veteran rao henghu: more than 300 wounded were transported back to china overnight
2024-09-04
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rao henghu
a native of jiangxi province, he was a student at the fourth military medical university of the chinese people's liberation army. he joined the army in 1951, entered north korea in 1952, and returned to china after transporting the wounded.
"i was a student at a military medical university. i spent just one night on the battlefield of the war to resist u.s. aggression and aid korea, but the memory of that night shines brightly in the long river of my life." 89-year-old rao henghu was a special soldier on the battlefield of the war to resist u.s. aggression and aid korea. he was still in school when the korean war began. he entered north korea as a student. his mission was to transport the wounded from the battlefield, carry the wounded onto the train, and escort them back to the rear hospitals in the motherland for treatment.
the day i joined the army is always in my mind
"i will never forget that day, which was the day i joined the army," said rao henghu. it was an era full of passion and enthusiasm, and the country called, and it was my duty. on august 1, 1951, rao henghu resolutely joined the army with full enthusiasm. from that moment on, his fate was closely linked to the safety of the country. "august 1 is the founding day of the chinese people's liberation army. therefore, i will remember the day i joined the army and will never forget it," said rao henghu.
after putting on the military uniform, rao henghu felt an unprecedented sense of responsibility and mission. as a soldier, he fearlessly rushed to the battlefield to fight against the us and aid korea. he clearly remembers the day he joined the army, when he felt a mixture of excitement and nervousness. he was excited because he could finally contribute to the country and the people; he was nervous because he knew that there were unknown challenges and difficulties ahead.
the shock of the first battlefield
"at that time, i was a student at the fourth military medical university of the people's liberation army, studying nursing." rao henghu said. at the end of 1951, the school held a meeting and called on everyone to sign up to go to the korean battlefield. students from the whole school signed up enthusiastically, and the army only selected more than 300 people, and rao henghu was one of them. "although we are students, everyone has a passion in their hearts. we hope to go to the battlefield to resist the us and aid korea, kill the enemy on the battlefield, rescue the wounded, and serve the motherland." rao henghu recalled. in march 1952, rao henghu and more than 300 classmates set off on a sealed train. on the way, a volunteer army leader told everyone: "when you hear the plane coming, you lie under the train to hide. our main task this time is to transport the wounded. we must carry all the wounded onto the train and escort them back to the rear hospitals of the motherland for treatment."
when rao henghu set foot on north korean soil, he was shocked by the scene before him. the once peaceful and beautiful city was riddled with holes from bombs, smoke filled the air, and ruins were everywhere. the collapsed houses and broken streets seemed to be telling the cruelty of the war. only the volunteer army and the korean people's army could be seen on the road, and there were very few ordinary people. rao henghu's heart was clenched, "at that moment, i deeply felt the horror of war, but i was also more determined to do everything i could to rescue the wounded."
race against time to transport the wounded
on the battlefield, the young students were always surrounded by a tense atmosphere. during the day, rao henghu and his classmates were always ready to deal with various emergencies. at noon, the sun was high in the sky, and the sound of gunfire from time to time in the distance was terrifying. the students sorted out medicines and gauze in the temporary camp, preparing for the rescue mission that might come at any time.
in the evening, the mission came urgently. rao henghu and his classmates received an order to immediately transfer the wounded from the front to the train and escort them back home. he and his classmates acted quickly, rushed to the front, carried the wounded, bandaged them, stopped bleeding, and quickly transferred the wounded to the train. the wounded groaned in pain one after another, some lying in a pool of blood, some tightly covering their wounds, their eyes full of pain and helplessness.
