Sun Yi’s biography

Wu Zhifei’s longevity: thanks to being a member of the Communist Party

Sun Yi’s good health is well-known in the army. When he was 80 or 90 years old, he still walked ten times a day. Several miles or even twenty miles. When he went out to do errands, he would not take a bus, but would also give up his seat to the elderly, the young, the sick, the disabled and pregnant women, which created a good atmosphere in the bus he often took.

General Sun suffered from severe varicose veins in his right leg. After repeated consultations and studies with experts from the People's Liberation Army General Hospital, he submitted to the Military Commission Headquarters for approval and decided to perform amputation of his right thigh. Hearing the news, the old general, who rarely shed tears, hugged his right leg and howled. But after all, Mr. Sun was a veteran general who had experienced battles and had a tenacious will to fight. With the careful persuasion of the leaders of the Military Commission, Mr. Sun quickly regained his composure and resolutely entered the operating room in October 2000.

Sun Lao suffered from gastric perforation and had two surgeries. The doctor was worried that he, who was 94 years old at the time, would not be able to undergo a gastroscopy. However, Mr. Sun successfully completed the gastroscopy with tenacious perseverance and became the oldest patient to undergo gastroscopy.

On Sun Yi's 90th birthday in 1993, General Chi Haotian, then Minister of Defense, said to Sun Yi: "I want to give you a glorious mission - I hope you will take the lead and become the leader of the entire army." The first 100-year-old general!" On May 12, 2002, General Sun Yi happily celebrated his 98th birthday at his home. In two more birthdays, Mr. Sun will complete the mission assigned to him by General Chi Haotian. He smiled and said: "I am almost 100 years old, and this is because I am a member of the Communist Party." Everyone was a little surprised. Mr. Sun continued: "As a member of the Communist Party, I am in a happy mood. Although I can no longer walk more than ten miles every day like before, I still have to walk around the yard every day in a wheelchair. What's more, I write every day."

On the Long March, he should have been riding a horse as the chief of staff of the Military Commission's Instruction Division, but Li De, a military adviser sent by the Communist International, said, "Sun Yi is He was disqualified from riding a horse on the grounds that the White Army came over. Faced with such discrimination, Sun Yi laughed it off: "I don't have four legs, but I still have two legs!" In this way, he completed the Long March with his own pair of iron feet without any hesitation. Whenever someone brings up this unpleasant past, General Sun always jokes openly: "I really want to thank Mr. Li De. He made me exercise my legs and laid the foundation for fitness." Mr. Sun His words always reveal optimism, confidence and pride.

No one could have expected that more than 60 years ago, he had been diagnosed by Dr. Bethune as having "a poor future in life." It was in the late autumn of 1938, on the Taihang Mountains, that Norman Bethune, an internationalist fighter who had traveled thousands of miles to China and a famous Canadian surgeon, was entrusted by Marshal Nie Rongzhen to help the sophomore anti-college student who was in poor health and condition. Sun Yi, the principal of the branch, conducted a comprehensive inspection. Dr. Bethune said frankly: "Principal Sun, you are too tired. You should relax your body immediately and reduce the load on your body, otherwise it will be difficult for you to complete your future tasks." "Dr. Bai, you are right, but I am the principal and I have to work hard all the time. Stay at your post," Sun Yi said firmly. Dr. Bethune stared at the stubborn Chinese soldier, raised his thumb and said repeatedly: "That's Great! Great!" After the physical examination, Dr. Bethune personally wrote a letter to Marshal Nie Rongzhen: "Principal Sun Yi is highly concentrated when working. , overworked, suffering from severe stomach problems, and his life prospects are not good." He also implored Comrade Sun Yi to make appropriate adjustments to his work. However, Dr. Bethune probably did not expect that today, more than 60 years later, General Sun Yi is still alive and well.

Mr. Sun only sleeps six or seven hours a day, insists on watching the news, reading newspapers and writing. His life is very regular and he is in a happy mood. He used practical actions to verify that "life lies in exercise, and exercise can fight all kinds of diseases; exercise hard to stay healthy; health begets happiness, and happiness begets health; only when the concepts of fame, wealth, and status are broken, can the spirit be truly happy and the mind be truly liberated." "That famous quote. Sun Yi was born into a poor peasant family in Dacheng County, Hebei Province. His original name was Sun Junhua. In October 1920, before graduating from high school, Sun Yi left his hometown to look for work because of family life difficulties. At that time, he changed his original name - Sun Junhua to Sun Yi. According to his own words, it means "killing the enemy is the result, and achieving the result is perseverance".

