Wang Wei--Guardian of Territorial Airspace and WatersIn the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. On the morning of April 20, Jiang Zemin, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, Chinese president, and chairman of the Central Military Commission, as well as Li Peng, Zhu Rongji, Wei Jianxing and other central leading comrades, had a cordial meeting with "Guardian of Territorial Airspace and Waters" Wang Wei's wife Ruan Guoqin and his parents. Comrade Wang Wei laid down his young life for defending State sovereignty and security; "Comrade Wang Wei's spirit is immortal, people will remember him forever." President Jiang's voice was resounding through the Great Hall of the People and reverberating through the 10,000-li (one li = 0.5 km) rivers and mountains of the motherland. Over the past short 20 days, President Jiang has made repeated instructions on the search for Wang Wei; he signed the Order for granting Wang Wei the honorary title "Guardian of Territorial Airspace and Waters"; and issued the call on learning from Wang Wei. That is the highest commend and award granted by the Party Central Committee and the Central Military Commission for an ordinary soldier who sacrificed himself in defense of the country. Having the Motherland at Heart, Letting Ideals Glitter in One's Work-PostOn March 31, 2001, Saturday. At 6:30 pm, Wang Wei gave a phone call from the flying squadron to his wife, telling her with apologies, "Since our squadron is short of hands, I work on behalf someone else, so I can't go home this evening" Ruan Guoqin never expect that that was the final farewell between husband and wife.On April 1, Wang Wei finished flying the final course of his life with his devotion. The instant of his glorious life stemmed from his unremitting pursuit of his lofty ideals. When he was still a middle school student, Wang Wei had set a firm ideal of joining the army to serve the country. In his diary he wrote, "To be a brave eagle soaring in the azure sky is my greatest pursuit!" It was this pursuit that had spurred him to give up the opportunity to enter his name for an examination to study in a local university, to abandon his artistic aptitude with great potential for development, and give up the rare chance for doing business. In June 1986, Wang Wei became a glorious aviation cadet of a military academy as he desired. Through four years of training in the military academy, with his devotion he explained the meaning of responsibility, with excellent marks for each course, he got the pass for flying over the blue sky. In his childhood Wang Wei had been yearning for the vast sea. In his eyes, looking at the vast, boundless sea would make one as selfless and broad-minded as the vast sea; listening to the endless roaring waves would make one have a brave and staunch willpower. In June 1991 when Wang Wei graduated from an aviation school of the air force, he volunteered to work at a naval unit. In choosing the place to go, he determinedly asked to go to the remotest corner of the country to guard the south gate of the motherland. Although his relatives and friends hoped that he could be assigned to Shanghai, Hangzhou or Changzhou near his hometown, and although he, as the only son of his parents, wanted to show his love for and devotion to them and reduce their worry, he, however, did not change his initial intentions. In the face of his relatives and friends, he said with deep feeling, "Everybody is yearning for a happy life, but there invariably should be people to sacrifice. For me, the need of the motherland is always my only choice." Soon after he got married, Wang Wei again convinced his parents, and persuaded his wife to follow him to the army unit. Hainan's Lingshui and Zhejiang's Huzhou cannot be mentioned in the same breath whether in terms of living condition or of weather condition. After his wife followed him to the army, she did not have a decent work, she could not but work at the service department of the army unit and her income was much less than in Huzhou, but his wife did not complain to him, she knew that her husband was punctilious toward his flying undertaking; in Wang Wei's mind's eye, there was nothing more sacred and proud than piloting a fighter jet to patrol for the motherland. Ruan Guoqin clearly remembers that when Wang Wei came home to see his family members, one of Wang's classmates in the aviation school, who was later transferred to work in the civil aviation department, came to his home as guest, he told Wang that his income was more than 10 times that he got in the army unit and he had his own house and car.. When he asked Wang about his future plan, Wang answered calmly, "Everybody has the chance to make money, but not everyone has the opportunity to wear army uniform to serve the motherland." During that vacation, whenever he heard the roar of the aircraft in the air, Wang would excitedly hurry out, look up to the sky, and feel reluctant to go indoor. The thoughtful wife knew her husband could not leave his sacred post and his flight eagle which he was dreaming of day and night, she could not but allow him to return to his army unit ahead of time. As a young pilot of the Republic, Wang Wei was implementing his pledge of "letting his ideal glitter at his post". Each time when the army unit reshaped a new plane model, he was invariably the first to sign up to participate. Once, Wang