Do you know the journey home of the 101-year-old Cao Yanming, a veteran of the Anti-Japanese War?

Don’t forget the national humiliation and revitalize China! Many years ago, students and soldiers shouted at the top of their lungs! Some things cannot be forgotten. Today, we are living in peaceful and quiet years. Children have bright smiles on their faces, and the eyes of the elderly are full of love and memories of the prosperous years. We must always bear in mind the bullying and infringement China suffered in the past, those years filled with blood and tears.

When it comes to aggression, their eyes are set on China, which they yearn for. The enemy can only be regarded as a foreign country in China's history. They once sent Tang envoys and monks to China and brought back a large amount of production materials and technology. Our country has always been generous with its followers.

Keep history in mind

We have read many books and films and TV series on the subject of the Anti-Japanese War. We admit that there are elements of drama, but it is by no means made out of nothing. After the invaders came to China, their methods were extremely cruel and brutal. If it weren't for those martyrs and heroes who took up arms without hesitation and used their flesh and blood to build the Great Wall and turn it into sharp blades to attack, how could we have the peaceful and happy time we have now?

"Eight Hundred" is still being shown in theaters today. The passionate plot brings us into that turbulent era. You must know that the cohesion of the national spirit cannot be separated from the baptism of time. Those who have dedicated themselves to the country and the people deserve to be remembered forever.

Countless blood and faith came together to ignite China’s hope and the light of life. They give up life and death, but their souls remain unyielding. In those years, successive heroes sacrificed their lives in the flames of war, paving the way for peace for us.

Many of those heroes who have gone through ups and downs are lucky enough to survive. They look at China's rapid development with weather-beaten eyes. Seeing the construction of the motherland and the happy life of the Chinese people, they will grin, with inextricable love and remembrance in their smiles.

What we are going to talk about today is such a surviving veteran who came through the hail of bullets, experienced ups and downs, saw the motherland’s development step by step, and was sincerely happy for the motherland. He is - Cao Yanming.

Anti-Japanese War veteran Cao Yanming

Cao Yanming was born in a remote village in Datong, Shanxi. The family conditions were not good when he was born, and the current situation was not stable. The father held the little child in his hands and decided to name him Yanming. It means continuing the light. In the context of that time, this name was filled with all the love and blessings from my father and the whole family.

Cao Yanming’s family is poor. In order to survive, his father had no choice but to borrow a lot of debt. Cao Yanming is still young, and the burden of the family rests entirely on his father's shoulders. Cao Yanming was very sensible. At a young age, he had the idea of ??joining the army under the current situation. In addition, the government provides subsidies for families whose children join the army. In order to solve the family's difficulties and serve the motherland, Cao Yanming resolutely chose to join the army. He packed his bags and left his hometown.

From this time on, he never returned to the place where he grew up. He became a brick in the organization and followed the organization all the way to war. Being far away from his homeland, what he missed in his heart was his relatives at home and the friendly accent full of local flavor.

War is ruthless and cruel. The young men who went out from the village with him died on the battlefield one by one. Having lost his fellow villagers, he felt even more lonely. Fortunately, he survived the war. Coinciding with the enemy's surrender, his unit was stationed in Chongqing. Transportation at that time was not convenient, so he had no choice but to settle in Chongqing and lost contact with his family.

After the war, many soldiers did not return to their hometowns. Their situation is similar to that of Cao Yanming, limited by the inconvenience of transportation and information. As time went by, Cao Yanming missed his hometown more and more. For the entire 79 years after their separation, he worked hard to find his relatives in his hometown.

After a big battle, the comrades who still trained and ate together in the morning never came back. No one knows that the words "take care" before going to the battlefield will be the last communication in life.

According to his memories, the war was very tragic. Cao Yanming has seen too much death and separation. At night, he would secretly wonder if his ashes could return to his hometown if he died. His biggest dream at that time was for fallen leaves to return to their roots.

He missed his hometown of Datong, Shanxi Province in his dream. The hometown in the dream has simple local accents, fertile land, and familiar voices and smiles. This veteran who sacrificed his life and blood for the country has never troubled the government in his life.

The government and volunteers attach great importance to the expectations of anti-war veterans who want to return home. They took action and contacted local volunteers in Datong. After some hard work, Cao Yanming finally saw hope of returning home.

The fallen leaves of veterans return to their roots

Volunteers contacted Cao Yanming’s relatives! After receiving the news, old man Cao Yanming was stunned for a moment, and then his eyes became wet. He calmed down, ignored his health, and got on the train home.

After many twists and turns, he finally returned home. When we reached the entrance of the village, the old man's hands even trembled a little. The local villagers spontaneously held banners and greeted the old man who had been away from his hometown for many years with smiles. They sincerely welcomed the old man home.

That year, Cao Yanming was 101 years old. When he walked in the door of his house, all he saw were his grandchildren. He has been away for too long, so long that he will never see his parents and brothers again. He refused his son's support and walked tremblingly to his parents' graves, where Rumu laid three sticks of incense on the ground.

Seeing this scene, many people present shed tears. Time plays its tricks and the family can only reunite in this way after 79 years. However, in that era, there were too many such things. Many people were displaced and their wives and children were separated.

We must never forget this period of history. We also remember that at that time, there were countless warriors like Cao Yanming who bravely stood up to fight. Our happy life today was obtained by them using their flesh and blood and souls. Time passes and years pass by. The country is developing and society is progressing, but history has not forgotten them. Their deeds are engraved on the backbone of the Chinese nation and imprinted in the soul of every Chinese, and will never be destroyed.