liu yayuan: to be an artilleryman you must be able to “fire, connect and shoot accurately”!
2024-08-29
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liu yayuan
a native of jiangsu province, he entered north korea in january 1956 and served as a gunner in the howitzer artillery battalion of the 63rd division of the 21st army of the chinese people's volunteer army. he returned to china in august 1958.
"as an artilleryman, you have to be able to fire, connect and shoot accurately on the battlefield!" in january 1956, liu yayuan, who was only 16 years old, set out from his hometown in jiangsu and embarked on the road to resist us aggression and aid korea.
young people are passionate about serving the country
before joining the army, liu yayuan was a student full of vigor and dreams. at that time, he swam in the ocean of knowledge and was full of longing for the future. later, when the army came to recruit soldiers, liu yayuan put down his books without hesitation, responded to the call of the motherland, and resolutely signed up to join the army.
liu yayuan was not old enough to join the army, so he begged the commander again and again. "commander, i hope you can accept me. i will be your correspondent." after that, liu yayuan went for a physical examination. he was very happy to receive the notice that he passed the physical examination. after that, he received a military uniform and underwent simple military training. the army also taught him to sing military songs, which were "three disciplines and eight points for attention".
a few days later, the army notified everyone to prepare to take the train, and liu yayuan didn't know where to go. he only remembered that it was january 3, 1956, and it was snowing heavily. everyone was sitting in a sealed car with only a stove in the car and no mattresses. "everyone was reluctant to use a new quilt, so two people shared one quilt. the train was moving very slowly, and sometimes it would stop for three or four hours," liu yayuan said.
when they arrived at the military station, liu yayuan and his comrades each had a steamed bun with some pickles to eat, and there was no hot water to drink. after walking for three days and three nights, they finally arrived in andong and were about to cross the yalu river. on the other side of the river was north korea. with loyalty to the motherland and persistence in justice, they continued their journey.
it was 4 a.m. when they arrived in north korea. "because the winter in north korea is very cold, the steamed buns were frozen hard and hurt our teeth. we put the steamed buns under our armpits to warm them up before eating them," liu yayuan recalled. however, these difficulties did not stop them from moving forward. instead, they strengthened their determination to defend the motherland and peace.
artillery style: mission accomplished
at that time, the land of north korea was devastated, and the scars of war were everywhere. houses were bombed and people were displaced. however, the tenacity and perseverance in the eyes of the north korean people deeply touched liu yayuan. he knew that he came here to protect these brave people and to defend peace.
after arriving in north korea, liu yayuan was assigned to the howitzer artillery battalion of the 63rd division of the 21st army of the chinese people's volunteer army, and served as a gunner in the 2nd squad, 1st platoon, 2nd company. on the night of his arrival, everyone applauded to welcome the new comrades, introduced their names and hometowns to each other, and got to know each other.
at the beginning, liu yayuan and his comrades carried out basic training and the use of three new weapons. everyone had to learn how to use submachine guns, pistols, and semi-automatic rifles. "artillery soldiers must know how to use them. in the war, what should we do if the squad leader or deputy squad leader dies? someone needs to replace him, so everyone has to learn these weapons," liu yayuan said.
a gun requires five gunners, and each gunner has important responsibilities.
the first gunner is the deputy squad leader, who is responsible for aiming. this is an extremely critical task that requires a high degree of concentration and precise judgment. on the battlefield, every aiming is related to the victory or defeat of the battle. the deputy squad leader is always fully focused, relying on his rich experience and keen observation to guide the direction of the artillery.
the second gunner is responsible for controlling the height and direction of the howitzer. this position requires close cooperation with the first gunner to adjust the angle of the artillery in a timely manner according to the battlefield situation to ensure that the shells can accurately hit the target. in the fierce battle, the second gunner always maintains a high degree of vigilance, holding the operating lever tightly with his fingers, ready to adjust at any time.
the task of the third gunner is to load the shells. a shell weighs about several dozen kilograms, which is not only a test of physical strength, but also a requirement of speed and accuracy. in the tense moment of the battle, the third gunner must quickly and accurately load the shells into the barrel to prepare for the next shot. their hands are covered with thick calluses, but they never complain, because they know that every effort they make may bring hope of victory to their comrades.
