The bugle is loud and clear: the story behind the precious cultural relics to resist US aggression and aid Korea

In the Military Museum of the Chinese People's Revolution, a military bugle is on display. It is 33cm long and 10cm wide. Green patina can be seen everywhere on the golden body. Its appearance is no different from other buglets. Why is an ordinary military bugle listed as a first-class cultural relic in the collection?

zheng qi, the second-class combat hero of the volunteer army and the owner of this bugle, is already 88 years old this year. He joined the Chinese People's Liberation Army in 1946 and served as a buggler. Speaking of his beloved bugle, he was hale and hearty: "In the war years, the bugle was an order. When the bugle sounded on the battlefield, our officers and soldiers were always afraid of suffering and sacrifice to complete their tasks."

On New Year's Eve in 1951, the Chinese People's Volunteers broke through the enemy's "38-degree line of defense" on the front more than 200 kilometers from the east coast of North Korea to the Linjin River in the west ". "United Nations troops" fled all the way south and withdrew from Seoul. The "Royal Rifle Regiment" of the 29th Brigade of the British Army intended to seize the favorable terrain on the front line of Ketaguri, the gateway north of Seoul, in order to delay the action of the volunteers and cover the main force of the "United Nations Army" fleeing southward.

On the evening of January 2, the 347 Regiment of the 116 Division of the 39th Army of the Volunteers received the task of occupying Ketani before dawn. Among them, the arduous task of seizing and guarding the position of Nanshan in the Ketya Valley was handed over to the 7th Company of the 347 Regiment of the Volunteer Army where Zheng qi was located. Shortly after the battle began, the 7th Company suffered serious casualties. The enemy occupying the high ground suppressed the attack of the volunteers with intensive firepower, and the heroic soldiers finally took the Nanshan position.

In order to regain the position, the enemy launched an attack supported by tanks and artillery fire. Because the enemy's offensive was so fierce that it was impossible to build fortifications and bunkers, the officers and soldiers of the 7th Company lay down in the ice and snow to fight with the enemy. Company commander Li Fengtang, deputy company commander Wang Fengjiang, instructor Zhang Ding and platoon leaders died one after another. Li Fengtang used his last strength to take out the barge gun under his body and handed it to Zheng Qi, giving the command to the little soldier who was less than 20 years old at that time.

Recalling the eventful years of the past, Zheng qi's voice is still loud: "Communists must stand up in the most difficult times."

Holding the shell gun handed to him by the company commander, Zheng qi was full of anger and strength and shouted: "comrades of the whole company, listen to my command, hold the position and beat back the enemy." He quickly gathered six party members from the whole company and divided the remaining dozen soldiers into three groups to defend their positions. Soon, the enemy mortars began to bomb again, and the tanks kept firing on the heights. It was suggested that the commander should rely on the back command. Zheng qi did not do it, because the company commander who just died was in front of the command of the battle, and he also wanted to be in the front. He said that at that time, arrangements had been made for Li Jiafu, a Communist Party member and light machine gunman, to take over the command of the battle after his own sacrifice.

"The superior ordered us to stick to our position no matter how much we pay, and never let the enemy run away." zheng qi recalled that the surviving dozen or so fighters beat back the enemy's charge three times in a row. "When the bullets are finished and the grenades are thrown, I will risk my life to search for guns and ammunition in the enemy's corpses."

On the afternoon of January 3, the enemy launched its seventh charge. Thousands of shells rained down on the position, and all eight tanks were sent. Because they knew that only by capturing the Nanshan position could they jump out of the siege of the volunteers.

50 meters, 40 meters, 30 meters, wait until you can see the enemy's helmet, Zheng Qicai ordered to fire. In a flash, the enemy fell. But more enemies climbed up behind the ridge, getting closer and closer. By 5 p.m., some of the enemies had rushed to less than 20 meters from their positions. Soldier Yang Zhanshan and blaster Shi Hongxiang opened the blaster and threw it at the enemy. At this point, Company 7 has run out of ammunition. The soldiers picked up their bayonets and greeted the last moment with burning eyes.

"Tick-tock, Tick-tock..." Suddenly, a loud charge sounded over the position, and the swarming enemy was stunned. "Maybe they were scared out of their wits. I don't know who took the head. They turned and ran down the mountain. Then all the enemy troops began to flee in a hurry." Zheng qi said.

It turned out that at the critical moment, Zheng qi, who was seriously injured, came across the bugle he was carrying with him. He immediately took it off, stood up abruptly, and used all his strength to blow the charge bugle, which did not stop until his lips bled, and the loud bugle shook over the position. The enemy who heard the bugle was hasty and confused. He thought that the volunteer army had arrived and fled back to the foot of the mountain.

A short time later, red flares were raised over the position. "Our army is coming!" Zheng qi and the other six soldiers cheered excitedly. After a day and night of fierce fighting, the soldiers of the 7th Company held their positions and repelled 7 enemy battalion and company-level offensives, buying precious time for the entire regiment to successfully launch a general offensive. The 7th Company was thus awarded the honorary title of "Steel 7th Company" and became famous throughout the army.

Li Qiwei, commander of the "United Nations Army", once described the bugle of the volunteer army as a brass musical instrument that can make a particularly harsh sound. On the battlefield, as soon as it sounded, the volunteers were like magic, all of them pounced on the "United Nations Army" desperately.

Zheng qi recalled that he was holding the idea of blowing the bugle for the last time in his life, and used all his strength to blow the charge. "The bugle is the external manifestation of our army's resolute execution of orders and strict discipline. It is the spiritual code of our army from small to big and defeating the strong with the weak."

In 1951, the leading organ of the Chinese people's volunteers made special meritorious service to Zheng qi, and in 1953, the standing Committee of the Supreme people's Assembly of the Democratic people's Republic of Korea awarded Zheng qi the first-class soldier Medal of Honor. When it comes to the experience of participating in the war, Zheng Qi, an octogenarian, is still passionate. At the end of the interview, he said to the reporter earnestly: "the victory of the War to resist US aggression and Aid Korea has played a national and military prestige of New China, and it is an example of defeating the strong with the weak. It has greatly enhanced our self-esteem and self-confidence, but don't forget that dignity is bought with bloody sacrifice."

Source: China Discipline Inspection and Supervision News