Chapter 59 postscript

Comrade Zhimin wrote his memoirs, which began in the spring of 1959.At that time, he served as a political commissar of the Higher Military Academy, and was invited by the editorial department of the General Political Department of "A Spark Starts a Prairie Fire" to write a review of the Central Red Army's third battle against "encirclement and suppression" - "Surprise Victory".In October of the same year, he wrote a reminiscence article "The Victory of the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea is the Victory of Chairman Mao's Military Thought" for "August 1st Magazine".He wanted to continue writing, but because of some historical issues that were right and wrong after the "Lushan Conference", it was difficult to distinguish right from wrong for a while. After that, there was another ten years of catastrophe and torture, and he put down the pen he had just picked up.

In the spring of 1980, after Comrade Zhimin retired to the second line to serve as a consultant to the Central Military Commission, in addition to actively completing his own work, he has been committed to summarizing the historical experience of our military's political work and writing revolutionary memoirs.From the spirit of the Third Plenary Session of the Eleventh Central Committee of the Party and his own personal experience, he deeply felt that the "Left" mistakes have seriously harmed our Party and the army. The article "Heroic Fighting and Profound Lessons" describes the history of the Red Army's "Oriental Army" entering Fujian twice from July 1933 to February 1934.Since the "Eastern Army" entered Fujian to fight was a product of "Left" adventurism, and the commander was Comrade Peng Dehuai, few people have comprehensively reviewed and commented on this period of history for a long time. Attitude, serious writing, and extensive listening to opinions, it took a year and changed the draft three times to write this memoir.He not only listed many vivid facts, praised Zhou Enlai, Peng Dehuai and other comrades for resisting the wrong leadership of Wang Ming's "Left" adventurism, but also the historical achievements of the vast number of commanders and fighters who fought bravely and won battles, and analyzed "Left" adventurism realistically. The profound lesson that the mistakes made the "Eastern Army" fail, criticized the traditional concept that the "left" is better than the right based on historical experience.This memoir attracted the attention of the Central Party History Research Office.They believed that this memoir had a clear viewpoint and detailed historical materials, which filled the gap in the study of party history, and it was soon published in full in the fourth series of "Data on the History of the Communist Party of China" in 1982; The fourth issue of the magazine and the eighth issue of the "Revolutionary Memoirs" magazine of People's Publishing House were also published in full as the headlines.This incident gave Comrade Zhimin great inspiration and encouragement.

On May 30, 1981, on the eve of commemorating the 45th anniversary of the founding of the Anti-Japanese Military and Political University, Comrade Zhimin shifted the focus of the party's work to socialist modernization after the Third Plenary Session of the Eleventh Central Committee, and urgently needed to train a large number of The objective situation of talents with both ability and political integrity, carefully wrote a commemorative article "Cultivating Talents is a Strategic Task", which was published in "People's Daily" and "Liberation Army Daily" at the same time, which aroused great repercussions among the alumni of the Anti-Japanese University.Many comrades enthusiastically encouraged him to make a more comprehensive review of the confrontation and write a memoir.He considered that the historical experience of the Anti-Japanese University in training cadres during the War of Resistance Against Japan, especially the rich experience in training a large number of intellectual cadres, fully reflects our party’s good tradition of respecting knowledge, respecting intellectuals, and emphasizing the training of cadres. The construction of talents, the military, and local colleges can still be used for reference; at the same time, the fine traditional style of the Anti-Japanese University also has educational significance for the younger generation.Therefore, from the spring of 1982, I made up my mind and began to write the memoirs of the Anti-Japanese War.After two years of hard work, this long memoir of more than 200,000 words has been published in three parts in the "Chinese Communist Party History Materials" magazine since October 1983.At that time, in order to highlight the name of the "Kangda University", he borrowed the phrase "Kangda, Kwangda, the more resistance, the greater" that Comrade Luo Ruiqing said as the title of the article, in order to attract the attention of the alumni of the Kangda University, so that they can listen to alumni more widely. Make further revisions and supplements based on your feedback and opinions.Sure enough, after the publication of the memoir, he received many letters from the alumni of the Anti-Japanese University, and he repeatedly revised and supplemented it according to the opinions of the alumni. It was published by the Chinese Communist Party History Materials Publishing House in March 1985. The title of the book also adopted the opinions of some comrades. Changed to "The Furnace of Revolution".This more fully reflects the great role of the Anti-Japanese War, the great role of training cadres, and the fine traditional style of the Anti-Japanese War.In March 1986, the book was supplemented, revised and republished again to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Anti-Japanese University.

