace.
"Only by advocating heroes will there be heroes"
Seventy years after the battlefield, we will "get together" again in the old age.
The old heroes who have lived through nine deaths have hidden their merits and fame in the peaceful era.
Their departure filled Xue Yuhua with a sense of urgency.
Do not leave any regrets and do as much as possible for these heroes who defend their families and the country. Xue Yuhua has been talking about it all the time. He said, "Only by advocating heroes can heroes be born."
Currently, he is also working with volunteers to sort out the oral histories of old heroes.
The next step is to plan for the establishment of the Memorial Hall of Volunteer Soldiers to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea.
The veterans dedicated their most beautiful youth to the motherland and the people.
And this big group photo and the oral history that is being sorted out will record their youth, stories and heroic spirit, and pass it on forever.