Red Army, Eighth Route Army, New Fourth Army, People's Liberation Army. 75 springs and autumns, a string of red footprints.

On the long journey, through the years, let us listen to the stories of three generations of soldiers about the tremendous changes in their clothing, food, housing, and transportation.

Clothing Section

A soldier's attire is a microcosm of an era. But regardless of how far or near the years are, the military uniform always tells the story of soldiers.

When grandfathers fought for the country, there was hardly anything to speak of; the standard for clothing expenses was such that just having a military uniform to wear made them overjoyed; from our parents' generation to ours, there is now a statistical figure: the clothing expense standard for a soldier has increased from about 100 yuan before 1978 to more than 1900 yuan today.

Grandfather's Story

"He... he is the director of the supply department..."

The howling wind roared, heavy snow fell, and the severe cold turned the mountains into a giant ice block. Red Army soldiers, wearing newly issued cotton clothes, advanced against the wind and snow on the mountain road. Suddenly, a guard ran to report to the newly appointed commander: "A person has frozen to death ahead..." The commander hurriedly walked towards the front of the team. In the wind and snow, an old soldier sat against the icy cliff, motionless, like a statue. He looked calm and natural, wearing a tattered single coat, with cloth pieces clinging to him like dry leaves. Why wasn't he wearing a cotton coat? Why wasn't a cotton coat issued to him? Seeing this scene, the commander shouted angrily: "Find the director of the supply department for me!" There was silence in the ranks. "Guard, immediately call the director of the supply department!" The commander ordered loudly again. It was unclear who pointed at the frozen old soldier and said in a low voice: "He... he is the director of the supply department..." The commander was stunned. He took a few steps forward, gazed affectionately at this deceased comrade, and slowly raised his right hand, solemnly saluting.

This is a true story. In those difficult years, even within the base, the Red Army's clothing could only be whatever they could gather, and it was even more difficult to gather cotton clothes during the Long March. The supply department director should have had the conditions to dress warmly, but he selflessly gave warmth to others, leaving the cold for himself. He left no name, and how many loyal souls who froze to death on the Long March were not named, not just this supply department director!

Father's Story

A military uniform patched over 30 times.

One spring day in 1961, Lei Feng returned to the company after giving a report. The deputy instructor grabbed him and said, "Come on, quickly go see your little exhibition!" "Little exhibition?" Lei Feng didn't understand at first. "Here's the thing, after your deeds were reported, the company gathered your things and displayed them on several tables, originally just wanting to educate the whole company about hard work, but as it spread, people came to visit every day, and we couldn't refuse them."

Lei Feng followed the deputy instructor to the area near the vehicle yard, where three tables were lined up side by side. On one table was his "savings box," filled with scraps, screws, toothpaste tubes, and so on. On another table were the dustpan and broom he used while transporting cement to construction sites. The most eye-catching was the last table, which displayed his two pairs of patched shoes, a pair of socks with several colors of patches, and several military uniforms and pants that had been patched repeatedly. Some attentive visitors even counted, and found that Lei Feng's military uniform jacket had over 30 patches.

My Story

The battle between "Guardian" and "Kevlar".

"A small sewing kit, a revolutionary family heirloom..." Singing this song, wearing patched military uniforms, was once a scene in the military camp. This scenery is now hard to find. It's not that the sewing kit is no longer available, but that it is rarely needed today. With a new generation of uniforms starting to be trialed in the Hong Kong and Macau garrison, our military uniforms have undergone historic changes, whether in materials, styles, colors, or accessories, all narrowing the gap with developed countries in the world, and even adding a "bulletproof" function.

In an autumn at the end of the 20th century, the "Guardian" brand bulletproof vest developed by the General Logistics Department's Military Supply Equipment Research Institute was tested against the new "Kevlar" brand bulletproof vest from the United States at a shooting range. Before the experiment began, experts from across the ocean sat leisurely in reclining chairs, resting with their eyes closed. After a round of gunfire, the results surprised them: "Kevlar" was hit by five bullets, leaving two holes, while "Guardian" only had a few marks where the bullets had kissed.

The defeated opponent on the stage was unconvinced, especially after hearing that an American company wanted to import "Guardian" brand bulletproof vests in large quantities from China; they couldn't swallow this anger and proposed to conduct tests according to international practices and standards. A few days later, the test results organized by an international authoritative agency once again showed that "Guardian" was significantly superior to the American "Kevlar" in both bulletproof performance and weight, with a protective area 79% larger than "Kevlar." Previously, China had been listed by the United States as a target for bulletproof vest embargoes, but now, the "Guardian" brand bulletproof vest produced in China has opened up the international market, which ironically includes the United States.