The outside world is full of warlords fighting. Sun Yi has been wandering for more than two years, moving from north to south, visiting Shanghai, Xiamen, and Chaozhou, but still has not found a place to settle down. He had no choice but to turn back from the south to the north and join his brother who was working in Kaifeng, Henan. My brother works as a teacher at the Xiangguosi Street Police Station, and his life is very difficult. Sun Yi stayed in Kaifeng for more than half a year, finally finding a job and then losing it. The elder brother finally couldn't bear it anymore. Once he had a quarrel with him and blurted out: "It would be better for you to drive a foreign car than to stay here with me!"

This sentence stung Sun. Yi, he went straight to the recruitment office in Nanguan, Kaifeng, and signed up to be a soldier. In the late summer of 1923, he was incorporated into the First Company of the Kaifeng Supplementary Battalion of the Henan Army. After spending four or five years in the old army, Sun Yi met a friend who later had an important influence on his life-Zhao Boxheng. At that time, Sun Yi was working as a major staff officer in the staff office of the 26th Route Army of the National Revolutionary Army, and Zhao Boxheng was the chief of staff of the 26th Route Army. Zhao Bosheng often chatted with Sun Yi as a big brother and close friend, intentionally or unintentionally talking about the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army.

In June 1931, Sun Yi, who was then the lieutenant colonel staff officer of the 26th Route Army of the National Revolutionary Army, had been in the old army for 11 years. He witnessed the Kuomintang government’s disasters for the country and people, reactionary corruption, and realized that only the Communist Party could save the country. China.

On December 14 of that year, Zhao Bosheng, Dong Zhentang and others launched a riot. 17,000 people from the 26th Route Army held the "Ningdu Riot" in Ningdu County, Jiangxi Province, where they were stationed, and joined the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army. This was an incident that happened that year. A major event that shocked China and the world. At that time, Li Songkun, the commander of Sun Yi's 25th Division, refused to participate in the uprising and escaped with a regiment. The division headquarters was also in chaos, and everyone did not know which end to follow. Sun Yi already had some confidence in his mind because he had heard Zhao Boxheng's many hints. He saw that the blue sky and white sun flag on the roof of the general headquarters had been replaced by a bright red flag, and the heavily armed troops were marching southward in a mighty manner, so he urged the chief of staff and said: "The big troops have gathered, let's set off quickly. ." In this way, Sun Yi, together with the people from the division headquarters and the guard platoon, caught up with the southward team.

Sun Yi caught up with Zhao Bosheng and immediately stepped forward and said loudly: "Chief of Staff, we are following!" Zhao Bosheng was also very happy to see Sun Yi and said: "Okay, we really want to be the Red Army Come on!" Only then did Sun Yi know that Zhao Bosheng had joined the Communist Party of China two months ago. After Sun Yi followed his troops in the uprising, he served as the reconnaissance section chief of the 14th Red Army, and was later transferred to the chief of staff of the 41st Division of the 14th Red Army.

Some people say that people with beards generally have strong personalities. Anyone who has seen Sun Yi will be deeply impressed by his Gorky-style beard. Sun Yi grew his beard at the age of 21. At that time, he was serving as a soldier in Feng Yuxiang's Northwest Army. He was injured in battle and then fell seriously ill. He was bedridden for two months and almost died. Thin as a handful of bones, he finally stood up, and the beard that had not stopped growing even when his master was in danger remained. After joining the Red Army, Sun Yi met Commander-in-Chief Zhu De and Chief of Staff of the Military Commission Liu Bocheng on the road one day. He stopped and stood at attention to salute the two leaders. Zhu Dele dismounted and said humorously in Sichuan dialect: "You are the Sun Yi who imprisoned Communist Party members, right? I can tell it from your beard. Do you know that the Red Army's doctrine stipulates that you cannot Keep your beard. Aren't you afraid that I will imprison you?"