After the armistice of the Korean War, Comrade Zhimin considered that the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea was the largest modern war since the end of World War II. Its valuable experience is of great significance to our military construction and future anti-aggression wars.The political work in the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea inherited and carried forward the fine traditions of our army's political work, and made many new developments and creations. It was an unprecedentedly rich and active period for our army's wartime political work.Therefore, together with Gan Siqi, the former deputy political commissar of the Volunteer Army, and other comrades, they organized personnel to compile a summary of the political work of the Volunteer Army in the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea. In February 1955 and August 1959, two manuscripts and one Compilation of experiences.It is a pity that just as the summary manuscript and compilation were about to be finalized and printed, because Comrade Peng Dehuai was wrongly criticized at the Lushan Conference, the review work was interrupted, and the two manuscripts and compilation of experience were shelved for more than 20 years.In the spring of 1983, Comrade Zhimin actively contemplated publishing these two manuscripts and compilations of experience.Approved by the Central Military Commission and the General Political Department in April 1984, he presided over a review and editing team to conduct careful review and editing. It was finally officially published by the People's Liberation Army Press in June 1985. Published in April 1987.At the same time, he also actively advocated and organized the compilation of the military history and war history of the Third Army Corps of the Red Army, and spared no effort to record the great achievements and historical experience of our party and our army and pass them on to future generations.

In the summer of 1985, Comrade Zhimin concentrated his energy on basically completing the manuscripts of the "two resistances" - the Anti-Japanese War and the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea, before he settled down to think about writing a memoir of his combat experience in detail.But at this time, some party history and military history research departments often came to interview and request manuscripts. He responded to every request. He successively wrote memoirs of participating in the Western Expedition, marching into Suiyuan, Lanzhou Battle, Pingjin Battle, etc., and also wrote commemorating Peng Dehuai, Peng Xuefeng and Li Shouxuan , Pi Dingjun and other old chiefs and old comrades-in-arms reminiscence articles.

He is very serious and responsible for writing his memoirs. Although he is nearly 80 years old, his health is not good, and his eyes are almost blind, but in order to write his memoirs well, in addition to listening to and reading some historical materials to help recall, he insists on field surveys in the places where he fought . In the autumn of 1984, he returned to his hometown of Liuyang, visited the ruins of his former residence, visited his alma mater where he had studied and taught, and inspected the places where guerrillas fought.In the summer of 1985, I went to Hohhot, Baotou, Yinchuan, Lanzhou, and Xi'an.

In June 1986, that is, four months before he became ill, he traveled to Zhangjiakou and climbed the West Taiping Mountain to inspect the former site of the advanced command post of the second column and the hills where the battle was most intense. Villages, interviewing local people.Every time he visits his hometown, he is full of enthusiasm and spirit. He visits the old positions in person, introduces the battle history of the year to the staff around him in detail, visits old comrades in arms, pays homage to the martyrs in the martyrs cemetery, and personally hosts the symposium to verify and supplement For his recollection materials, try to make the memoir more accurate and informative.

Unexpectedly, in November 1986, Comrade Zhimin suddenly found out that he was suffering from lung cancer.He knew that his time to work for the party was running out.Therefore, he fought against the illness with tenacious perseverance, and as soon as he felt a little more comfortable, he seized the time to dictate his memoirs, and his secretary, Comrade Wang Jinling, recorded, recorded and sorted out the materials for him.Sometimes, in order to recall a period of history, I tossed and turned, and could not sleep at night: the next day I was asked to invite some old comrades in arms to have a discussion before the collapse of the disease.

