Jiangsu centenarians recalled eight ＂small soldiers＂ at home to celebrate Bayi.
On July 29th, a white-haired old man and his family sat around a table in the study room of Lianyungang Retirement Center for Retired Cadres in Jiangsu Military Region, solemn and pious. There is a white cake on the red wooden table in front of us, and the bright party flag and the number "92" painted on the cake show the unusual significance of this day.
The old man’s name is Zhang Kejing. He is 100 years old. He is an old soldier. This year, in order to celebrate the upcoming 92nd Army Day, he gathered all the children who had joined the army and exercised all over the country to spend a special "birthday" with them. (Correspondent Dong Hongwang, Fan Ting Zi Niu journalist Zhang Lingfei)
The 92nd Army Day
The younger generation rushed back from all over the country to celebrate.
Zhang Ke, who respects the elderly, was born in Bazhou, Hebei Province in April 1919. He joined the army in February 1939 and joined the party in 1942. In the 1960s, the old man came to Lianyungang with the army to settle down. He and his wife participated in War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, the War of Liberation and the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea, and dozens of military medals on his chest witnessed his glorious years. In 2014, his wife died unfortunately due to illness, and the elderly’s daily life was taken care of by their children in turn.
For the elderly people in Zhang Ke, the annual August 1st Army Day is a must. "Before the coming of the Army Day this year, my father wondered if he could call all his children to Lianyungang to celebrate this special festival with him." Zhang Lijun, the fifth son of Zhang Kejing, said.
The children of the old man came from all directions immediately after receiving the notice. "The elder sister is from Weihai, the eldest brother is from Qingdao, the second brother is from Xi ‘an, the third brother is from Suzhou, and the fourth brother, my sixth brother and I are all in Lianyungang. Let’s celebrate the 92nd Army Day with the old man."
Zhang Xiaoxia, the eldest daughter of Zhang Ke, told Zi Niu news reporter that there are seven brothers and sisters, she is the eldest daughter and the eldest, Zhang Guoqing is her eldest brother, Zhang Zhengping is her second brother, Zhang Haibin is her third brother, Zhang Yuejin is her fourth brother, Zhang Lijun is her fifth brother, and Zhang Mingming is her sixth brother. From 1965 to 1978, seven sisters were sent to the army for exercise by their parents. "My grandfather, grandfather and uncle are all the Eighth Route Army. My parents plus our brothers and sisters, my wife and the younger generation have been in the army for more than a dozen people." Zhang Xiaoxia said proudly. The emergency back, there are seven of their brothers and sisters, and granddaughter (Zhang Guoqing’s daughter) Zhang Na.
At 9: 30 in the morning, Zi Niu news reporter saw in the study room of the cadre’s rest home that a red banner was hung on one wall of the room: "Three generations of soldiers greet Bayi", and two tables were set in front of the banner. There was a big cake on the table, with a bright red flag painted on it and the number "92" below the red flag. Later, under the care of their children, the elderly people in Zhang Ke came to the study room to celebrate the August 1st Army Day in advance.
Although the old man’s language expression is not so clear, facing the camera, Zhang Ke smiled respectfully and told everyone slowly: "Our good life is given by the party! Long live communist party! Warmly congratulate the 92nd Army Day. "
Party age of 77 years
Both husband and wife were inspired by Bethune to study medicine to save lives.
The Zi Niu news reporter learned that after Zhang Kejing joined the army in 1939, he was sent to Bethune School in Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Military Region for study in the following year, and worked in the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Military Region after graduation. Zhang Kejing joined the Party in 1942.
What makes the elderly people in Zhang Ke proud is that his wife Liu Yan once worked with international friend Bethune, and he was once the first student of Bethune School. Influenced by Bethune’s spirit, the couple decided to learn medicine well and save more people. During the war years, their main job was to fight in the front line of rescue with gunfire, and countless comrades-in-arms regained their lives because of them.
"Yan Liu and I have been together for 70 years in the Spring and Autumn Period. Under the excellent situation of reform and opening up, our life has become sweeter. Whenever I recall that experience, I feel very emotional in my heart. " Zhang Ke respect for the elderly wrote in his memoirs.
Zhang Xiaoxia told Zi Niu news reporter that her mother Yan Liu (formerly known as Li Xiu) joined the army with her grandfather in 1938, because her grandfather was an administrator in the rear hospital of Jizhong Military Region, and her 13-year-old mother studied in the nursing training team of the military hospital after joining the army. In 1939, her mother met Bethune, and once Bethune said in a speech to medical staff, "It is necessary to rescue the wounded in the battlefield quickly. If the wounded are bandaged one minute earlier, the wounded will lose one minute of blood and their lives may be saved." Bethune’s speech has always been engraved on his mother’s mind. My mother worked hard to save the wounded in many battles later, and was not afraid of hardship and fatigue. She was repeatedly rated as a model worker.