"No!" Commander-in-Chief replied with a serious look. "Then tell me, why do you have this beard?" Zhu De asked Sun Yi. "When a person is in danger, the oil on his body runs away and the flesh falls off, but his beard does not run away, but keeps growing. This beard's loyalty is like a person's spirit, and it cannot be shaved off!" Sun Yi didn't know. Why did such a high-minded comment come out. Zhu De laughed heartily for a while after hearing this. When they broke up, he told Sun Yi to keep this beard well. If others have objections, just say that Zhu De and Mao Zedong made an exception for you to keep it.

Sun Yi serves as the director of the training club at the Red Army School. Every major festival, the school holds theatrical performances, and Principal Ye Jianying often plays the erhu herself. Once, Zhao Pinsan, director of the school club, compiled a drama "Capture the Enemy Commander Alive". Because the enemy commander Chen Shiji had a mustache, he had difficulty selecting actors. At this moment, Li Bozhao suddenly said: "Don't Sun Yi have a beard?" So Sun Yi went on stage to perform for the first time in his life. The performance was very successful. Zhao Pinsan said to him jokingly: "Don't shave off your beard. I will ask you for the next show!" Sun Yi's beard was never shaved again and has been with him all his life. From then on, Sun Yi had a nickname-"Sun Beard". No matter what position he holds, people no longer call him by his official position. They call him "Sun Huzi" behind his back. In person, they omit the word "Sun" and call him "Huzi" directly. The nickname "Sun Beard" also spread among the Red Army. On October 8, 1989, which was the Double Ninth Festival on the ninth day of the ninth lunar month, the All-China Women's Federation and the National Committee on Aging held a grand "National Golden Wedding Couple Selection and Award Ceremony" in the CPPCC Auditorium. Sun Yi and Tian Xiujuan were named the “Golden Wedding Couple” in the country. Admiral Wang Ping and his wife Fan Jingxin, who also attended the meeting, came to congratulate them. Wang Ping, who was three years younger than Sun Yi, leaned close to Sun Yi's ear and said loudly: "Huzi, have you forgotten that I made trouble in your new house back then?" Everyone laughed happily.

Some people think that Sun Yineng, who was born as a soldier and has a stubborn personality, has a deep love for Tian Xiujuan, and it must be Tian Xiujuan who let him go. In fact, this is not the case. General Sun Yi said that he and his wife have gone through ups and downs for decades, and it is in accordance with Premier Zhou's "eight mutual relations" as the criterion. This is: mutual respect and love, mutual learning and mutual help, mutual understanding and mutual accommodation, mutual encouragement and mutual respect. Tian Xiujuan was originally the secretary of the All-China Women's Federation Secretariat. Her beautiful marriage to Sun Yi actually originated from Sun Yi's reckless palm.

One day in the early spring of 1939, the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Military Region Headquarters was studying a combat plan. Chief of Staff Sun Yi and Commander Nie Rongzhen argued so hard that they got carried away and even slapped the table. Nie Rongzhen returned home and said to his wife Zhang Ruihua, "This Sun Yi has a big beard and a temper as stubborn as a cow. We need to find someone to take care of him." Later, after careful selection, this pair of "Yuexia Old Man" found Sun Yi who had been in the border area. Among women, Tian Xiujuan is the eldest sister of the "Three Tian Sisters" who are famous for their heroic resistance against Japan.

Tian Xiujuan was born in Wan County, Hebei Province (today's Shunping County) in November 1917. She graduated from Baoding Women's Normal School in Hebei Province.

After the "July 7th Incident", she gave up her job as a teacher and wrote a line on the blackboard, "Classmates, I am leaving for our country!" Then she took her two young sisters to the front line without hesitation. She joined the Communist Party of China in February 1938 and presided over the work of the County Women's Rescue Association.

One day, Commander Nie said to Sun Yi, "Comrade Sun Yi, I will give you a task." "What task?" Sun Yi thought he was being asked to go to the front line to fight, and his spirits immediately rose. The back is straight. "Go write a love letter to Tian Xiujuan and make sure to capture her!" "...Yes!" Sun Yi hesitated and saluted.