Food Section

"Food is the heaven for the people." What about soldiers? It has long been said that "before the troops move, the supplies must be prepared..."

"Red rice, pumpkin soup, foraging for wild vegetables, also counts as food."... This is a song familiar to grandfathers. Back then, they were happy to get a little "leftover food." What about the parents? They still can't forget three numbers: "60 cents," "6 yuan," "60 yuan." "60 cents" is the daily food expense for each soldier, "6 yuan" is the monthly allowance for soldiers in their first year of service, and "60 yuan" is the monthly salary for grassroots cadres. Today, these numbers have multiplied several times for our generation.

Go into the company and take a look; many of the "main dishes" in the soldiers' plates—cabbage, radishes, potatoes—can no longer be the main dishes, as meat, eggs, and fish now take turns "on duty" for every meal. Most soldiers in the army now have milk and soy milk for breakfast, and eat eggs, with two or three types of staple foods and three or four dishes being a common occurrence.

Grandfather's Story

The "Wild Vegetable Identification Meeting" on the grass.

"This is shepherd's purse, this is huangjing, this is yuzhu..." A group of soldiers gathered together, tattered clothes, pale faces, but each with determined eyes and high morale. This is the scene of the "wild vegetable identification meeting" held by the Red Army during the Long March across the grasslands.

The grassland stretches for hundreds of kilometers, with swamps everywhere and no signs of human habitation. Before crossing the grassland, the Red Army had requested each soldier to carry 10 days' worth of rations, but due to insufficient supplies, the troops began to run out of food on the fourth day, relying only on foraging for wild vegetables and digging up grass roots to survive. Many soldiers could not distinguish whether some wild vegetables were poisonous, and some comrades experienced vomiting and diarrhea after eating them, their faces turning purple. Upon learning this, Commander Zhu De organized a "wild vegetable investigation team" to identify the wild vegetables collected by the soldiers; a "wild vegetable identification meeting" was held to guide everyone on what to pick. At that time, they not only found dozens of types of wild vegetables but also figured out more than ten ways to prepare them!

Father's Story

The scene of fried noodles in Beijing.

One day in 1952, leaders from the party, government, and military, including Zhou Enlai, visited some units in Beijing to observe how everyone was making fried noodles. While watching the workers, Premier Zhou rolled up his sleeves and joined them in making fried noodles. Why did this ordinary convenience food attract so many leaders from the party, government, and military?

The reason for this was as follows. At the beginning of the war in Korea, a major problem faced by the volunteer army was food. Due to enemy aircraft bombing and harassment, it was inconvenient for the troops to cook during the day. The logistics department of the Northeast Military Region suggested supplying cooked food and fried noodles. Consequently, the Northeast People's Government issued specific regulations on the quality, packaging, and concentration methods for fried noodles. Thus, a touching scene emerged across Northeast China and other regions, with men, women, and children mobilizing to make fried noodles.

My Story

"OK! The field rations of the Chinese team are excellent!"

In the "Ailna Assault 2001" International Scout Competition, representatives from 13 countries competed on the battlefield. On a stormy evening, the Chinese scout team lay in ambush among the trees by the river, waiting to break through the "enemy" lines after dark... The team members seized the opportunity to quietly eat their specially prepared dinner: some chewed on compressed dry food; some tore open a package, poured in some rainwater, and quickly produced steaming rice as if by magic; others poured water from their canteens into their lunch boxes, and after a few minutes, they enjoyed delicious noodles... After the competition, a member of the U.S. team expressed a desire to try our military's field rations. He took a bite of the quick single-soldier rice and a sip of soup, praising, "OK! So this is how delicious the field rations of the Chinese team are! Excellent!"

Although the research and development of our military's field rations started relatively late, thanks to the efforts of researchers, the new generation of field rations has not only achieved serialization, menu-based options, and hot meals but also integrates nutrition and flavor. Take the "soup" that soldiers drink, for example; there are actually three major categories totaling 18 varieties. With just a bit of water, a bowl of fragrant vegetable soup can be ready in a few minutes, providing energy and stimulating appetite. No wonder American competitors praised it endlessly after tasting!

Living Conditions

The history of our military's barracks is a mirror of our military's growth and a legacy of military culture...

In the past, grandfathers yearned for "upstairs and downstairs, electric lights and telephones," but they could only hum softly, "dry straw, soft and yellow, golden silk quilt, covering the body..." Staying in the homes of common people, finding shelter in "green gauze tents"...

A few years ago, soldiers from a border defense regiment on the Pamir Plateau happily moved from ice cellar-like "dry earth huts" to newly built apartments. Cadres from the Chengdu Military Region and Lanzhou Military Region, who had been stationed on the border for decades, began to have their own housing in large cities inland, and many people had tears streaming down their faces at that time. According to statistics, in the 1970s, over 80% of our military's cadres lived in substandard housing; now, over 70% of cadres live in standard apartments. This scene was something that not only grandfathers could not have imagined back then, but even parents did not expect it to change so quickly!