"when i approached the first wounded man, his leg was seriously injured and blood was constantly gushing out. i squatted down, put one of his arms on my shoulders, and hugged his waist tightly with both hands. then, i gritted my teeth, tried to stand up, and walked towards the train step by step. with every step, i could feel the pain of the wounded and my own fatigue, but i couldn't stop because every second concerned the life of the wounded." said rao henghu.
then, rao henghu encountered a more seriously injured soldier. he was injured in many places and could not walk. rao henghu and several comrades decided to carry him on a stretcher. "we gently put the wounded on the stretcher and fixed it with ropes. the process of carrying the stretcher was not easy. we needed to keep our balance to avoid causing more pain to the wounded. the ground on the battlefield was rugged and uneven. we walked carefully and paid attention to the situation under our feet at all times. sweat flowed down our cheeks and our arms were sore from the effort, but we did not complain at all." rao henghu said.
while transporting the wounded, rao henghu also met a seriously injured soldier. the soldier's face was covered in blood, his body was weak, but his eyes were firm. "comrade, i want to go home. i want to go home and miss my parents. is the battle over? is it over? can we all go home..." the soldier's weak voice rang in rao henghu's ears. rao henghu held the soldier's hand tightly and said, "brother, hold on, we will definitely win. now i will send you to a domestic hospital for treatment." the soldier nodded slightly, with tears in his eyes.
careful escort back home
after hard work, rao henghu and his classmates finally transferred all the wounded to the train. the carriage was packed with seriously injured people, and their painful groans were heartbreaking. without a break, everyone immediately started to take care of the wounded.
"we first checked the wounds of the wounded. some of them had infected wounds and were emitting unpleasant odors. i carefully cleaned their wounds, wiped them carefully with disinfectant, and tried my best to relieve their pain. for some wounded patients with severe bleeding, we had to quickly bandage them to stop the bleeding and ensure their safety," said rao henghu.
in the process of caring for the wounded, rao henghu constantly comforted them and brought them hope and courage. some wounded were depressed because of the pain, so they sat beside them, whispered about the bright future of the motherland, and told them "we will definitely win" to encourage them to persevere. "for those wounded with high fever, i used wet towels to cool them down and kept an eye on their condition changes."
in addition to applying and changing the dressings for the wounded, rao henghu was also responsible for delivering water and food to the wounded. the entire train was filled with seriously injured soldiers, with no lightly injured soldiers. many had broken arms and legs, had severe head injuries, and had burns, and were unable to move. rao henghu helped them move, and the wounded were in great pain. rao henghu held their hands again and again, saying, "go home, i'll take you home!"
on the train at night, the lights were dim. rao henghu shuttled between the wounded, busy all the time. his eyes were bloodshot and his body was exhausted, but he had only one belief in his heart, that is, to do his best to take good care of these wounded. in this long night, rao henghu hardly closed his eyes, always paying attention to the physical condition of the wounded.
dawn is the dawn of hope
when the light of dawn spread over the land, the train carrying the wounded drove to the motherland. rao henghu looked out the window at north korea gradually receding, his heart filled with emotion. this one-day and one-night experience allowed him to witness the cruelty of war and feel the brilliance of humanity. he knew that his mission was not over yet, and as long as the war continued, he would rush to the front without hesitation to rescue the wounded. the train drove all night and finally arrived in andong. after a short rest in andong, everyone continued on the train. after three days and two nights, the train arrived at the hospital in qishan county, baoji city, shaanxi province.
"all the more than 300 wounded soldiers we received were delivered safely, and no one died on the way due to serious injuries. this is the thing i am most proud of," rao henghu said proudly.
looking back on his experience of one day and one night on the battlefield of the war to resist u.s. aggression and aid korea, rao henghu could not calm down for a long time. it was a time full of blood and fire, pain and hope. "although i only went to korea once and stayed there for only one night, i saw the cruelty of the war and the bravery and perseverance of my comrades. those wounded soldiers sacrificed their lives for the country and the people. their spirit inspired me and made me more determined to devote everything to the motherland and the people. this experience will be forever engraved in my heart and become the most precious wealth in my life. i believe that as long as we remember history and inherit the spirit of the martyrs, we will be able to create a better future." rao henghu showed a proud look on his face.
lanzhou daily omnimedia chief reporter su xiao reporter yu yongzhao text/photo