In August of that year, the Party Committee of the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Border Region of the Communist Party of China held a party representative meeting in a village south of Shahe, Chengnanzhuang Town, Fuping County. Tian Xiujuan was the representative of the meeting. At this time, Sun Yi was preparing to be transferred to the Jizhong Military Region as chief of staff. The head of the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Military Region specially arranged for him to temporarily stay in Chengnanzhuang for a few days to rest, and also arranged for him to attend the party representative meeting held in the border region.

During the meeting, Sun Yi personally wrote a unique letter of love and handed it to Tian Xiujuan who was present at the meeting. The letter began with some self-exposure: she was from a poor family, was married, had a child, and had been involved in the old army for many years... Tian Xiujuan felt really uneasy after receiving the letter, but when she secretly read the letter, she was surprised. Touched by Sun Yi's frankness and sincerity - a fire of love suddenly arose in the young girl's heart, and she decided to agree to Sun Yi.

The marriage was tied up by "paper". The party representative meeting of the Shanxi-Chahar-Hebei Border Region ended. Sun Yi asked Tian Xiujuan to talk to him at his residence on Zhuangdong Street in Chengnan. The two talked about their respective experiences and increased their understanding of each other in a heart-to-heart and candid exchange.

On September 15, 1939, an ordinary farmhouse in Chengnanzhuang became the new house of Sun Yi and Tian Xiujuan. Nie Rongzhen and Zhang Ruihua took care of the wedding themselves. Some young generals like Wang Ping and others stayed behind after the wedding and had to listen to the window noises in the bridal chamber.

On May 10, 1991, Nie Shuai met with Sun Yi. His first sentence was: "Husband, how are you, Xiujuan?" The 87-year-old Sun Yi stood at attention and saluted the old commander: "Report to the commander. "Comrade, she is very good, she said hello to you!" Nie Shuai smiled, and he praised Tian Xiujuan in his heart for completing the task he assigned - Sun Huzi is no longer the martial artist who slapped the table, he has become a member of the army. A famous Confucian general, in the history of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, he is called "the outstanding military educator of our army" by historians.

One day in 1985, Tian Xiujuan, then secretary of the Secretariat of the All-China Women's Federation, returned to Beijing from a meeting abroad. After getting off the train, she called home. Sun Yi was studying calligraphy. He put down his pen and said to the guard: "I'll pick her up!" The guard wanted to drive. The old general, who was famous for his integrity throughout the party and the army, waved his hand and said, "No, this is a private matter. I'm leaving." Come on!" So I went to Beijing Station on crutches and picked up my wife. The old couple walking in the alley, telling each other about their lovesickness after saying goodbye, became a beautiful scene that the neighbors competed to see.

On the day of the diamond wedding anniversary (60th anniversary) of Mr. Sun and his wife, he moved a stool to let his wife sit down and rest. He accidentally fell and fractured his thigh. It shocked everyone at the time, but within a few days I was able to walk independently again. It is these small notes that write the touching movement of Sun Yi and his wife's lifelong love for each other. As early as the early days of the founding of the People's Republic of China, Marshal Luo Ronghuan praised Sun Yi: "You are the Director-General of Youth Work." In May 1982, General Sun Yi was invited to serve as the Youth Work Advisor of the General Staff. But in fact, his youth work went far beyond the scope of the General Staff and the military.

Over the past few decades, Sun Yi has established teacher-student relationships with more than 30 young people in Beijing and other places. This kind of teacher-student relationship, according to Sun Yi's own explanation, means that "both parties keep in touch. I am willing to help them improve and be a better person, and they are also willing to tell me their innermost feelings. This kind of relationship is established voluntarily, unrestrainedly, and through long-term interactions."

Among the young people who have benefited from General Sun Yi’s teachings are barbers, childcare workers, salespeople, drivers and college students. Many are already division-level cadres, and some have become deputy bureau-level leaders. Over the years, Sun Yi has insisted on mailing books and periodicals to them. He bought large envelopes to send them by himself. The original cost was 20 cents, but later it cost 60 cents or 80 cents. Twice a month, hundreds of books and periodicals are sent out each month. Just for sending books and magazines, Mr. Sun had to spend 200 yuan every month back then. Because the cost of books and magazines has increased, it now costs 600 yuan. When his physical condition allows, Sun Yi purchases, packages, and delivers to the post office by himself. After the monthly salary is paid, one thousand yuan is given to my wife for food expenses. The remaining money, except for party dues, is used for young people, including donating to out-of-school children. By the end of the month, Sun Yi often had a "financial deficit" in his pocket, and he had no choice but to talk to the security guard: "I don't have enough money to buy books, let's sell some old newspapers!" Sometimes he simply asked his wife for a loan, but he was willing to do so.