the fourth gunner is responsible for delivering the ammunition rod. the ammunition rod plays an important role in the firing process of the artillery. the fourth gunner needs to deliver the ammunition rod to the appropriate position in time to ensure the normal firing of the artillery. they run back and forth on the battlefield, like elves on the battlefield, providing a strong guarantee for the continuous firing of the artillery.
as the fifth gunner, liu yayuan was responsible for firing the cannon and pulling the striker. this task seemed simple, but it was full of danger. when the striker was pulled, the recoil and the loud noise were terrifying. before each pull, the other gunners had to quickly disperse, and liu yayuan himself only had two to three seconds to react. in this short moment, he had to stay highly focused and agile, and quickly lie down to avoid being hurt by the recoil.
three words for artillery: be able to fire, be able to connect, and be able to hit accurately!
liu yayuan said firmly: "artillerymen are technical soldiers and need to undergo rigorous training. the requirements for artillerymen are three sentences: be able to fire, be able to connect, and be accurate!"
being able to operate the artillery is not just about being able to operate and fire artillery shells, but also means that artillery soldiers must have excellent mobility and adaptability in a complex, ever-changing, and dangerous battlefield. when the smoke is thick and the flames are raging, the enemy's attacks may come from all directions at any time. artillery soldiers must have resolute courage and skillful operation. they must deliver powerful firepower to the most needed places in the shortest time and provide solid firepower support for their comrades on the front line.
being connected is not as simple as just keeping communications open. in fierce battles, smooth communications are the key to victory. artillerymen need to remain highly alert at all times to ensure that they are always in close contact with the headquarters, accurately receive orders from their superiors, and accurately understand combat intent so that they can strike at the right time with just the right firepower intensity. neither enemy interference nor harsh natural environment can cut off this vital link. they use their tenacious will and superb technology to ensure stable and smooth communications, allowing the entire artillery unit to operate efficiently like a closely coordinated fighting machine, laying a solid foundation for victory.
"shooting accurately" is the ultimate test of the artillerymen's combat skills. this requires the artillerymen to rely on superb professional skills, rich combat experience and keen battlefield insight. on the ever-changing battlefield, they must aim at the target quickly and accurately, and every shot must be precisely calculated and adjusted. whether it is the enemy's strong fortifications or mobile armored targets, they must be able to hit the target with one shot. each of their artillery shells carries the hope of victory and embodies the expectations of countless comrades. they must exert the maximum power of artillery with a high sense of responsibility and mission, and give the enemy the heaviest blow to defend the motherland and the people.
heroes inspire us to move forward
during his time in the army, liu yayuan was most impressed by the movie "heroic sons and daughters". the touching scenes touched him deeply. he saw heroes like wang cheng sacrifice their lives to defend the motherland and shouted the heroic oath "fire at me for victory!" the deeds of these heroes made him more determined to fight bravely for the motherland and the people.
at the same time, liu yayuan also heard the heroic stories of the ice sculpture company. in the cold korean battlefield, those volunteer soldiers held their positions in order to complete their missions. in extremely cold conditions, they froze into ice sculptures. their heroic deeds brought tears to liu yayuan's eyes. he deeply felt the great spirit of the volunteer soldiers, who used their lives to interpret what patriotism and revolutionary heroism are.
the stories of these heroes have always inspired liu yayuan. he knows that behind him are the expectations of the motherland and the people, and it is the spirit of those heroes that supports him. he cannot live up to these expectations and must work tirelessly for victory.
when reviewing that period of history, liu yayuan often feels deeply moved. he said: "the war to resist u.s. aggression and aid korea was a great war that not only defended the security of the motherland, but also maintained world peace. in this war, the chinese and korean people fought side by side and forged a deep friendship. this friendship will be forever engraved in the hearts of the two peoples."
lanzhou daily omnimedia chief reporter su xiao reporter yu yongzhao text/photo
