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In 1960, Sun Qihua was selected for a third time. Each team member trained as hard as before, leading the naval array to win first prize during the rehearsals. But to everyone's shock, the military parade was canceled just a few days before National Day.
From 1959, severe natural disasters hit China, subjecting the country to famine for three consecutive years. Under these circumstances, the central government decided to constrict the annual military parades to "smaller celebrations to take place every five years and larger events every ten years." Nevertheless, the parades were not reinstated again until 1984.
Like other Chinese people of that generation, Sun Qihua faced all the various political movements that took place during that 20-year period, but never left his beloved naval force.
Peaceful, Civilized and Mighty
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The naval phalanx of 2009. Dong Ning | The central government decided to once again hold a grand celebration for the 35th National Day.
Sun Qihua had patiently waited 25 years for this moment. In 1984, the 44-year-old veteran was made head coach of the naval formation. He took the lead position, guiding his troops past the Tian'anmen Rostrum.
At that very moment, villagers in his hometown were gathering to watch the parade on TV, and they were overcome with tears as they saw Sun Qihua's figure appear. Deng Xiaoping, then chairman of the Central Military Commission, was moved to issue an order of commendation to the naval array for their outstanding performance.
In 1999, for the military parade commemorating the nation's 50th anniversary, Sun Qihua, retired by then, was invited once again to fulfill the role of head coach for the naval array. Throughout the summer, Sun Qihua and his soldiers withstood the scorching sun and burning heat, practiced their formation drills and marched every day. Sun did not personally participate in the parade himself, yet he still felt tremendous pride and joy watching his men march with pinpoint precision and invincible gallantry across the Tian'anmen Square. This time, the naval formation once again received awards from the Central Military Commission.
From the 1950s onwards, when he was carried by Soviet trucks through the square during the parade, till today, when domestically produced cutting-edge ordnance are stealing the show, the veteran acquired a deeper understanding of the parade itself: presenting to the entire nation and the world the great achievements in China's national defense and military modernization is the heart of the matter.
"The Military parade is more than a ceremony, a formality in itself; more importantly, it embodies the spirit of the military and the nation. The parade is also an exhibition, where Chinese military forces – the 'peaceful, civilized and mighty army' – embodies the resolution with which China defends state security, the interests of development and world peace. At the same time, it boosts Chinese people's patriotism," Sun says. "For us, our sweat, even our pain, in comparison with the spiritual heights gained, is really negligible." |