On the eve of the Spring Festival in 1996, Mr. Sun used his salary to buy a large number of books, tied them into bundles, and prepared to send them to some friends across the country. As a result, he accidentally tripped and his son was very nervous. I hurriedly ran over to help him, but he refused and stood up on his own. He also said humorously: "If you fall, get up on your own."

Since the 1950s, Sun Yi has often He traveled to the podiums of primary and secondary schools in Beijing, delivering reports on revolutionary traditions and telling the story of the Red Army's Long March to young people, which was well received.

After the "Cultural Revolution" ended, Sun Yi deeply felt the negative impact that ten years of catastrophe had on young people. He said, for the sake of these dolls, I have to put down my airs and shamelessly look for things to do on my own.

One morning, Sun Yi walked into Jinshifang Primary School not far from his home, found Principal Liu, and said straight to the point: "My name is Sun Yi, I am a neighbor of your school, and I want to tell the children about revolution. Story." The young school principal was still confused for a moment. After the old man's repeated requests, the principal couldn't refuse and agreed to ask him to teach a lesson to Class 4 and Class 5 that afternoon. Sun Yi, who is now seventy years old, stepped onto the podium, put his hands behind his back, and spoke with great dignity: "Children, I will tell you a few stories today about the 25,000-mile Long March of the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army..." Sun Yi combined his own personal experience and told vivid and touching stories, which attracted all the children at once. After class, the children surrounded Old Man Sun and refused to let him go. They kept asking questions about this and that, and some even asked the old general to sign his autograph as a souvenir. Principal Liu was so happy when he saw this scene that he immediately invited Sun Yi to be their school's off-campus counselor.

Using the same method, Sun Yi served as an outside counselor at Bingmasi Primary School. As the news spread, many schools in Beijing came to invite Sun Yi. Since then, Sun Yi has been unable to stop. He has served as a consultant for the China Care for the Next Generation Working Committee, and has become an off-campus counselor, honorary principal, and honorary professor in more than 60 universities, middle schools, and primary schools.

On the morning of February 1, 1989, the National Children's Love Award Ceremony was held in the small auditorium of the China Children's Activity Center. Song Renqiong, who presided over the meeting, asked Sun Yi to say a few words. Sun Yi, who is over 80 years old, came to the microphone and spoke impassionedly with his usual enthusiasm: "We Communist Party members will grow old, but the cause of our party will never grow old. For the children and the future of the motherland." , Integrating the individual and the party's overall interests, we will always feel young, and we will have an eternal life, and the flame of life will never be extinguished!" Suddenly, I saw him raising his arms, his voice paused, and his body stood straight. Fall backwards.

The hospital diagnosed Sun Yi with sudden acute cerebral hemorrhage. After three days and three nights of rescue, Mr. Sun regained consciousness. When he was discharged from the hospital, the doctor repeatedly warned him to talk less, be less excited, and rest more. People advised him: "You are old and should rest." Sun Yi replied: "I am a member of the Communist Party. Communist Party members must continue to fight. There is no reason to stop." Whenever there are children We were invited to our event, but Mr. Sun still couldn't help but want to participate.

Since the 1980s, Sun Yi, who has retired from the front line, has served as an out-of-school counselor in dozens of schools and has given more than 900 traditional lectures to young people. So far, hundreds of thousands of young people have listened to Mr. Sun’s revolutionary tradition report.

Words and deeds: shortening the distance with the masses

In 1955, the Chinese People's Liberation Army entered a new stage of army building marked by the implementation of the military rank system. Before being awarded the title, some comrades had become emotional and even cried because of the competition for fame, profit and military rank. In the eyes of some comrades, the number of gold stars on the shoulders is crucial. However, Sun Yi wrote a letter to the organization, writing in the letter: "I can only work hard but have no achievements. When evaluating titles, I should rather be low than high. It is enough to give me the rank of major general. I devote myself to the revolution. It's not about promotion, it's about salary." In the end, the Central Military Commission used the standards as the basis, assessed the situation from top to bottom, and balanced the entire army. On September 27, 1955, with the approval of Premier Zhou Enlai, Sun Yi was awarded the rank of Army Lieutenant General.

