Editor's note:
In 1924, Dr. Sun Yat-sen established the Whampoa Military Academy with the help of the Communist Party of China and the Soviet Union. The teachers and students of Huangpu made great achievements in the struggle against imperialism and feudalism, and in the struggle for national unity and independence, and made significant contributions to the Chinese revolution. On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Whampoa Military Academy, China News Service launched the 100-person oral history series "The Wind Rises in Whampoa" to search for 100 representative Whampoa alumni and descendants around the world, listen to the stories of the martyrs, and pursue the spirit of the ancestors, so as to better to unite the Chinese people at home and abroad to jointly contribute to the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and the complete reunification of the motherland.
As a second-term student of Huangpu Military Academy, Wang Yi participated in the First and Second Eastern Expeditions of the National Revolutionary Army and the Northern Expedition. In 1938, he served as the Administrative Inspector of the Ninth District of Guangdong and the Security Commander and Garrison Commander of Qiongya, presiding over military and political work. . In February 1939, the Japanese army invaded Qiong and Hainan fell. Wang Yi led his troops to fight against the Japanese invaders. During this period, the Kuomintang and the Communist Party of Qiongya cooperated, and Wang Yi supported the independent team of the 14th District of the Guangdong People's Anti-Japanese Self-Defense Corps led by Feng Baiju to resist Japan. After the victory of the Anti-Japanese War, Wang Yi was promoted to lieutenant general and entered the general class of the Army University for further studies.
In an exclusive interview with China News Service, Wang Yi's son Wang Zude said that at the critical moment of national survival, his father put national justice first. He put forward a slogan at the time: "Defend the land, it is the duty to defend the land. If you surrender, you will perish, but only by fighting can you survive." It had a positive impact on the cooperation between the Kuomintang and the Communist Party in Qiongya and mobilizing the people to rise up against Japan. 2024 is the 100th anniversary of the founding of Whampoa Military Academy. As a descendant of Whampoa, Wang Zude hopes that the spirit of Whampoa can be passed down.
Lin Shijie, Chen Yingqing and Fu Yuqun reported from Haikou
Editor in charge: [Luo Pan]