Stunning historical moments

Author: Fan Yiyu, Editor-in-Chief
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-05-01
Features: A vivid teaching material for maintaining the advanced nature of communists, featuring the glorious deeds of over 100 veteran revolutionaries, veteran generals, and heroic figures. The ideals, sacrifices, unyielding spirit, perseverance, and hard struggles of communists are all embodied here. [Preface] [Postscript]
Spring has arrived, the river is warming up, grass is growing, and birds are singing. One morning, I suddenly received a call from an elderly comrade. He said he had read an article I edited in the People's Liberation Army Daily the day before, which deeply moved him. He finished it in one breath, stirring up many memories of life during the war. He only then noticed who the author was. To his surprise, it turned out to be a long-lost comrade he had been desperately searching for for years! Without hesitation, he called early the next morning to ask for the author's contact information.
The next morning, the elderly comrade called again, and the phone call was long. He expressed his gratitude; shared his joy at reuniting with his comrade; shared his thoughts on the "Glory of Tradition" special section I edited. He said he had long been reading the People's Liberation Army Daily and paid close attention to the "Glory of Tradition" special section because it featured scenes from the war years that were familiar to him. There were precious, unforgettable historical moments written by leaders, model soldiers, and comrades who had sacrificed their youth and blood. He listed many chapters that were instantly recognizable and deeply moving.
He said that upon learning his comrade's works had been compiled and published, he was overjoyed. He bought all the remaining books from his home. While flipping through his comrade's book, he had an idea: he hoped I could compile and publish the memories he had edited in the "Glory of Tradition" special section. He believed this would greatly benefit the armed forces in promoting the fine traditions of our army. He promised to do his best to support the book's publication and distribution.
The enthusiasm of the elderly comrade moved and ashamed me. For a long time, I had been responsible for editing the "Glory of Tradition" and "Reminiscences" special sections of the People's Liberation Army Daily. Although I had often thought about compiling some of the articles into a book, I had never acted on it. The call from the elderly comrade undoubtedly served as a push. Moreover, with the recent launch of the nationwide "Maintaining the Advanced Nature of Communists" education campaign, I deeply felt that the articles collected in this book—written by veteran revolutionaries, heroic figures, and veteran generals—were a rich, concrete, and moving teaching material for the campaign. They embody the essential spirit of communists, and I felt a sense of responsibility to publish this book as soon as possible.
After completing the editing, I asked the elderly comrade to write a preface for the book, as his encouragement and support were crucial to its publication. He politely declined. I suggested adding his name to the list of editors. He laughed, saying it would be inappropriate for him to take credit since he had not participated in the editing. Unwilling to give up, I said, "In just these few days, you've come up with so many ideas and handled so many practical matters for the book's publication and distribution—you deserve to be an advisor." To my surprise, he replied, "Then let's add a few more names to the list of advisors." He admitted that he had always harbored a "personal motive" for publishing this book, though he had hesitated to bring it up. For decades, he had been searching for a way to express and his eternal remembrance of the close comrades he had lost on the battlefield. By intertwining his name with the names of his fallen comrades on the cover of this powerful revolutionary reminiscence, it would serve as the best tribute.
He said, if I were to write, I should include these "strange" names for you: "Yu Miwei, Duan Jiasheng, Liu Cheng."
I would like to express my gratitude to Chen Xixiang, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Changjiang Publishing House, as well as Deng Shengbin, Liu Jie, and other colleagues for their strong support in the editing and publication of this book.