Wan Haifeng
Wan Haifeng (simplified Chinese: 万海峰; traditional Chinese: 萬海峰; pinyin: Wàn Haĭfēng; born September 1920) is a retired Chinese military officer. He was awarded the military rank of general (Shangjiang) in September 1988.
Wan Haifeng | |
|---|---|
万海峰 | |
 Wan Haifeng in 1955. | |
| Political Commissar of Chengdu Military Region | |
| In office October 1982 – April 1990 | |
| Preceded by | Xu Liqing |
| Succeeded by | Gu Shanqing |
| Deputy Political Commissar of Beijing Military Region | |
| In office 1975–1982 | |
| Deputy Commander of Beijing Military Region | |
| In office 1972–1975 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Maotou (毛头) September 1920 (age 99) Guangshan County, Henan, China |
| Nationality | Chinese |
| Political party | Communist Party of China |
| Spouse(s) | Zhao Zheng (1943-2019, her death) |
| Children | 4 |
| Parents | Wan Tianrun Xiao Shi |
| Residence | Beijing |
| Alma mater | PLA National Defence University |
| Occupation | Military officer |
| Awards | Red Star Medal Order of Independence and Freedom Order of Liberation |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  |
| Branch/service |  |
| Years of service | 1933–1998 |
| Rank |  |
| Commands | Beijing Military Region Chengdu Military Region |
| Battles/wars | Second Sino-Japanese War Chinese Civil War Korean War |
Born in Guangshan County, Henan, Wan joined the Red Army at the age of only 13 and joined the Communist Party of China at the age of 17. He fought in the Second Sino-Japanese War, the Chinese Civil War and the Korea War.
He was a member of the 12th CPC Central Committee a member of the Central Advisory Commission. He was delegate to the 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of China. He was a deputy to the 5th and 7th National People's Congress.
Biography
Wan was born Maotou (毛头) into a family of farming background in September 1920 in Guangshan County, Henan, the third child of Wan Tianrun (万田润) and Xiao Shi (肖氏). He has two elder sisters. His mother died when he was 3.[1]
During the Agrarian Revolutionary War (1927), he was a squad leader in the 28th Army. He participated in the Hubei-Henan-Anhui Guerrilla Warfare.
In July 1933, he joined the Red Army. His superior Gao Jingting (高敬亭) named him Wan Haifeng.[2] And he enlisted in the Communist Youth League of China in 1935. He joined the Communist Party of China in October 1937.
In 1949, he participated in the Battle of Menglianggu, the Huaihai Campaign and the Yangtze River Crossing Campaign led by Liu Bocheng and Deng Xiaoping in eastern China.
In 1952, after the outbreak of the Korea War, the Chinese government commissioned him as a deputy division commander of the Chinese People's Volunteers. He returned to China and was awarded the military rank of senior colonel in 1955.
In 1955, Wan entered the PLA National Defence University, where he graduated in 1959. After graduation, he was appointed as division commander of PLA Ground Force. In May 1972 he was promoted to become deputy commander of Beijing Military Region, and held that office until October 1975, when he was appointed deputy political commissar and a Party standing committee member. He commanded soldiers to take part in the relief work of the Tangshan Earthquake.[2] He became political commissar of Chengdu Military Region in October 1982, a position he held until April 1990. He attained the rank of general (Shangjiang) in September 1988. He retired in September 1998.
On September 2, 2015, he was hired as the honorary president of Red Army School in Yichang, Hubei.[3]
Personal life
Wan met Zhao Zheng (赵政) in early 1943, when she was a surgeon.[1] Their wedding ceremony was held in October that same year. The couple have four children.[4]
Zhao Zeng died on September 16th 2019, aged 96.[5]
Awards
- Order of Bayi, 3rd Class
- Order of Independence and Freedom, 2nd Class
- Order of Liberation, 2nd Class
- Honor Merit Medal of Red Star, 2nd
References
- 传奇万海峰:抗日智多星到开国“上将” [Legendary Wan Haifeng: A brain truster in the Counter Japanese War and Founding General]. china.com.cn (in Chinese). 22 November 2010. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
- 万海峰：主动请缨去唐山抗震救灾. iFeng (in Chinese). 2011-06-14.
- 万海峰上将担任湖北宜昌少年红军学校荣誉校长 [General Wan Haifeng will be honorary president of Red Army School in Yichang, Hubei]. people.com.cn (in Chinese). 2011-10-20.
- 共盟奋勉情更浓——记万海峰上将与夫人赵政的婚姻故事 [Marriage Stories of Wan Haifeng and Zhao Zheng]. sina (in Chinese). 2003-11-03.
- 96岁新四军老战士、原北京军区总医院副院长赵政逝世 (in Chinese)
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Previous: Xu Liqing |
Political Commissar of Chengdu Military Region 1982–1990 |
Next: Gu Shanqing |