China News Service, Beijing, March 26th: Title: Three Generations of Zhu Dan in Huangpu: Collecting the History of Veterans for Many Years to Disseminate and Inherit the Spirit of Huangpu
China News Service reporter Li Hang and Wang Chao
"In the future, I will keep writing and narrate history from the perspective of ordinary people." Zhu Dan, a professor at Zhejiang University of Finance and Economics, said in a recent interview with a reporter from China News Service that the most important thing about the Huangpu spirit is patriotism, and she will continue the Huangpu spirit in her own way. .
Zhu Dan was interviewed at Zhejiang University of Finance and Economics recently. Photo by Wang Chao
Zhu Dan mainly teaches "Compendium of Modern Chinese History" and has long been engaged in research on students from the Huangpu Military Academy in Zhejiang. Zhu Dan's grandfather is named Zou Weishi. Zhu Dan has lived with his grandfather since he was a child and has a deep impression on him.
"The first impression I have of my grandpa is that he is very tall. He has a nickname called 'Long Pole'; the second is that he has a very elegant temperament; and the third is that he reads "Reference News" and learns about the outside world through "Reference News"."
It wasn't until college that Zhu Dan accidentally learned that his grandfather Zou Weishi was a graduate of the Whampoa Military Academy. Before this, Zhu Dan’s family had never disclosed her grandfather’s military school experience to her. Unfortunately, Mr. Zou Weishi had passed away at this time, and Zhu Dan did not have the opportunity to hear his grandfather tell his story in person. Later, through his uncle's narration, Zhu Dan gradually understood this dusty past.
Huangpu entrance photo of Zou Weishi. Photo provided by interviewee
In 1940, Zou Weishi, who was only 20 years old, passed the Whampoa Military Academy and became the 17th infantry cadet. After receiving military education at Huangpu Military Academy for one and a half years, Zou Weishi graduated in 1941 and joined the Anti-Japanese War. According to Zhu Dan, since the front line is in urgent need of officers with military training, the 16th and 17th batches of Whampoa Military Academy have the largest number of students.
After the outbreak of the Pacific War, China, the United States, Britain and other countries established a military alliance to jointly fight against Japan. Zou Weishi was selected and became a member of the Chinese Expeditionary Force and was sent to Burma to fight against the Japanese army.
"Once when he was riding in a car, he heard the sound of a bomb being dropped from an airplane. He immediately opened the door and jumped out. When he jumped out, the car in front of him was filled with British officers, and it exploded on the spot. Another time, The plane was hovering over his head, chasing him, and he was hiding around a tree without being killed." According to Zhu Dan, when his grandfather went abroad to fight as an expeditionary force, he faced several thrilling life-and-death moments. , and even went to "Savage Mountain", but because of his bravery and cautiousness, he finally returned to his motherland after narrowly escaping death.
Because of his status as a descendant of Huangpu, Zhu Dan has a strong interest in the history of Huangpu. After joining the work, Zhu Dan continued to collect and organize historical materials related to Huangpu Military Academy. Starting in 2011, Zhu Dan spent more than three years interviewing more than 50 Huangpu veterans to review the history of the Anti-Japanese War and military academy life in the form of oral history.
"These veterans never regard me as an outsider. They regard me as their own granddaughter or granddaughter. They talk to me about their experiences with confidence. They also say that they are welcome to come at any time, and sometimes they even take the initiative to send me news." Zhu Dan He said that most of these veterans were over a hundred years old, but they were all amiable. Especially after hearing that Zhu Dan was from the third generation of Huangpu, they regarded her as a relative.
Zhu Dan visits Huangpu veteran Bao Tianyi. Photo provided by interviewee
In the process of visiting veterans, Zhu Dan also met many volunteers who care for veterans. There are many descendants of Huangpu and Anti-Japanese War veterans among these volunteers. Zhu Dan established a deep friendship with the volunteers. With their help, Zhu Dan was able to find veterans scattered around the country and solve the problem of poor communication in dialects.
In 2015, Zhu Dan compiled and published the materials, documents, and oral histories collected during the visit into a book titled "Weak Crowns and Captives Ask for Long Tassels—A Study on the Oral History of the Anti-Japanese War by Whampoa Military Academy Students." The book mainly tells the stories of Huangpu veterans, reflects the spirit of Huangpu, corresponds to the background of major social events, and explores history from a micro perspective.
After the reform and opening up, the channels for dialogue between the two sides of the Taiwan Strait became more and more open, and many descendants of Huangpu came from Taiwan to the mainland to visit relatives. Zhu Dan told a story about accompanying Taiwanese compatriots to visit the site of the Battle of Dachen Island: On one side of the memorial wall on the island are the names of the PLA officers and soldiers who died, and on the other side are the names of the Kuomintang officers and soldiers who died in the battle. "A second-generation Huangpu man who was visiting at the time was very surprised when he saw it. He took a photo and sent it to his relatives and friends in Taiwan. The Taiwanese relatives and friends lamented that the Communist Party still respects history very much and seeks truth from facts." Zhu Dan said that this kind of The transmission of information also makes a positive contribution to cross-strait communication every step of the way. As the third generation of Huangpu, she will continue to perpetuate the spirit of Huangpu in her own way. (over)