Wei learned that the task of remodeling a certain type of fighter jet would soon to begin, in order to get this opportunity, he persuaded his wife who was then pregnant for the first time to undergo an induced abortion, Wang Wei said to his wife with feeling, "I don't want to miss the opportunity to fly a new type of airplane, it's my greatest wish to fly 10 or eight types of airplane when I'm still young." With tears in her eyes, the wife promised him. Wang Wei, with his wish being met, threw himself heart and soul into the study and mastery of new equipment. In order to check his proficiency in the new models of airplane, he asked his comrades-in-arms to ask him questions by turns, and he volunteered to take up the challenges, he hoped someone would baffle him with questions. Several months later, he was the first to pilot a new-type fighter to cruise the territorial airspace and waters of the motherland. In the spring of 1998, when Wang Wei who had flown two types of airplane learned that the army unit would soon be equipped with homemade advanced fighters, he again applied for membership of the first group to fly. Someone persuaded him, saying, "Once the plane is reshaped, it will start from the very beginning, and you will become a new pilot. People with the flying skills like you would have been promoted to be a brigade head long before." Wang Wei was not shaken by that. He said, "I don't care of being an officer, so long as I can fly a new type of airplane at an early date, I'm willing to do that no matter how great a price I have to pay." In the past short years, Wang Wei, with his devotion to the flying undertaking, had acquired perfect skill in proficiently mastering three types of fighters and become an outstanding sea and airspace defender of the south gate of the motherland. In the daily record of a flight regiment, it was recorded the glittering flight course of Wang Wei: By March 31, this year, Wang had accomplished 1152 hours and 6 minutes of safety flights and conducted more than 2000 sorties of takes-off. This group of figures represent a magnificent song of ideals composed with his youth. Practicing Hard and Conducting Accurate Flight, Sharpening Long Sword Leaning on Sky with His SweatIn the 15 years of his flying career, Wang Wei had continually written one admiring "first" after another:Among the same year students of the aviation school, he was the first to soar to the blue sky for solo flight; In the three-time equipment upgrading in the army unit, he was each time the first to shoulder the combat ready on-duty task; Among the same group of pilots, he was the first to have completed flying 1,000 hours, becoming an "all-weather" airman capable of flying under four kinds of meteorology; Among pilots of the same age group, he had conducted the most combat takes-off and carried out the largest number of important tasks. These numerous "firsts" confirmed Wang Wei's hard practices and accurate flights. "Seamen love the vast sea, cavalrymen love the grasslands, if a pilot is asked about what he loves, he would answer: "I love the blue sky of the motherland.". "I love the blue sky of my motherland" is the song which pilots best love to listen to and sing. At a get-together welcoming new airmen held by a certain air arm of the Navy, Wang Wei, who had just come, stood up of his own accord and directed everybody present to sing songs expressing their lofty aspirations. In an effort to build up the perfect flying ability, in equipment updating each time, Wang Wei persisted in hard practice and accurate flying, painstakingly studied the theory of equipment, and repeatedly practiced each flying movement. The notes on training he accumulated were often printed and bound into books which became the teaching materials for studies by his comrades-in-arms. He took the lead in the regiment to use computer programming the knowledge of flying theory and tactical theory and transforming them into life-like figures, so as to enhance the result of study. In the face of the new technological field, he studied hard item by item. He would digest and absorb the contents he learned in the day concerned, even when he went home or was on duty in the out-field, he would take out a notebook to note down a theory and learn a group of data by heart. Sometimes, in order to get a good grasp of a theory, he would lie before the schematic diagram and deduce it to and fro and often did not move a single step for three to four hours. In the early spring of 2000, the regiment organized night formation course training, Wang Wei flew a wing plane. For night training the light was dim. He felt that it was not easy to judge the distance of lead aircraft and wing plane, a poor judgement of the distance would give rise to some unsafe factors. In those days, Wang Wei, besides asking old comrades for advice, stealthily pondered and figured out some ideas. It happened that during that period of time, his comrades-in-arms living in the same room were out on official business, he quietly worked overtime at night after the light was turned off. One night when he lay on bed he was still thinking of the night formation flight. Suddenly a ray of moonlight streaked in from the crack of a door, which touched his inspiration all of a sudden, he turned over and sat up, he took out two torch lights, compared them respectively to the navigation lights of