A Chinese Soldier's Story
By admin on 2014-12-22

Xinfadi was a small village in Fengtai District of Beijing.

On Oct. 10, 1949, more than a week after the founding of New China, a boy was born in a Zhang family in the village, and his parents named him Yuxi. Like many rural children at that time, Zhang Yuxi went home for farming after he finished junior high school.

"One person in the army, glory for the whole family", "Enhance vigilance to defend the motherland." Such slogans were widely seen in the streets, on the walls and on wire poles in China's rural areas in the early decades of New China.

On July 30, 1955, China's first conscription law was adopted and the compulsory military service was introduced into the People's Liberation Army (PLA). In China, joining the army is a pursuit of young people and those who wear military uniforms enjoy respect from others. When a family has a child in the army, the village will make a board inscribed "honorable family" and put it on the gate of the home. Local officials visit such families during festivals.

Seeing the conscription slogans, Zhang Yuxi made up his mind to be a serviceman. He wanted to go out of the village and see the outside world. He then applied to join the army.

On one day in January 1970, the Xinfadi village played cymbals and drums to bid farewell to the 11 young conscripts.

Wearing a brand new uniform and a big red flower on the chest, Zhang Yuxi was excited, proud and happy, although he had not got his cap and collar badges yet. The 21-year-old young man became a soldier of the East China Sea Fleet of the PLA's Navy. More and more people came to see off the conscripts. Proud and happy relatives had much to say to the young men.