Good People Praised by Mao Zedong: The Legend of He Minxue

Author: He Yinming, Zhong Zhaoyun
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-12-01
Features: Although he was a close relative of Mao Zedong, he never used his special status and position to demand any special compensation or treatment from the Party and the people. He even never had a solo photograph with Mao Zedong. Although he was one of the earliest participants in the armed uprising, the founder of the Jinggangshan Revolutionary Base Area, and one of the founding heroes who liberated the entire country by crossing the river, he was never promoted beyond a division-level rank and never held a position higher than deputy provincial level. Despite once saying during a dispute with his sister He Lizhen, "I have been dragged into trouble because of you," he never relaxed his self-discipline and always remained "not taking joy in material possessions or sorrow in personal misfortune." As a result, Mao Zedong held him in high regard.
He Minxue (1904-1988) was a native of Yongxin County, Jiangxi Province. In his early years, he actively organized progressive students and peasants, engaging in revolutionary activities. He joined the Communist Party of China in March 1927 (the 16th year of the Republic of China) and served as the deputy commander, commander, and chairman of the Yongxin Peasants' Self-Guard Army, as well as the chairman of the county revolutionary committee and the secretary of the county party committee. After the failure of the Northern Expedition, he, along with his sister He Zizhen, led his troops to Jinggangshan. In 1928 (the 17th year of the Republic of China), he joined the Workers' and Peasants' Revolutionary Army led by Mao Zedong. During the first to fifth counter-"encirclement and suppression" campaigns in the Central, he held various positions, including class leader, platoon leader, and company commander of the 2nd Regiment of the Workers' and Peasants' Revolutionary Army, party secretary of the 32nd Regiment of the Red Army, commander of the 14th Column of the Xiangjiang Border Region, commander and political commissar of the Jiangxi Provincial Soviet Guard Brigade, party secretary of the Guard Brigade, chief of staff of the 23rd Army of the Red Army First Front, and acting commander of the 22nd Division. After the main force of the Central Red Army began the Long March, he persisted in the three-year guerrilla war in the south for three years, serving as of the Central Military Commission and Central Military Region, chief of staff of the 71st Regiment, and commander of the Xiangyuejiang Border Region Guerrilla Corps.
During the War of Resistance Against Japan, he held positions such as director of the Jiangnan Office of the New Fourth Army, commander of the Anhui-Nanjiang Training Team and party secretary, chief of staff of the Jiangnan Advanced Corps, president of the East China Military and Political School, deputy education director and training director of the fifth branch of the Anti-Japanese Military and Political University, and director of the New Fourth Army headquarters. In August 1941 (the 30th year of the Republic of China), He Minxue was appointed chief of staff of the "United Anti-Japanese Resistance." Together with other leaders, he led his troops to fight in the complex environment of Xingdongtai and against the superior enemy. During enemy offensives, he skillfully maneuvered his troops to exploit the enemy's weaknesses. Meanwhile, he used gaps in battles to carry out united front work among friendly forces, to weaken stubborn and puppet forces, and to mobilize the people to establish anti-Japanese democratic governments in enemy-occupied areas.
By the end of 1942 (the 31st year of the Republic of China), He Minxue led the "United Anti-Japanese Resistance" forces, with the support of the Suizhong Third District troops, to launch a counterattack against the stubborn troops stationed in Duntou, eliminating stubborn strongholds such as Duntou and Zhoujiaduo. This victory temporarily brought relative stability to the northern border of the "United Anti-Japanese Resistance." In 1943 (the 32nd year of the Republic of China), Japanese and puppet forces launched a large-scale "sweeping campaign" in Xingdongtai. He Minxue immediately ordered his troops to resist, inflicting casualties on some enemy and puppet forces before, to preserve strength, withdrawing from their base in Lijiajiao and Weiqiao to the safe area of Cao to the north. Aftering the enemy's spring "sweeping campaign," He Minxue led his troops to carry out anti-"puppetization" and anti-"encroachment" struggles. Using flexible tactics, he seized opportunities to strike the enemy, preventing the enemy from annihilating the "United Anti-Japanese Resistance" forces. Some enemy and puppet forces, after being hit by the "United Anti-Japanese Resistance," dared not leave their strongholds and were even afraid to stay in the "United Anti-Japanese Resistance" base area.
In early July 1943 (the 32nd year of the Republic of China), a Japanese cavalry detachment and a puppet army division, with over 10 armored steamboats, suddenly attacked Duntou Town. He Minxue and others led their troops to heroic resistance, fighting a bloody battle at Caozhuang. After hours of combat, they repelled the enemy's attack, dealing them a heavy blow. After 1943, the "United Anti-Japanese Resistance" actively cooperated with the Suizhong Fourth District in anti-"clearance" and anti-"sweeping" campaigns, continuously attacking and harassing enemy and puppet forces in strongholds and transportation lines. At times, they even advanced near Ha'an Town to ambush the enemy, causing the enemy and puppet forces great anxiety. Afterward, He Minxue served as commander of the special forces regiment of the first division, commander of the seventh division, and chief of staff of the command headquarters of the Suizhou Military Region, as well as commander of the third district.
During the War of Liberation, he held positions such as chief of staff of the East China Field Army Corps, commander of the 12th Division of the fourth corps, and deputy army commander of the 27th Army of the third field army, participating in major battles such as Yuzhou, Jinan, Huaihai, the Yangtze River Crossing, and Shanghai. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, he successively served as commander and political commissar of the Air Defense Command of the East China Military Region, as well as deputy commander of the Shanghai Air Defense Command. In 1952, he transferred to civilian work and served as director and party secretary of the East China Construction Engineering Bureau, the Northwest Construction Engineering Bureau, member of the standing committee of the Xi'an Municipal People's Congress, deputy governor of Fujian Province, deputy director of the fifth standing committee of the Fujian Provincial People's Congress, deputy chair of the fourth political consultative conference of Fujian Province, and fourth secretary of the Fujian Provincial Discipline Inspection Commission. He was a representative of the second, fourth, and fifth national people's congresses, a member of the fourth national committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, a standing committee member of the fifth and sixth national committees of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, and a member of the seventh national committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.