the lead aircraft and wing plane, he walked to and fro alone in the room, pondered over the matter repeatedly, trying to use this method to judge the distance between himself and the lead aircraft. On that day when formal night formation training was conducted, Wang Wei got good flying result as expected. Wang Wei had a very strong "forward" awareness, he always fixed his eyes at the commanding height of modern, high technology. When the regiment established a new operational method study group, he was the first to sign up to join the regiment's operational method research office where he went there most frequently. Last year, when the regiment conducted an operational study, Wang Wei took the initiative to undertake that part of graphical demonstration. Using three dimensional cartoons, he demonstrated the operational method skillfully and made it into multi-media for all to learn from. .In the eye of Wang Wei, an outstanding pilot must be one of an intelligent type. He must not only be able to fly perfectly in the air, but also be able to use his brains. His study of the operational method was exceedingly wide ranging, he should not only thoroughly study the various planes of his opponent, but should have a good grasp of the war ships of his adversary. He should not only study how to fire at airplanes, but also study how to launch missiles. Whether he was engaged in confrontation with warships and planes, or in joint training of heterotypic planes; whether he played the red part or served as a member of the blue army, he could fulfill the task with credit. Strict training, scientific operation and flying in accordance with regulations had forged Wang Wei's strong and vigorous wings: The book, Regulations on International Aviation Flights, had been read over so often that it had become deckle-edged. He had learned all the important provisions inside thoroughly by heart. In the division's contest of knowledge of flight rules and international law, he won the excellent award with full marks. Wang Wei had a "treasured object" which he could not do without even for a moment, that was his treasured computer, which was "a handbook deposited with information about the handling of special situation in the air". As long as he was free, he would open it and reviewed it carefully. In his experience of flying over 2,000 sorties, he had accumulated rich experiences in flying over the sea, phenomena of "mistake, forgetfulness and leakage" and signs of accident had never occurred. He cherished high aspirations in his heart, and he flew freely over the high heaven. Wang Wei constantly chalked up new high level in his flight training. Whether in regard to high and difficult flying skills or in terms of formation combat movements, he could keep calm and quiet, coping with each action freely and easily. Once in a joint exercise on the sea, Wang Wei flew the No.4 plane in the four-plane formation flight. In the sky, the flights at the back must coordinate with the planes in front. The farther was a plane flying behind, the more difficult it was to control. Wang Wei's No. 4 plane was the last one. So it was imaginable how difficult it was. In order to ensure good coordination and keep the formation a good looking, Wang Wei made a quantitative analysis of the direction and velocity of wind, cloud and mist, visibility, ground objects of reference and other flying parameters in the computer, worked out various plans in advance, typed them on cards and distributed them to every crew member. Through strict accurate training, in their formation flights, they accomplished close formation flights through clouds and other highly difficult actions, reaching the designated airspace without the difference of even one second, thus earning them the praises from the leaders of the Central Military Commission who watched the exercise. Success in Carrying out the Assignment, Forging a Dignified Monument with Righteous ArdorAt 8:36 April 1, an action warning suddenly sounded. Wang Wei and Zhao Yu rushed toward their fighter jets like making a 100 -meter dash toward the tape. They did not remember how many times they had been aroused suddenly from their beautiful dreams by such warnings, nor did they remember how many times they conducted such emergency takes-off that broke their holiday tranquillity.In recent years, US military reconnaissance planes have carried out frequent activities off China's coastal waters, conducted air surveillance over China's coastal areas, thus constituting serious threats to China's security. A naval air arm at the outpost of the South China Sea time and again dispatched fighter jets to track and kept the US planes under surveillance in order to defend our State sovereignty. Wang Wei and his comrades-in-arms were carrying out their tasks of conducting at most three batches of emergency aircraft takes-off a day. In tracking and keeping a watch time and again on US military reconnaissance planes, they displayed a strong sense of righteousness, firmness and fearlessness and loyalty in performing their sacred mission of defending the sovereignty and dignity of the State. On the eve of the lunar New Year of 1999, the people of the whole country were joyously greeting the happy traditional festival. At 11:30 a.m., at the sound of a burst of piercing warning, Wang Wei and Duan Hui who were on combat duty immediately put down their rice bowls, piloted