Grandfather's Story

The first note: "Return the door board"

Do you know the origin of the "Three Major Disciplines and Eight Points of Attention"? It was originally called "Three Major Disciplines and Six Points of Attention," personally formulated by Mao Zedong for the Workers' and Peasants' Red Army during the Jinggangshan period. The "Six Points of Attention" included "return the door board, tie up the straw, fair trade, speak politely, return borrowed items, and compensate for damaged items," with the first note being "return the door board." The Red Army fought guerrilla warfare and mobile warfare, living in makeshift conditions, with soldiers having to sleep under the sky and eat in the open. Therefore, they often borrowed door boards from local villagers to use as beds. At that time, a door board was a significant asset, not only for the locals but also for the Red Army. Thus, Mao Zedong established the discipline: after borrowing a door board from the locals, it must be returned promptly before departure. Later, during the Red Fourth Army's campaigns in southern Jiangxi and western Fujian, Mao Zedong, Zhu De, and Chen Yi added two more points to the "Six Points of Attention": "find a toilet for defecation, and avoid women when bathing." The Red Army's adherence to the "Three Major Disciplines and Eight Points of Attention" meant that wherever they went, they committed no minor offenses, and the people could see that the Red Army was truly a force fighting for the poor, thus actively joining the army and helping the Red Army win battles.

Father's Story

Let me tell you a riddle to guess.

"From a distance, it looks like a grave; up close, there's a door; upon closer inspection, there's someone inside." This was a catchy rhyme from the 1950s and also a riddle in the military camp at that time. Today's young soldiers may not know that the answer is actually the "arched" barracks where our military personnel live!

At the beginning of the founding of the country, the barracks of the people's army were almost a blank slate, except for the old barracks scattered in some ports, fortresses, and concessions. Commander Zhu De instructed, "We need to start building fixed barracks." However, the country was newly established, with many things needing to be done, and funds were extremely tight. The barracks budget in 1950 was allocated per person, equivalent to the price of 26 kilograms of millet per person per year.

A certain Red Army regiment was a heroic unit that followed Chairman Mao and Commander Zhu on the Long March. They worked with their own hands, collecting stones and timber from the mountains and dredging sand from the rivers, then, guided by locals, built walls with stones and constructed arched roofs, propping up a large triangle (locally called a cow horn) at both ends. This simple structure, referred to as "arched" by the locals, became their first-generation barracks. According to statistics from the barracks department, from 1950 to 1959, our military built over 70 million square meters of various simple structures like "dry earth huts" and "earth nests," basically solving the urgent housing needs of the troops and ending the history of our military renting civilian houses and living in temples.

My Story

Laughter and chatter come from the swimming pool.

"Blue Sky Community", "Today's Home"... In the tide of reform and opening up, as beautiful and well-equipped urban residential communities sprang up, the dream of a stable life for the Republic's soldiers began to become a reality, achieving a century-long transformation of the new generation of barracks.

On a day in August 2001, a certain Red Army regiment held a gathering for veterans and old heroes. Led by the regiment's leaders, the old comrades strolled through the neatly planned and lush green barracks, joyfully seeing that the seedlings they had planted in the past had grown into towering trees, and the low barracks they once lived in had turned into villa-style buildings. The uneven dirt roads had also become wide and clean cement roads... What surprised them even more was that the pond where they used to fetch water for bathing after training had now transformed into a first-class swimming pool. Hearing the laughter of soldiers in the pool, the old comrades were filled with emotion...

行 篇

Iron feet, small carts, mule-drawn, motorized, mechanized, fulfilling a century-long dream for Chinese soldiers!

"We are all flying soldiers, no matter how high the mountains or deep the waters..." During the war years, our grandfathers' iron feet once outpaced the enemy's car wheels. After the national liberation, although there were cars, mule-drawn artillery was still a delightful "modernization" in the army, and our fathers mainly relied on their two legs for marching. In the early days of the founding of the country, our army advanced into the Tibetan Plateau, a journey of over 1,000 kilometers to Tibet took the troops several months, and thousands of officers and soldiers sacrificed their lives on the way. During the Korean War, two of the three artillery divisions of the volunteer army were mule-drawn. In the mid-1980s, with the emergence of group armies, a large number of military horses were officially retired, and cars, armored vehicles, and helicopters became the main mobility forces of our army. Today, new soldiers travel to Tibet and old soldiers return from Tibet on Boeing 737s. Retired soldiers slept in border defense units the night before and were home the next day.

