Li Xuezhong: Fire Tempers True Men

Eighty-seven years ago, Japanese militarism flagrantly launched the "September 18" Incident and occupied the northeastern part of China. In order to save the nation from peril, countless people with lofty ideals followed one after another. Li Xuezhong, director of the Political Department of the 2nd Army of the Northeast Anti-Japanese Allied Forces, was one of them.

Li Xuezhong, also known as Li Zongxue, was born in 1910 in Ye County, Shandong Province. Early to the Northeast to earn a living. After that, he engaged in revolutionary activities in Jilin and other places. After the September 18 Incident in 1931, he went to study in the Soviet Union and joined the Communist Party of China.

In the winter of 1934, Li Xuezhong returned to work. On May 30, 1935, the 2nd Army of the Northeast People's Revolutionary Army was formally established, with Wang Detai as the commander, Wei Zhengmin as the political commissar, and Li Xuezhong as the director of the political department. Under the auspices of Li Xuezhong, the Political Department of the 2nd Army issued the "Notice to the People" and "Notice to the Anti-Japanese Forces", calling on the masses and the People's Revolutionary Army and other anti-Japanese armed forces to unite to carry out various forms of anti-Japanese struggles and overthrow Japan. Imperialism completes the great task of resisting Japan and saving the country.

At this time the anti-Japanese armed base, the struggle situation is very grim. Since May, the Japanese have mobilized heavy troops to carry out large-scale blockades and sweeps of the base areas. In order to break the enemy's blockade and gather more anti-Japanese forces, the newly established 2nd Army began its westward expedition. Li Xuezhong took the initiative to invite Ying and led two companies of more than 150 people to form an expedition, hoping to open up contact with Yang Jingyu's First Army of the Northeast People's Revolutionary Army. After arduous trek and many bloody battles, Li Xuezhong's expedition team successfully joined forces with Yang Jingyu Department in Mengjiang Nar Hong in early October. The two major guerrilla areas, East Manchuria and South Manchuria, have thus been closely linked. This laid a good foundation for the establishment of the First Route Army of the Northeast Anti-Japanese Allied Forces and the South Manchuria Provincial Party Committee.

In March 1936, the 2nd Army of the Northeast People's Revolutionary Army was reorganized into the 2nd Army of the Northeast Anti-Japanese Allied Forces, and Li Xuezhong was the director of the Political Department. In August of the same year, he led his troops to work at the Daxiangchang Arsenal in Fusong County, Liaoning Province, and was suddenly attacked by a Japanese army "crusade. Li Xuezhong commanded the troops to fight back bravely. In the fierce battle, Li Xuezhong was seriously injured and died. He was only 26 years old.

The smoke of war has dissipated for many years, and the once devastated land has long been full of flowers, but people have not forgotten the martyrs who fought for it but had no chance to see it. In July 1985, on the 40th anniversary of the victory of China's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, the People's Government of Fusong County erected a memorial tombstone for Li Xuezhong on a sunny slope surrounded by green pines and cypresses. Today, it has become a local red education base.

Li Xuezhong's hometown has long since changed its appearance. At that time, Ye County has become today's Laizhou City, Yantai. In recent years, the people's livelihood in the hometown of heroes has made great progress. In Yantai, it has taken the lead in realizing free compulsory education school uniforms and popularizing rural primary school car services. The regional GDP exceeded 70 billion yuan.

Source: Guangming Network-Guangming Daily