**Interview with Veteran Wei Fenglun: A Cowherd’s Journey from the Battlefield to English Proficiency**
**By Wu Qingwen**
**Interviewer**: Wei Fenglun, it’s a privilege to meet you and hear your incredible story. Let’s go back 72 years to the Korean War and your experiences during the Shangganling Campaign. Can you paint a picture of what that battle was like?
**Wei Fenglun**: It was chaotic and terrifying. During the day, we were under constant bombardment; the sound of artillery was deafening and the ground shook beneath us. At night, we would try to approach the enemy’s bunkers stealthily. I remember one particular night, I shouted, “Stand! Don’t Move! Surrender no killing!” in English. That was my way of urging the enemy soldiers to surrender peacefully.
**Interviewer**: That’s remarkable! You delivered those orders in English. How did you come to learn the language?
**Wei Fenglun**: I grew up in a very poor family in Guangxi. After losing my parents at an early age, I had to tend to cattle at 12 to support my grandparents. When I joined the army, I didn’t have formal education, but I picked up bits of English from other soldiers and my experiences.
**Interviewer**: Your journey to enlisting in the military sounds intriguing. What led you to join the People’s Liberation Army?
**Wei Fenglun**: In November 1949, after the liberation of our county, we were finally able to stand on our own. In April 1950, our village was encouraged to enlist, and I didn’t hesitate to join. I became part of the 146th Division of the PLA, eventually stationed in Hainan for coastal defense.
**Interviewer**: You must have faced difficult circumstances while traveling to the front lines. Can you describe that experience?
**Wei Fenglun**: Absolutely. In September 1952, my unit was ordered to the Northeast to reinforce the front lines. We traveled for days—walking through the night to avoid enemy detection, resting during the day. We had to cleverly blend in with the snowy environment using our coats.
**Interviewer**: Once you reached the battlefront, how did the situation unfold?
**Wei Fenglun**: Every day was filled with fierce combat. We faced relentless assaults. I remember the intense moment when our unit was tasked to hold a position at Shangganling. The enemy would bombard us from the air first before sending in troops. We fought bravely, but it was heartbreaking to see so many comrades fall.
**Interviewer**: You mentioned a particularly harrowing experience during the battle. Can you share that story with us?
**Wei Fenglun**: Yes, one day while I was outside a bunker with my commander, a mortar shell exploded nearby, killing him instantly. I narrowly escaped, but many of my fellow soldiers didn’t. After over a month of fierce fighting, we had managed to repel numerous enemy attacks, but out of the original 232 men in our unit, only 26 of us remained to hold the position.
**Interviewer**: It’s incredible that you not only survived such brutal conditions but also managed to capture enemy soldiers. Can you tell us about that?
**Wei Fenglun**: During a nighttime operation in mid-November, along with two unit mates, I sneaked up to an enemy bunker. I shouted my less-than-perfect English commands, and surprisingly, three American soldiers surrendered willingly.
**Interviewer**: What happened after the Shangganling Campaign?
**Wei Fenglun**: We continued our mission along the eastern coast of Korea for seven more months until the armistice in 1953. I later trained at the Fifth Infantry School and eventually joined the Communist Party. In 1963, I transitioned to a civilian job at a chemical factory, and in 1992, I proudly retired.
**Interviewer**: Thank you, Wei Fenglun, for sharing your remarkable life story and experiences. Your bravery and resourcefulness are truly inspiring.