Decades of ups and downs, through the Long March, the Anti-Japanese War, the Liberation War, and finally the liberation of the country. Whenever he encounters difficulties, Sun Yi thinks of himself as a Communist Party member, "thinking about the oath he took when he joined the party, he is filled with infinite power." During the "Cultural Revolution", Sun Yi was impacted and labeled as a "three-anti-element". He was not assigned a job for 12 years. "Even in the most difficult times, I have not lost confidence in the party. I tell my wife and children that we must believe in the party at all times."

When history ended with 10 years of political catastrophe , when many people began to redouble their efforts to regain 10 years of losses, Sun Yi, who had just been elected as a member of the Standing Committee of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, wrote a letter to the organization requesting to resign. This is the first of many members of the CPPCC National Committee. In the autumn of this year, at the General Staff Party Committee meeting, Sun Yi bowed his strong and straight back three times to Yang Dezhi, Secretary and General Director of the General Staff Party Committee, and sincerely begged to resign as General Staff Advisor. Position...

Mr. Sun often talks with some retired comrades about how to spend their old age peacefully. He said that one must maintain mental health. Mental health includes: having a broad mind means having an open mind; having a harmonious family; having friendly neighbors; keeping in touch with old friends; doing some social work within your ability; strengthening physical and mental exercise to promote health and longevity; studying hard and improving ideological awareness.

Sun Yi’s home is in an old courtyard house in Xicheng, Beijing. Since moving in in 1971, neighbors have always received his help whenever they have difficulties. He comes from the people and lives among the masses. In the early morning and evening, when the old general was walking, the elderly smiled and nodded to him; the young people greeted him; and the children shouted happily: "Hello, Grandpa Sun!"

Old A general always does good deeds wherever he goes. When he goes out for a walk and sees bricks and stones on the road, he always kicks them to the side of the road or picks them up into the trash can with his hands. He said: "Don't look at a small stone, sometimes it can be really bad.

I personally saw a middle-aged woman suffer a bloody head injury when her bicycle ran over a rock. "While walking on the road, I saw a man selling vegetables on a tricycle struggling to climb up the hill. The old man was helping him from behind. Someone praised him: "You old man is really a lively Lei Feng!" He shook his head and said, "I don't dare to take it seriously. I'm still a long way behind Lei Feng." ”

Sun Yi found that people who came to Beijing from other places often didn’t know which bus or bus to take or where to find the toilet because they were unfamiliar with the place. So he spent more than half a year walking He visited more than 60 alleys near his home and memorized the exact locations of more than 100 public toilets and more than 20 bus routes, so that when someone asked him, he could immediately tell them the nearest one. Where is the toilet and the most convenient station? At home, Sun Yi's car is not allowed to be used privately, but if a neighbor needs it urgently, he is always there. The daughter-in-law of the Ma family in the south is about to give birth and has difficulty moving. Yi told their family: “If you need to be taken to the hospital at night, just knock on my door. "Later, the mother really got into the general's car one night and went to the obstetrics and gynecology hospital to give birth.

The old man's heart is still strong, and the green pines become newer with age. The old general used his words and deeds , shortened the distance with the people, and won people's respect and love. For more than 30 years, he has been sending books and magazines to the young people he cared about when he was sick and he still did not forget this matter. The incident moved Xinhua News Agency's "Ban Yue Tan" magazine, and the magazine's leaders specially approved 100 copies of the magazine for him.

He also cares about the people working around him, according to An Xue, a staff officer around Sun Yi. Kui said: During every festival, Mr. Sun gives bonuses of 50 yuan and 100 yuan to the young soldiers around him. He asks them to buy books and learn knowledge, and he tells the staff who have children, "The money is for them." Used for children to buy books. "Sun Yide is highly respected, good-natured, and empathetic. He talks about dedication and never seeks fame and fortune. All the young soldiers are willing to work beside him, and their souls are purified by his influence.