Remembering the heroic feats and engraving an immortal monument
Our reporter Liu Botong and Li Zhuoer "People's Daily" (version 05 on September 4, 2021)
"Thank you for sending the heroes back to the motherland. The iron and blood is still there today, and the mountains and rivers are intact. Pay tribute to the Chinese People's Volunteers!"
"In the Prosperous China, the heroes go home and pay tribute to the volunteers. The people's heroes will be immortal!"
This is a conversation with the airport tower on September 2 when the special plane that took the volunteer martyrs home flew to Shenyang Taoxian International Airport in Liaoning.
At 11 o'clock in the morning, two air force escort fighters pulled smoke through the field at low altitude, and the special plane that took the volunteer martyrs home landed. The "water gate" was set up on the apron to welcome the heroes to return home with the highest courtesy.
Leaving the family is still a young man, and returning is already a body to serve the country.
At this moment, under the promotion of the Ministry of Veterans Affairs and other relevant military and local departments, the eighth batch of 109 remains of the Chinese People’s Volunteers in South Korea and 1,226 relics returned to the embrace of the motherland.
Welcoming the remains of Volunteer soldiers returning home
On the morning of September 3, the burial ceremony of 109 martyrs of the Chinese People's Volunteers in South Korea was held in the cemetery of the martyrs in Shenyang.
Verdant vegetation, shaded by pines and cypresses.
In the cemetery, bright five-star red flags were planted next to the tombstones of every martyr.
The monument to the martyrs is towering and tall, and the yellow and white chrysanthemums are neatly placed under the ring-shaped wall of the famous martyrs.
"Why is the war banner so beautiful that the blood of heroes stained her..." During the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea, more than 197,000 sons and daughters of heroes gave their precious lives for the motherland, for the people, and for peace.
At that time, most of the volunteer martyrs were buried directly on the spot, except for a few who were transported back to the country for burial.
For more than half a century, the motherland has never forgotten the heroic sons and daughters of foreign countries. With the great attention of the party and the government, finding and burying the remains of the volunteers has become an important task.
Since 2014, China and South Korea have reached a consensus on the return of the remains of the Chinese People's Volunteers in South Korea, and each year the newly unearthed remains and relics of the Chinese People's Volunteers in Korea will be shipped back to China in batches.
The first batch of 437, the second batch of 68, the third batch of 36...As of now, my country has welcomed 8 batches of 825 volunteers in Korea to return home for 8 consecutive years.
According to reports, in the face of the new situation with tight preparation time and more complicated epidemic prevention and control situation this year, the Veterans Affairs Department mobilized its capable forces and, together with relevant departments, formed a remains handover delegation to South Korea to carry out the remains handover task, and strictly implemented epidemic prevention and control measures. To ensure the smooth progress of the event.
"This year marks the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China. The Ministry of Veterans Affairs, together with relevant military and local departments, ceremoniously welcomes the burial of the eighth batch of volunteer martyrs in South Korea, demonstrating the image of a century-old party, continuing the party's red genes, and promoting the great spirit of resisting U.S. aggression and aid to Korea." Sun Shaocheng, Secretary of the Party Leadership Group and Minister of the Military Affairs Department, said: “In the next step, we will thoroughly implement General Secretary Jinping’s important expositions on the work of veterans, deepen the commemoration of martyrs, continue to do a good job in the burial of the remains of the Korean Volunteers, and strengthen the volunteers. The identification and protection of the remains of martyrs and the sorting and research of historical materials of the relics have further created a strong social atmosphere that cherishes the memory of heroes and honors heroes."
Help more volunteer martyrs find their relatives as soon as possible
In 2020, the seventh batch of 117 martyrs from the Korean Volunteer Army returned home for burial.
Finding relatives of martyrs is an important task of the Ministry of Veterans Affairs.
The sons of the martyrs Zhan Zhizhong, Zhan Chaoming and Zhan Chaoyu, are both over the past few years. They were thrilled after hearing the news of the search for their relatives and accepting the DNA comparison.
"Due to the age, it is difficult to inquire information; the descendants of martyrs are relatively distant and difficult to identify and compare; the remains of martyrs are damaged by environmental factors and DNA extraction is difficult. Many heroes and martyrs have not yet found their lost relatives." Li Zhongshui, director of the Martyrs Memorial Facilities Protection Center (Martyrs' Remains Search and Appraisal Center) of the Ministry of Affairs, introduced.
How to find relatives for these martyrs?
In recent years, the Ministry of Veterans Affairs has taken the improvement of the basic information database as a starting point, guided the retired military affairs departments of various regions to sort out the basics, establish and improve the information database, and gradually realize the dynamic information management of the data of martyrs, martyrs and martyrs; The relics of the martyrs were counted and sorted out, and all the electronic files were established; the system for the identification of martyrs' relatives and the remains of martyrs was formulated successively, and the “Government Public Service Platform for Martyrs' Retrieval” was launched online to do everything possible to find more relatives of volunteer martyrs.
