On the evening of May 31, 2016, peacekeeping force soldier Shen Liangliang was attacked by an extremist car bomb while on duty. In the last 37 seconds of a life-and-death crisis, he did not retreat at all. Instead, he chose to push away his comrades twice, in order to He died heroically when he stopped a car bomb from entering the camp. He was only 29 years old.
When everyone saw Shen Liangliang again, he was still holding the gun that existed for protection in his hand. At this time, the gun body was completely blackened, and he himself would never be able to take another look at the world he loved so much. He used his actions to interpret the meaning of a soldier, and gained the respect of his peers and even international friends. What kind of person is Shen Liangliang? What have you been through? How was he treated in the end?
"Blue Helmet" veteran
Shen Liangliang is a native of Wen County, Henan . Born in 1987, he has been yearning for life in the military camp since he was a child, determined to become a glorious PLA soldier. At the age of 18, he was drafted into the army and started a passionate military career.
Shen Liangliang did not have a high diploma and had no special skills before joining the army. However, he is willing to endure hardships, accept rigorous military training, and is not lazy in completing the instructions of his superiors. Therefore, under the competition of sweat and tears, he fought his way out of the siege, obtained the qualification of to be promoted to non-commissioned officer, , and was able to continue to stay in the army.
And the opportunity for him to realize his value soon came. In 2010, floods occurred in Jilin, seriously endangering people's safety. Shen Liangliang's unit was stationed nearby and immediately launched emergency rescue and disaster relief operations. When was selecting volunteers, Shen Liangliang was the first to sign up for the rescue team. He actively cooperated with his comrades, went through many dangers, rescued more than 50 people affected by the disaster, and won awards.
In 2013, Shen Liangliang changed his job again and came to the parking lot as the person in charge. is not a simple task, but it is not difficult in the eyes of those who are thoughtful. Shen Liangliang is proficient in countless vehicles that come in and out every day, various equipment performance, and fault points in certain places including simple repairs. In addition, he worked very hard and was positive in his daily work. He soon received attention again and was praised by his leaders many times.
Since joining the army in 2005, Shen Liangliang has worked in seven positions. During this process, he resolutely obeyed the arrangements of his superiors, worked conscientiously in each position, and did his best. Shen Liangliang's biggest dream is to join the peacekeeping force, but there were no places for Shen Liangliang's company in the previous dispatches, so his dream has never been realized.
Since the military coup in Mali , our country has sent a peacekeeping force to the war zone at the request of the United Nations. Shen Liangliang finally has a chance this time. He applied for many times, but something went wrong the first two times, and he had no choice but to pass by the "Blue Helmet". It was not until his third application in early 2016 that he officially passed the review, obtained a quota, and joined the peacekeeping force as he wished.
Shen Liangliang and his girlfriend who have been in love for many years were originally planning to get married, but because he had to apply for peacekeeping, and his girlfriend discussed the wedding and postponed the wedding , and planned to get married in 2016. It was originally agreed that she would get married this year no matter what, but by chance, Shen Liangliang's application was approved at this time, and he was about to leave for Mali, so the marriage had to be postponed again.
In fact, Shen Liangliang is about to retire from the army. He has served in the army for many years. According to the requirements of military reform, he is about to take off his military uniform and return to society to be an ordinary person who contributes silently. In order to bring his military career to a perfect end, and to give himself the best retirement gift, when faced with the opportunity to become a blue helmet warrior, he could only let down his girlfriend and choose to complete the mission without hesitation.
Before going abroad, Shen Liangliang went home to visit relatives for the last time. Due to military discipline, he did not explain his whereabouts to his family. He could only bid farewell to his relatives affectionately, and then took a plane to fly to Africa 10,000 kilometers away. No one expected that this separation would be forever, and Shen Liangliang would never be able to see his family again.
Peacekeeping missions
China began to participate in United Nations peacekeeping operations in 1990, and for the first time sent peacekeeping military observers to the Middle East war zone to assist local governments. In the following time, China continued to deepen its peacekeeping missions and slowly began to dispatch troops in an organized and large-scale manner, making important contributions to maintaining regional stability and world peace.
The Malian peacekeeping force where Shen Liangliang belongs was established in in July 2013. So far, there have been 9 batches of officers and soldiers, and each batch of officers and soldiers has served for about one year. Peacekeeping in Mali is of great significance in the history of our country's peacekeeping operations. Starting from this peacekeeping operation, China has successively dispatched security forces to participate in the operation, taking a crucial step.
Mali is a landlocked country in West Africa and is also one of the least developed countries in the world . Except for some agriculture, there is no decent industry at all, and the Malian people cannot even guarantee basic food and clothing. After the 21st century, the domestic political power in Mali is unstable, conflicts among various classes are prominent, and civil war may break out at any time.
Until 2012, there was a military coup in Mali and the local situation was chaotic. The new government requested external forces to intervene. France did its part and immediately launched military operations. France's thunderous strikes caused great damage to the rebels, but the situation in Mali became even worse. The huge damage caused by the war continued to worsen the living environment of civilians, and extremist forces also took the opportunity to develop their power and cause trouble.
So the United Nations began to dispatch peacekeeping troops to the Mali region, and the Chinese "blue helmets" started a new journey here. Generally speaking, few people dare to attack the United Nations peacekeeping forces, because they may be hit hard later.
