The 96-year-old expeditionary military leader, more than 20 fellow soldiers, joined the army and I was the only one left.

"The British army did not tell us about their retreat, so we were ambushed by the Japanese army as soon as we arrived in Burma. Teacher Ma led the breakthrough. I was a machine gunner. Two ammunition carriers loaded bullets into my magazine I used my machine gun to fight back against the Japanese troops, and when I ran out of ammunition, the Japanese artillery launched a fierce attack on us. I rolled the machine gun into a nearby ditch on the spot, and I picked it up. A life was saved."

One night in 2006, in a residential building in Chengdu. Fang was busy in the kitchen, while her 88-year-old father Fang Yufu was watching TV series in the living room. Dishes banged in the kitchen and gunfire boomed on the TV. The TV was about the Anti-Japanese War, and Fang Yufu liked to watch it the most.

Fang washed the dishes and walked out of the kitchen. She saw her father's eyes filled with tears. "I thought the plot of the TV series was too touching and the old man was moved by it." But Fang felt something was wrong again. His father had always been very serious and he was rarely seen crying. What's more, there are so many Anti-Japanese War dramas. How can today's Anti-Japanese Expeditionary Army TV dramas impress the elderly? Fang Yufu murmured: "I have experienced all these battles. I fought with the Japanese, and many of my brothers died there." His father never told his family about these experiences, and Fang expressed doubts.

But when Fang Yufu told an Anti-Japanese War researcher who came here, the number, sequence, and fighting location of his troops were all proved by historical facts. "My father did participate in the Anti-Japanese War and fought against the Japanese, hiding it from his children for more than 60 years. What kind of blood and fire experience did Fang Yufu have? Why didn't he say he was going to fight? My hometown recruited soldiers. More than 20 people have served the country from the army.

The story of Fang Yufu began in 1938, when Lao Fang was still 20 years old.

In the spring of this year, the land of China was filled with smoke: on February 3, the Chinese army and the Japanese invaders launched the massive Battle of Xuzhou in Xuzhou; on February 5, the tragic Nanjing Massacre ended; in April On the 6th, the Chinese army defeated the Japanese army in Taierzhuang.

The world beyond the mountains was so far away for young Fang Yufu. At that time, he was still farming in Fangjiakou, Jianyang. I learned it all from other people's mouths.

The arrival of a man linked Fang Yufu to the Anti-Japanese War. That year, on Qingming Festival, Fangjiakou brought back a high official named Fang Chao. . Fang Chaohui did not show off and rush over to worship his ancestors. Instead, he mobilized young people non-stop: join the army and serve the country!

"At that time, Fang mobilized our young people everywhere to defend the motherland and win glory for their hometown. Fang Yufu didn't know what war meant, but it was impossible for a person to achieve anything by staying at home. Mobilized, Fang Yufu signed up to join the army.

Mobilized by Fang Chao, more than 20 young people from Fangjiakou signed up to join the army, including Fang Yufu. Go to Chongqing to be the squad leader of the new 29th Division.

After bidding farewell to his parents and family, Fang Yufu and more than 20 fellow villagers embarked on the road of serving the country. What is waiting for them ahead? Fang Yufu and others are not very clear. But they know that after going to the battlefield, many people may never return to Fangjiakou.

They walked from Jianyang to Shiqiao. There, Fang Chao gave them dozens of dollars to go to Chongqing. Then Fang Yufu and others took a boat from Chongqing to Changshou.

Those with long lifespans and high educational levels are assigned to study in the non-commissioned officer team; those with low educational levels are assigned to serve as soldiers in the Second Brigade of the Hubei Corps. In April 1939, Fang Yufu's army was reorganized into the new 29th Division of the Army, and he was appointed squad leader of the 4th Company of the 2nd Battalion of the 87th Regiment.

Fang Yufu could already name the commanders of the troops at that time: Ma, Colonel Xie Shizhen, Battalion Commander Chen Keqiang, Company Commander Li Yunfeng, and Platoon Commander Guo Wen

Unlike other Sichuan troops, Fang Yufu The troops are well equipped. His company alone had three machine guns. Fang Yufu is a machine gunner with a brand new Czech machine gun.

