The story of remembering the revolutionary martyrs

In the early morning of May 25, 1942, a fierce battle began in Liao County, Shanxi Province (today's Zuoquan County). 30,000 elite Japanese troops surrounded the Eighth Route Army headquarters in Nanaipu, east of Matian, Liao County. area.

Facing an enemy several times their own, the leaders of the Eighth Route Army headquarters made a prompt decision and divided their forces to break out. After several fights, the Eighth Route Army headquarters safely broke through. However, General Zuo Quan, the 37-year-old deputy chief of staff of the Eighth Route Army, unfortunately died heroically when he led some cadres to break out of the encirclement.

As a senior general of the Eighth Route Army, Zuo Quan gave up all opportunities to break out personally, sacrificed his life for righteousness, fulfilled his duty, and poured his blood into the Taihang Mountains.

After the enemy retreated, soldiers from the headquarters security company climbed to Cross Ridge, bought coffins from nearby fellow villagers, found Zuo Quan’s body and buried it on the spot. But Zuo Quan's heroic soul did not rest in peace. The Japanese army intercepted our telegram "Zuo Quan is missing" and killed him again. They dug up Zuo Quan's coffin at Cross Ridge, opened it, took pictures of the body, and published it in the enemy and puppet newspapers.

The enemy's atrocities made the mountains and rivers eclipse for a time, the earth was filled with sorrow, and the call for revenge resounded throughout North China. On October 10, 1942, the Eighth Route Army Headquarters selected a beautiful place at the foot of Lianhua Mountain in Shexian County, Hebei Province to hold a public funeral ceremony for Zuo Quan. In addition to all comrades from the Eighth Route Army Headquarters and the 129th Division Headquarters, more than 5,000 people attended the public funeral. Military and civilian.

Luo Ruiqing, director of the Political Department of the Field Army, said in front of the tomb: "Salutes to the martyrs are not enough. There are three more things to do in the future. The first is revenge, the second is revenge, and the third is revenge." ." For a time, the cry of "avenging Zuo Quan and vowing to carry out the Anti-Japanese War to the end" resounded throughout the world.