their planes and soared to the sky. As the target was coming nearer, it revealed itself to be a large US military electronic surveillance plane! They found that sitting in the cockpit were pilots wearing "Christmas caps". In the West, the kindly Father Christmas sends people blessing and is the symbol of peace and good luck. But at that time, the pilot in "Christmas cap" of a country's military reconnaissance plane was approaching the airspace of another sovereign State, and the "Christmas gifts" sent in were threat and provocation! January 24 of this year was the first Spring Festival of the new century. US military reconnaissance planes came again for scouting harassment. They seemed to have specially chosen this occasion to come to make troubles. Wang Wei and his comrade-in-arm Gao Bingli were ordered to deal with the "old opponents". During the 7-day Spring Festival holidays, the two pilots took off on combat missions. To track and keep watch on foreign military planes that approached China for reconnaissance purpose is in the need of safeguarding China's national security and is fully conforming with international practices. To date, the "uninvited guest" came again! Wang Wei and Zhao Yu immediately soared to the sky. Their fighters flew straight to the sea and sky, soared to a higher altitude, adjusted their flying course, made air formation, and flew toward the targetˇ. A few minutes later, Wang Wei and Zhao Yu discovered there was a large plane on the left front. They approached the target and quickly decided that it was the EP-3 military electronic reconnaissance plane of the United States, which was getting near the open sea of Sanya in China's Hainan Island for reconnaissance. Wang Wei and Zhao Yu quickly adjusted the course of flight and piloted the fighter planes to fly in the same direction and at the same speed. as that of the US plane. Wang Wei and Zhao Yu had dealt with the cunning US military reconnaissance plane many times, so they were well aware of the fact that the US military scouting plane often took advantage of the difference in the performances of the planes of both sides, especially exploited its strong point of being good at flying at low speed, it played various tricks and intrigues, such as "reducing speed," and "flying through clouds", in an attempt to shake off our tracking plane. The frantic and arrogant US plane now flew now up and now down and suddenly took sloping turns left and right and time and again conducted very dangerous actions to provoke pilots of the Chinese side. This time, Wang Wei and Zhao Yu of course knew how to cope with this "old rival". They kept calm and quiet, they took a steady formation flight over China's Hainan Island, the American EP-3 was on the outboard. Suddenly, the US plane took a drastic turn, ramming into Wang Wei's plane! The outboard propeller of the left wing of the US plane smashed the vertical tail of the plane piloted by Wang Wei into pieces. Wang Wei's fighter jet gave out a tragic roar and rolled down from the right side. At that moment, Zhao Yu, piloting the lead aircraft, found it hard to believe that from the fallen plane still came the voice of Wang Wei's report, saying, "The plane was out of control." Wang Wei was continuing to fly his fighter jet which was already out of control. One second, two seconds, .eight seconds, nine seconds,ˇ.Wang Wei who put personal life and death out of consideration tossed in the air together with the falling fighter jet, he made the final dash in order to rescue the fighter with his flesh and blood. Zhao Yu gave the loud order, "Parachute!" There was no response, except the howling sea; although everything went off in a hurry, it was a leisurely farewell, Wang Wei left his beloved fighter plane, just like a shooting star using its last light to mark out a magnificent rainbow on the edge of the sea and the sky. The parachute dropped down slowly, an unyielding eagle circled and circled over the South China Seaˇ. The fighter jet flew toward the vast sea in a heroic and stirring way, stirring up huge, soaring waves, erecting a solemn and dignified monument. Showing Ardent Love for Life and Writing Real Life with AffectionIn these days, in the barracks and dormitory where Wang Wei once lived and worked, bundles of plums and kamuning and other flowers, bathed in the spring sunshine, were in full bloom. Looking at these potted flowers of different shapes planted personally by Wang Wei, comrades-in-arms couldn't help weeping.Wang Wei was very fond of the plum blossom with great vitality. During his spare time, Wang molded them into different shapes of heroic airplanes, some like fighters, some like bombers and others like two fighter jets in formation flight. He infused his ardent love for the flying cause and his pursuit of happy life into each flower and tree. Wang Wei, like a ball of fire, was filled with passion for life. On the cover of his notebook, he sketched with a pen his head portrait wearing a helmet, on the upper left corner was painted with a fighter plane soaring direct into the clouds, in the lower left corner was written a line of vigorous regular scripts "I fly freely over the high sky". In Wang Wei's computer there is deposited an unfinished rough sketch of painting. On the upper side is a fully armed pilot who pilots a fighter flying in the sky over the waters, the lower side is the outline of a