For a year, every day was training, and every day I heard news about the war on the front line.

Fang Yufu also thinks about it every day: When can he go to the front line? Enter Myanmar to defend the "lifeline" of the Anti-Japanese War

Soon, Fang Yufu's army will serve the country.

What they didn’t know was that the expedition they participated in would be the first time in hundreds of years that the Chinese army went abroad to fight.

Here, it is necessary to talk about the background of the First Burma Campaign. At the time of the Anti-Japanese War, due to China's weak industrial base and the urgent need for a large amount of supplies and foreign aid, the Nationalist Government built the Burma Highway in early 1938. Inspired by the belief in resisting Japan and saving the country, 200,000 people from 28 counties in western Yunnan carried their own rations and tools, ate and slept in the open air, and cut rocks. It lasted 10 months on the rapids and rapids in the valleys, along the 990-mile stretch of western Yunnan and northern Myanmar. Kilometers of mountains and fields, the Burma Highway was built with hands and sweat. During this period, countless people died due to blasting, falling off cliffs, falling into rivers, heavy earth and rocks, and malignant dysentery.

At the end of 1938, the Burma Highway was opened to traffic, becoming the "blood vessel" of China's Anti-Japanese War and a thorn in the side of the Japanese army. After the beginning of the Anti-Japanese War, Japan attempted to forcibly interrupt "third countries'" assistance activities to China. In the winter of 1939, the Japanese army occupied Nanning and cut off the international communication line from China to Vietnam's coastal defense. In the spring of 1940, Japan bombed the Yunnan-Vietnam Railway indiscriminately; in June, France was forced to accept the request to stop transportation between China and Vietnam. In September, Japan invaded Vietnam and signed a friendship treaty with Thailand, completely interrupting the Yunnan-Vietnam Line. The Burma Highway has become the only channel to assist China.

Myanmar is a strategically important country on the Southeast Asian peninsula. Once the Japanese army occupied Myanmar, it would not only cut off China's "blood vessels", but also directly threaten the southwest anti-Japanese rear area. After the Pacific War broke out at the end of 1941, the Japanese army swept across Southeast Asia in a short period of time, and then pointed its finger at Burma.

In order to defend Burma, China and Britain planned to form a military alliance as early as early 1941. China is actively preparing and has proposed that Chinese troops enter Myanmar for defense as soon as possible. On December 23, 1941, China and Britain signed the "Sino-British Agreement on Joint Defense of the Yunnan-Burma Road" in Chongqing, thus forming a Sino-British military alliance. Defending the lifeline of the Anti-Japanese War and sending troops to Burma became the top priority of the Anti-Japanese War.

In March 1942, the new 28th and 29th Divisions went on an expedition to Lapu, Myanmar to assist the British army in fighting the Japanese invaders. "We were very excited at the time. We could finally fight the Japanese. We went abroad to fight and enhance our national prestige. Fang Yufu said that after receiving the order, his unit drove into Myanmar from Bishan, Chongqing.

Because it was the first Once fighting abroad, the expeditionary force was warmly welcomed by the people along the way, not only at home, but also in Myanmar. The overseas Chinese in Myanmar wrote colorful slogans everywhere to express their sympathy and welcome, such as "Expedition abroad to enhance national prestige." "It is an incomparable honor to go on an expedition to Burma." Some overseas Chinese groups also entrusted special personnel to entertain the transiting troops to drink coffee, smoke cigarettes, eat bread, and drink tea for free.

Fang Yufu said that because they are going abroad to fight, the army must have strict rules Military discipline. At that time, officers were stricter in dress, speech, and behavior than at home. “A soldier was hungry and stole a chicken from a local. After being discovered, he was immediately shot dead on the spot. Fang Yufu said that it was the strict requirements that made the local people very supportive of the expeditionary force. The First Combat Expeditionary Force suffered a disastrous defeat.

However, what Fang Yufu did not expect was that even though it was well-equipped and had high morale, the Chinese Expeditionary Force suffered a major defeat when it entered Myanmar for the first time.