In September 1987, Secretary Wang compiled a list of more than 70,000 words based on the recordings of more than 20 tapes of his dictation and the 20 tapes of the symposium held by him, as well as his published memoirs. Read to him the detailed outline.He listened and made additions and corrections.Finally, he said excitedly: "This outline is very good and comprehensive, and it also focuses on political work. I believe this memoir can be written well. I am relieved." Soon, his condition deteriorated sharply, and he was dying. Remember his memoirs. Comrade Zhimin passed away on November 16, 1987.His former comrades-in-arms felt very sad, and successively published articles and poems to mourn him in "People's Daily", "Liberation Army Daily" and other newspapers, but due to the limited space of newspapers, many articles written by old comrades-in-arms were not published.They eagerly hope to edit and publish a collection of essays recalling and commemorating Comrade Zhimin.Comrade Zhimin moved to the border of Fujian and Jiangxi during the Red Army period. After 1972, he worked in the Fuzhou Military Region for more than seven years. He was deeply respected and loved by the Fujian army and people. The publishing house decided to publish a collection of commemorative essays "Remembering General Li Zhimin" on the first anniversary of Comrade Zhimin's death, introducing Comrade Zhimin's revolutionary life, fighting life, as well as his noble character, fine style and political work experience , to inspire comrades-in-arms and educate the younger generation, and Comrade Zhimin’s two former secretaries and I felt that this was a very meaningful job. It was published by Fujian People's Publishing House in May 1989.Comrade Yang Shangkun inscribed the title of the commemorative anthology "Remembering General Li Zhimin", Yao Yilin, Xu Xiangqian, Nie Rongzhen, Wang Zhen, Song Renqiong, Zhang Aiping and other comrades inscribed words for the anthology, and Comrade Yang Dezhi wrote the preface.Comrade Zhimin's old leader and old comrade-in-arms' care gave me a lot of comfort and encouragement, and made me more determined to organize Comrade Zhimin's memoirs.

Comrade Zhimin was very clear about the purpose of writing his memoirs.He often taught us during his lifetime: "Writing memoirs is to provide materials for party history and military history. Historical materials should be carefully checked and strive to be accurate and informative. My memoirs are not for the promotion of individuals, but to promote our great, glorious and correct party. Propagating the victory of Mao Zedong Thought with the heroic and invincible people's army. It is necessary to write about the great achievements of Mao Zedong, Zhou Enlai, Zhu De, Peng Dehuai, Nie Rongzhen and other leading comrades of the party and the army. , the heroic spirit of overcoming all difficulties, and write about the role and power of our military's political work. Only in this way can we reflect the spirit of our times, inspire future generations to inherit the revolutionary cause of our ancestors, and strive hard for building a socialist cause with Chinese characteristics. "

After the commemorative anthology was published, we continued to sort out the memoirs of Comrade Zhimin, following his teaching on writing memoirs, and according to the detailed outline he determined, sorting out his oral recordings, records, and published articles, memoirs and historical documents. If there are difficult questions, we must carefully check historical materials and interview relevant comrades, and verify them in accordance with the principle of accurate historical materials.I am very grateful to the compilation groups of military history materials of the 63rd Army, 64th Army, and 65th Army of the original 19th Corps who provided historical materials for the memoir, and Chen Ying, Liu Yunzhen, Yao Xu, Wang Qingtai, etc. who helped collect materials Comrade, I am very grateful to Comrade Wang Jinling who helped to record and organize the writing. I am very grateful to the People's Liberation Army Publishing House and the editor-in-charge Comrade Wang Changlong for their support. Without the support and help of these comrades, Comrade Zhimin's wish would not have been realized. This memoir was only written until October 1957, when Comrade Zhimin returned home from the Korean front.After returning to China, he worked in the PLA Higher Military Academy for nine years, and was severely persecuted during the Cultural Revolution; after returning to work in October 1972, he worked in the Fuzhou Military Region for more than seven years; in February 1980, he retired to the second line , served as an advisor to the Central Military Commission until his death.This experience was due to his sudden illness, and he left in a hurry in less than a year, so there was no time to describe it in detail.However, this experience has been partially described in the commemorative anthology and the biography of the twelfth episode of "Li Zhimin" in the "Biography of the PLA Generals" published by the PLA Press, and more detailed information will be enriched when writing biographies in the future. published.Comrade Zhimin's last wish has been fulfilled, and he can smile at Jiuquan.I hope this memoir can enable readers to have some understanding of Comrade Zhimin's combat experience and teach the younger generation. This is our best commemoration of Comrade Zhimin.