Grandfather's Story

"Flying Leg" crossed 350 kilometers in 5 days over the central plains of Anhui.

On June 26, 1946, the 1st Brigade of the 1st Division of the Central Plains Military Region completed its task of covering the main force's westward breakout, and under the leadership of Brigade Commander Pi Dingjun, they broke out eastward from Baique Garden. They entered the Dabie Mountains, and the telegram from Yan'an only repeated two words several times: Hurry! Hurry! Hurry...

7,000 soldiers marched and fought, fighting while marching. On July 13, they reached a place called Maotanchang, which was backed by the last mountain of the Dabie Mountains and faced the central plains of Anhui. To quickly escape danger, they began a continuous march for 5 days and nights, flying over 350 kilometers of the central plains of Anhui. Along the way, they did not camp, and the horses did not stop. At night, many comrades walked while sleeping with their eyes closed, and if they were not careful, they would fall into the rice fields, half their bodies covered in mud. Some comrades suddenly woke up, reached out to find no one in front, and hurried to catch up, only to bump into the comrades ahead, causing them to stumble; if they bumped into a gun barrel, they would inevitably leave a mark on their forehead.

Early that day, they reached Guanting Town on the Liuhe Highway, blocking more than 100 local militia members in their beds. The soldiers joked with the enemy: "Hey, get up, the People's Liberation Army is here!" The militia members actually got angry: "What are you making noise about! The People's Liberation Army is not flying legs!"

Little did they know, they really were "flying legs", covering 350 kilometers in 5 days. Finally, when they crossed the Jinpu Railway, a female comrade crawled over; she no longer had the strength to walk over the roadbed and railway. Finally, they saw the Huainan Brigade sent by the Suzhong Liberation Area to meet them! At this point, Pi Dingjun sat down on the ground, equally exhausted.

Ah, 5 days and 5 nights of flying soldiers on the plains! All relying on two legs!

Father's Story

28,000 camels were left with only over 8,000.

After the peaceful liberation of Tibet in 1951, the living support for our military and political personnel stationed in Tibet relied entirely on camel caravans for transport, with a round trip taking more than half a year. At that time, a few reactionaries in Tibet implemented a blockade against our military personnel stationed there, and they could only rely on 200 grams of food per day. In the spring of 1953, General Mu Shengzhong, then political commissar of the Tibet Transport Corps, personally organized 28,000 camels to transport grain into Tibet, resulting in a trail of camel bones left behind, with only over 8,000 camels remaining on the return trip. Despite this, the transport corps overcame difficulties and persisted in transportation, delivering a total of 1,390 tons of flour, 250 tons of soybeans, and 4,050 tons of medical supplies, generators, etc. In this rare and arduous advance in human history, more than 20 officers and soldiers from the Tibet Transport Corps sacrificed their lives.

My Story

A thousand miles of drills return in a day.

On a morning in September 1999, a green convoy consisting of dozens of military vehicles sped southward on a highway in northern Jiangsu, facing the morning light.

A certain mechanized unit stationed in northern Jiangsu was ordered to rush to a certain location in southern Jiangsu to assemble for military drills. According to the requirements, the march from the unit's station to the assembly area, a distance of over 200 kilometers, had to depart and arrive within the specified time.

At 7 a.m., after 2 hours and 30 minutes of marching, the troops arrived at the Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge on time as scheduled. After passing through the urban area, they headed straight for the Huning Expressway. The fully enclosed, multi-lane, smooth and clean road conditions allowed the military vehicles to charge forward like tigers, racing at full speed. More than 3 hours later, the convoy arrived at the assembly area ahead of schedule, and the officers and soldiers appeared lively at the drill site.

At around 6 p.m. that afternoon, the troops successfully completed their exercise tasks, singing all the way back in the twilight. "A thousand miles of drills return in a day." The unit leaders remarked: "A round trip of nearly 500 kilometers, the large unit moved in just over 7 hours, which was unimaginable in the past."

In 75 years of stormy journeys, stories about "clothing, food, housing, and transportation" testify to the rugged years, and the past is like a song...

A tree grows tall with its roots. The "clothing, food, housing, and transportation" of the soldiers are actually a microcosm of the people rising up under the leadership of the Communist Party, seeking basic needs and striving for a moderately prosperous life. The hardships faced by our grandfathers were because it was the time of fighting for the country, when the people were still in dire straits. For the sake of the people to be warm, well-fed, and well-housed, they endured hardships and fatigue willingly. From our fathers to us, life has become increasingly prosperous, thanks to the strengthening of the country after its founding, especially in the more than 20 years since the reform and opening up.

The happiness of the people is my happiness, and the soldiers will always share the same hardships and fate with the people!

"China National Defense News, July 23, 2002"