The man behind this failure was not the Chinese commander and the Chinese army, but the British. Although the agreement between China and Britain to jointly defend the Burma Highway has long been signed

In January 1942, the Japanese 15th Army invaded Burma. In less than two months, the Japanese army reached near Yangon. Seeing that the army was on the verge of collapse, the British army thought of their allies and quickly asked for help from the expeditionary force. "It was under such circumstances that we entered the war zone."

Fang Yufu said that the British were very dishonest. Seeing that the war situation was unfavorable, the British lost interest in defending Burma and fled to India. Moreover, the British not only retreated without informing the Chinese army of the actual situation on the front line, but also allowed the Chinese army to collapse.

Fang Yufu said that this resulted in the Chinese troops being ambushed by the Japanese army as soon as they arrived in Myanmar. The 28th Division went first and suffered heavy losses, with almost the entire army wiped out.

His 29th Division was behind the 28th Division and was surrounded by Japanese troops. Break through the siege and save a life.

Recalling that breakout, Fang Yufu was still in pain. He recalled: "At that time, Commander Ma led the troops to break through. I was a machine gunner. Two ammunition carriers loaded bullets into my magazine. I used the machine gun to counterattack the Japanese troops and cover the company's breakthrough."

Fang Yufu said that the machine guns produced in the Czech Republic were so powerful that the Japanese who rushed over fell down as soon as they were fired. Soon, ammunition ran out and the Japanese troops continued their charge. At this time, Japanese artillery shells began to attack the Chinese army's positions.

"I heard the roar of artillery shells and saw artillery shells coming, so I rolled on the spot with the machine gun and rolled into a nearby ditch. Fang Yufu said that the artillery shell exploded at the position of his machine gun, and he Fortunately, they saved their lives. After two days and two nights of fierce fighting, Fang Yufu and others finally emerged from the Japanese encirclement. Only a few hundred of the 4,000 men of the 29th Division evacuated. The battlefield was littered with the corpses of their comrades.

At this point, the battle could no longer be fought, and Fang Yufu followed the troops and began to retreat to China.

What a tragic retreat, indignant, humiliating, and accompanied by death. Fang Yufu said that he was thirsty along the way. They would drink from the ditches and eat wild vegetables and fruits when they were hungry. Many soldiers would fall to the ground and be unable to get up if there was little food or serious injuries without treatment. "There are dead people all the way, just talking to you, and then they can't get up. Fang Yufu recalled that period of history and war scenes, which still makes him shudder.

Even after being defeated, Fang Yufu's expeditionary force still maintained the most basic discipline and order. "Even if we starve to death, we will never take anything from the surrounding villagers. They walked for four days and four nights before returning to Kunming, Yunnan. They kept it a secret. I planned to keep it a secret.

Return to China Afterwards, despite the defeat, the people of the motherland still gave a warm welcome and comfort to the retreating soldier Fang Yufu. Fang Yufu recalled that when he returned to Kunming, the locals brought them barbecue

This time. A meal of meat and rice was really delicious to the Yufu soldiers who had been suffering from hunger and cold for a long time, but in Fang Yufu's mouth, these condolence foods tasted sour. Among the more than 20 young people, he was the only one who left Fangjiakou and returned to his hometown.

Fang Yufu said, "How can the defeated army be brave?" "He buried his experience in Myanmar deeply in his heart and did not mention it to anyone.

Later, Fang Yufu did not continue to join the army, but retired and became a guard at the Chengdu Public Security Department at that time. After liberation, Fang Yufu He works in the food, commercial and other departments. He has three children and is now enjoying his old age. The secret he should have taken to his grave was inadvertently discovered by his family.

The reporter was writing about "The Last War of Resistance." During the "Veteran" series of reports, we found that since the First Burma War ended in failure, it was extremely difficult to find historical records of the newly compiled 29th Division. Fang Yufu's memory became a precious material for restoring that period of history.

As a volunteer from the Bashu Anti-Japanese War Research Institute said, war is cruel, and there cannot be only a glorious victory, nor the pain of defeat. The failure of the first Burma War cannot conceal the bloody fighting of most officers and soldiers. Fact. “Veterans of the Anti-Japanese War are individuals who fought that war. Whether they win or lose, veterans deserve our respect. Huaxi Du Shibao r