A Legend of a Good Person Praised by Mao Zedong: He Minxue

Author: He Yinming
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-03-01
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 Juehe and the people. He even never had a single photograph taken with Mao Zedong alone. 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 the rank of a full army commander and never held a position higher than deputy provincial level. Despite once saying to his sister He Zi during a disagreement, "I have only been dragged into trouble because of you," he never relaxed his own requirements and always remained "not rejoicing in material success or mourning personal setbacks." As a result, Mao Zedong held him in very high regard.
He Minxue (1904-1988) was a native of Yongxin County, Jiangxi Province. In his early years, he actively organized and led progressive students and peasants' movements, dedicating himself to the revolution. In March 1927 (the 16th year of the Republic of China), he joined the Communist Party of China and served as the deputy commander, commander, and chairman of the county revolutionary committee of Yongxin Farmers' Self-Guard Army, as well as the county party secretary. After the failure of the Northern Expedition, he joined his sister He Zi in leading 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 anti-"encirclement and suppression" campaigns in the Central Soviet Area, he held various positions, including class leader, platoon leader, company commander, party secretary of the 32nd Red Army, commander of the 14th Independent Brigade of the Xiangjiang Border Region, commander and political commissar of the Jiangxi Provincial Soviet Guard Brigade, chief of staff of the 23rd Army of the Red Army, 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, serving as of the Central Military Commission and Central Military Region, chief of staff of the 71st Brigade, 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-Nan Teaching 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 Military and Political University of the New Fourth Army, and director of the New Fourth Army General 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 the troops to fight in the complex environment of Xingdongtai under the advantage of the enemy. During enemy offensives, he skillfully maneuvered to find the enemy's weak points for strikes. At the same time, 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 rear areas.
By the end of 1942 (the 31st year of the Republic of China), He Minxue led the "United Anti-Japanese Resistance" forces to launch a counterattack against the stubborn troops stationed in Duntou with the support of the third division of Suzhong, 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 operation" in Xingdongtai. He Minxue immediately commanded the troops to resist, inflicting casualties on some enemy and puppet forces before, for the sake of preserving strength, moving north from Lijiajiao and Weiqiao to the safe Cao. Aftering the enemy's spring "sweeping operation," He Minxue again led the troops to carry out anti-"puppetization" and anti-"encroachment" struggles. Using flexible tactics, he seized opportunities to strike the enemy, preventing the enemy from achieving their goal of annihilating the "United Anti-Japanese Resistance" forces. A few enemy and puppet forces, under the of 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 company and a puppet army division, with over ten armored steamboats, suddenly attacked Duntou Town. He Minxue and others led the troops to bravely resist, fighting a bloody battle at Caozhuang. After hours of combat, theyed the enemy's attack, dealing them a heavy blow. After 1943, the "United Anti-Japanese Resistance" actively cooperated with the fourth division of Suzhong in anti-"clearance" and anti-"sweeping operation" campaigns, continuously striking enemy and puppet forces in strongholds and transportation lines. At times, they even advanced near Haian Town to ambush the enemy, causing the enemy and puppet forces to be constantly on edge. Afterward, He Minxue also 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 Su-Zhe Military Region, as well as commander of the third division.
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, deputy army commander of the 27th Army of the third field army, and participated 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 Air Defense Command of Shanghai. In 1952, he transferred to local work and served as director and party secretary of the East China Construction Bureau, the Northwest Construction Bureau, member of the standing committee of the municipal party committee of Xi'an, 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 disciplinary committee of Fujian Province. He was a member 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.