"When my parents were alive, they always wanted to find Grandpa, but they had no clue. If the party and the government didn't give up, they might never find it." Knowing that the remains of Liang Baiyou have been transported back to the motherland for burial, the martyr's My grandnephew was very excited.
There was no seal that could clarify the identity of the martyr Liang Baiyou's remains, which made it more difficult to find relatives.
The staff searched for relevant historical materials and files. Based on information such as the time of sacrifice and the location where the remains were excavated, it was discovered that the Martyr Liang Baiyou might be the victim of the site where the remains were excavated, and the identity of the martyr was finally confirmed through DNA comparison.
According to the staff of the Gansu Provincial Veterans Affairs Department, they have been releasing information and looking for clues after learning that Liang Baiyou was born in Gansu.
After unremitting efforts, the relatives were finally found.
According to reports, this method of arranging and conducting identification and analysis based on historical clues such as the place where the martyrs were sacrificed, the location of their remains, and other historical data has achieved a major breakthrough, and has accumulated experience for future identification and comparison of martyrs' remains and family tracing.
“In the next step, we will also collect and excavate rescue information from the relatives of volunteer martyrs who died in South Korea, so that they can be compared at any time after we welcome back the remains of the volunteer martyrs.” Li Zhongshui said, “As the work continues to deepen, we will More unknown martyrs have become famous martyrs."
Respect the heroes and promote the righteousness
"Mountains and rivers remember the heroes returning home", on the streets of Shenyang on September 2, citizens spontaneously waited on both sides of the road, holding up banners to pay tribute to the convoy escorting the remains of volunteer martyrs.
The city’s outdoor electronic screens simultaneously broadcast slogans such as "Salute to the cutest person" to welcome the heroes to return to China.
The loyal soul is not obliterated, and the mighty spirit will last forever.
The Chinese nation has always admired and admired heroes.
The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress legislated September 30 as the Martyrs' Memorial Day. On this day, martyrs' memorial ceremonies are generally held everywhere to commemorate the memory of revolutionary martyrs.
The red education position of the memorial facilities for martyrs has been intensified to carry forward the revolutionary tradition and continue the red gene.
The "Law of the People's Republic of China on the Protection of Heroes and Martyrs" was formally implemented on May 1, 2018, and the legal rights and interests of heroes and martyrs' survivors have been vigorously protected.
Activities such as the deeds of revolutionary martyrs entering the classroom and campus continue to develop, and the atmosphere of advocating heroes, defending heroes, learning heroes, and caring for heroes is becoming stronger.
Revision of the "Regulations on Commendation of Martyrs" to incorporate the protection of heroes and martyrs into the party and state meritorious commendation system; the introduction of the "Overall Work Plan for the Planning, Construction, Repair, Management and Maintenance of Martyrs Memorial Facilities" and other documents to provide instructions for the protection and management of martyrs' memorial facilities in the new era Orientation; use the new version of the Martyrs Honor Certificate to play the role of praise and commemoration; grandly welcome back the remains of the Korean Volunteers, so that the martyrs will lie in the arms of the motherland... The atmosphere of caring for and respecting the heroes in the whole society is becoming stronger.
In early autumn, Dandong, Liaoning, was breezy.
This place has witnessed the historical moment when the Chinese People's Volunteers "brought over the Yalu River with brilliance and spirit."
On September 1, the theme of the "first lesson of school" of Grade 5 of Grade 6 of Dandong Experimental Primary School was "Heroic City Talking Hero".
The students sat neatly in the classroom, listening to the heroic stories told by volunteers at the Memorial Hall of Anti-U.S. Aid Korea in Dandong City, and the teacher led the students to understand this period of history in the form of pictures and videos, and inherit the great spirit of resisting U.S. Aid Korea.
"I am very proud of growing up in the heroic city of Dandong." said Yao Zhicheng, a sixth-grade student of Dandong Experimental Primary School.
The heaven and the earth are heroic, and the ages are still awe-inspiring.
The best commemoration for the revolutionary martyrs is to carry forward their spirit, go forward courageously, and continue to struggle.
In a training field in the Northwest Plateau, there was a hint of coolness in the wind and sand. Qiu Shaoyun's army was organizing a live fire test of a new type of weapon.
Many officers and soldiers made their first hits and achieved ideal results.
The chief of staff of the unit, Wang Yue, said excitedly: “As a member of Qiu Shaoyun’s army before his death, it is our duty and mission to strengthen the plateau and strengthen the military. We must inherit and carry forward the great spirit of resisting U.S. aggression and aid Korea, and fulfilling the motherland and people. The mission given is to be the "Qiu Shaoyun" of the new era!"
Our reporter Liu Botong and Li Zhuoer