huge war vessel. At the time when he was sketching, his wife Ruan Guoqin standing by his side appraised the work, saying, "This painting of yours has quite a leading sense." Wang said to his wife, "A modern soldier will not be up to his job if he fails to fix his eyes on the future.". On the evening of March 30 this year, Wang Wei, who was back from home and on duty in the army unit, told his wife, "When May Day holidays come, I'll finish drawing it." Wang Wei had gone in a hurry, so hasty that he did not have time to express his lofty aspirations with colorful language, but what he left to the people was a scroll of heroic pictures drawn with life and blood. Wang Wei who had an ardent love for life had created a space of happy life with his talent. In order to enrich the cultural life of the barracks, he gave play to his artistic aptitude and taught his comrades-in-arms to sing songs; when singing contests were organized in the army unit, he invariably acted as conductor and leading singer; he was very fond of fine art and had created many oil paintings that reflect the lively life of airmen, which had won awards many times in contests organized by the higher level; he had a fantasy for photography, taking pictures one after another for his comrades-in-arms and relatives; he had published blackboard newspapers one issue after another for the brigade and squadron , the image indication he designed for the airmen's club is novel and unique with great originality, adding one bright scenic line after another for the barracks. "When a person who dedicates his most valuable thing to the motherland and the people, his life is also most glorious." Wang Wei treated his comrades-in-arms and others with warm, sincere and broad love. When soldier Shi Cehua was assigned to work in the kitchen, he was in low mood at work.. In order to help Shi to establish a correct attitude toward the assigned work, whenever Wang was free he would have a heart-to-heart talk, play chess or have a walk with Shi, he also sent books about cooking art to Shi. Wang's true feeling and loving care had moved Shi. Gradually Shi could do his cooking work contentedly, and before long Shi became a squad leader and joined the Communist Party organization. In the regiment, comrades-in-arms liked to ask Wang for help when there was need. When a soldier needed to have a haircut, Wang would come when he was called; when a soldier signed up for examination for entry into a military academy, Wang would coach him in his lessons; when a fraternal unit asked Wang for help in art lettering, Wang never declined. When Wang learned that daughter of pilot Liu Changsong contracted acute pneumonia and was hospitalized, he went to the regiment leader, demanding that he would volunteer to be on duty for Liu, so that Liu could go to take care of his daughter. When his comrade-in-arm Ye Chaosong wanted to learn how to use computer, Wang Wei taught him by demonstrating, with the result that Ye very soon mastered the skill of computer operation. Seeing that Pan Jiawei, secretary of the brigade often had to hurry to and fro to help buy new liquid gas storage tank for the home of a pilot, thinking this a very hard job, Wang Wei gave his own bike to Pan. Wang Wei loved his kinsfolk deeply. In the eyes of his wife Ruan Guoqin, he is a tender and considerate husband. Although his wife had gone with him to the army unit, due to the special vocational requirements for pilots, they invariably faced more occasions of separation than union. Wang Wei had only one or two days a week to go home for dinner, each time when he went home he would invariably prepare several dishes with the flavor of his hometown, which were to the liking of his wife. In August last year, on the occasion of their wedding commemorative day, Wang Wei specially bought a piece of beautiful pure silk material for his wife to make to order fashionable skirts. In February and March of this year, Ruan Guoqin was sick and hospitalized, Wang Wei took care of her day and night, concocted medicine for her. He promised his wife, "When you regain your health, I would take you home to see our parents and be with our child, so that we could enjoy the happiness of a family union." Wang Wei, your kinsfolk are calling you, your comrades-in-arms are calling you, people are calling you! You left in spring, mountain flowers everywhere are become woven garlands for you; you left from the sky and the sea, immortal elegiac couplets are written for you amid white clouds and blue waves. Hero Wang Wei, you are immortal in the vast sea! Upper picture: On the morning of April 1, this year, an American EP-3 military electronic reconnaissance plane approached the sky over the sea area southeast of China's Hainan Island for scouting activities, Wang Wei, shouldering the combat ready on-duty task, was ordered to pilot a plane to soar into the sky to carry out tracking and watching the US plane. Violating flight rules, the US plane rammed into and destroyed the plane piloted by Wang Wei. Wang parachuted in accordance with the order of the lead aircraft. The all-out search by military and civilian forces proved unfruitful, Wang Wei had died a hero's death. Pictured here is Wang Wei , "Guardian of the Territorial Airspace and Waters" Lower picture: Group photo of Wang Wei and his son, taken when he was alive. |
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