70 years in the same boat
Love in the era of war
When it comes to his wife Yan Liu, the dignified expression of Zhang Ke’s respect for the elderly reveals a smile. He wrote in his memoirs: "In 1943, after I returned to the Jizhong Plain with the troops of the Ninth Division of Jizhong, I developed two abscesses because of frequent fighting, hard life and poor sanitary conditions. At that time, Li Xiu (later renamed Yan Liu), a female nurse who changed my dressing, was only seventeen or eighteen years old, with fine features, graceful figure and generous manners. Although she didn’t talk to each other when changing my dressing, I was deeply impressed by her thoughtful service. Since then, her figure has often emerged in my mind. "
After the victory of the Anti-Japanese War in 1945, Zhang Ke Jing and Yan Liu were introduced to establish a love relationship. In early 1946, they were married in Xigugang Village, Xidong, Tianjin.
With the needs of the war, the Jizhong Military Region established an independent field brigade, and Zhang Kejing was transferred to the health center directly under the brigade, and Yan Liu was also transferred to the institute. It’s a long way to March, sometimes marching hundreds of miles in one night. At that time, Yan Liu was pregnant with their first child. It had been four or five months, and her legs were swollen, but she still walked quickly and never left behind. In the later days, the couple fought with the army in the south and the north, sharing weal and woe and fighting side by side.
After the liberation of the whole country, on July 1, 1951, they crossed the Yalu River together to participate in the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea. In order to rescue the wounded on the Korean battlefield, the couple were not afraid of hardship or fatigue. Sometimes they took care of more than 20 wounded people by themselves, carried a stretcher through the enemy blockade and gave their lives to the party and the people until the war was won.
"Today’s victory is hard-won. I hope that young people will not forget history and the spirit of hard struggle because they live in peacetime." As he spoke, the old man’s voice choked: "I am very lucky, so many comrades have not seen the victory."
Self-improvement all his life
Wenchuan earthquake took the lead in donating money, living a simple life and having a strict family style.
After retiring, Zhang Kejing and his wife served as the director of the management committee and the old committee for 30 years. They were respected and respected, and each family had a family shortage, so the couple came forward to help solve it. Almost all the activities of the retirement home were planned and organized by the couple.
"After the Wenchuan earthquake, the old man took the lead in donating 2,000 yuan, and together with his wife, he sent a special party fee of 6,000 yuan, which made a good start for other comrades." Chen Yan, director of the retired cadres’ office, said, "In fact, for so many years, the elderly have been donating money to those in need every year, but they never like to leave their names."
"Parents are self-disciplined, and our education is very strict. At the annual family gathering, my father should read his own family style and family instructions before the younger generation, and give everyone a copy of his family style written by himself. Influenced by them, our brothers and sisters are very friendly, respect and love each other, and always have a grateful heart. " Zhang Kejing’s son Zhang Lijun said.
Write down with deep affection: "centenary military salute to the party"
Recently, among the elderly, Zi Niu journalists saw a corner of the study full of various honorary certificates of the elderly, while the old man’s desk was full of books and pen and ink. The old man said that he wanted to present gifts to the party and the people’s army in a special way. After that, the old man picked up a writing brush, dipped it in ink, and wrote the seven characters "Centennial military salute to the party" on the paper. Calligraphy is vigorous and powerful, and it has a good demeanor.
回顾战争年代的经历，完全可以用“九死一生”来形容。而这个戎马大半生的军人，却在离休后做出了一个“文绉绉”的决定：每天练习毛笔字，把传统文化传承下去。
他的儿子张立军经常感慨：“开始以为父亲这项爱好只是突发奇想，没想到他坚持这项兴趣爱好近40年了，直到100岁热情仍不见消退，每天都坚持练两小时。”除了练字，老人的国画也是炉火纯青，一幅《芦雁飞鸣食宿图》惟妙惟肖，十分生动。而且，老人都是自学成才的。
“张老爱读书练字，特别喜欢用小楷抄写党的政策方针，装订成册后送给我们这些年轻人阅读。练字除了能传承传统文化，最主要的是能从中感悟到人生哲理，让自己更加豁达开朗，这也许是老人长寿的秘诀吧。”干休所干事陈岩说。
知道老人爱书法，海州诗词楹联协会会长朱成安携书法家向张克敬老人送来了楹联书法作品，上面写道：“克敌雄风，今虽百岁军威耀；敬身本色，永是初心国梦追！”这副楹联书法作品，正是老人的真实写照。