However, the extremist forces in Mali have gone crazy, and the lower-level civilians are under the influence to attack the embassy and the peacekeeping force barracks without hesitation. Almost every month, peacekeeping forces in Mali suffer casualties.
The Gao camp where Shen Liangliang is stationed is the most dangerous place in Mali. He had heard about the dangers of peacekeeping before he came here. During the training, the instructor also repeatedly emphasized the importance of protecting one's own safety. But it wasn't until he actually arrived at the war zone that he gained a further understanding of the danger. On the first night after arriving at the camp, Shen Liangliang fell asleep to the sound of gunshots and explosions, which also taught him a vivid lesson.
From a purely practical perspective, peacekeeping operations are very training. The completely real battlefield conditions, changing situations, and severe external challenges are the best training for a soldier. Every day, peacekeepers must be fully armed, loaded with live ammunition, and be alert to face dangers that may come at any time.
Generally speaking, the Chinese peacekeeping force is mainly composed of engineers and medical soldiers. Shen Liangliang is a member of the engineering force and is also responsible for security and security tasks. In the first few days after arrived at the camp, Shen Liangliang was mainly familiar with the surrounding environment, helping the veterans, and gradually started training. There was no particularly urgent task.
Slowly, Shen Liangliang began to get used to it, got to know the new job position, and began to be exposed to some guarding and patrol tasks. And because Shen Liangliang had served for a long time and had senior qualifications, he was assigned the job of the main sentry. Relying on his strong adaptability, Shen Liangliang gradually became familiar with the camp and his working status improved greatly.
was suddenly attacked
Until May 31, 2016, everything changed. Shen Liangliang was on duty as usual that night. He and his comrades were in charge of the No. 2 guard post at the entrance of the camp. The peacekeepers have no nightlife. Except for occasional lighting, the camp is very quiet at night. At this time, Shen Liangliang suddenly discovered that three unidentified pickup trucks were rapidly approaching. He did not hesitate to sound the alarm, and the harsh sound spread throughout the camp.
Although Shen Liangliang had issued a warning, the oncoming pickup truck didn't care and even accelerated towards it.Car bombs are popular among extremists in Mali. Shen Liangliang had received relevant training before, so he immediately ordered his comrades to fire warning shots. When no results were obtained, he shot decisively, hoping to intercept the truck outside the camp.
The pickup truck was shot and there were speed bumps on the ground, so it slowed down a bit and hit the protective wall. The enemy's situation was unclear, so Shen Liangliang pushed his comrades out of the post twice and asked him to evacuate first, while he stayed at the scene to continue observing and deal with emergencies at any time. At the last moment of danger, before Shen Liangliang could run out, the bomb exploded. The entire sentry tower was blown to pieces, and all the water and electricity systems in the camp were destroyed.
When the peacekeepers cleaned up the ruins the next day, they only found Shen Liangliang's broken body, with a charred rifle still pressed under him. The soldier in charge did not let go of the weapon until he died.. There were more than thirty seconds between the pickup truck and the explosion. Shen Liangliang could have taken advantage of this opportunity to escape, but he did not do so. Instead, he insisted on his duty as a sentry and stood until the last moment.
Just imagine, if Shen Liangliang hadn’t warned in advance that night and hadn’t given the camp time for emergency response, the casualties might have been unimaginably heavy. Shen Liangliang defended the honor of the Chinese military with his life and fulfilled his mission gloriously.
html On the afternoon of June 9, Shen Liangliang’s body was sent back to China. Eight soldiers of honor slowly carried his coffin off the military plane. The surrounding scene was solemn. On June 10, Shen Liangliang’s troops held a memorial service to bid farewell to his body. Twenty-nine soldiers fired guns to pay tribute to the martyrs.
At the request of Shen Liangliang’s family, on June 13, the ashes of martyr Shen Liangliang were transported back to Wen County and placed in the Wen County Martyrs Cemetery. On this day, the streets of Wen County were filled with people. Tens of thousands of people spontaneously bid farewell to this hero who had returned from abroad. Various banners were stretched out for miles. The people in his hometown expressed their feelings to Shen Liangliang, a young man from Wen County. The highest respect.
After Shen Liangliang's funeral affairs were settled, the country gave him the greatest recognition and award. His family will not have to worry about living expenses, and all expenses will be borne by the country. Even so, the pain of losing a loved one cannot be easily erased. People who were alive before have become what they are now in a blink of an eye, and it is not easy for anyone to suffer.
Fortunately, Shen Liangliang still has older brothers and sisters, so he doesn't have to worry about his parents having no one to support him. 's girlfriend who had been dating before was about to get married. However, after going to Mali for peacekeeping, the wedding was postponed again. The two planned to get married after they were discharged from the army. But now, neither Shen Liangliang nor his girlfriend can wait for the wedding they have been waiting for for several years. He will sleep underground forever.
From the beginning of 2016, when Shen Liangliang applied to participate in peacekeeping operations, to May 18, when he officially entered Mali, and finally died on May 31, his peacekeeping career of just ten days was the last song of Shen Liangliang's life. When Shen Liangliang was about to retire from the army, he still chose to contribute to the motherland in the end. However, he never thought that he would return to the country in this way.
People's Hero
Shen Liangliang's title of martyr was approved shortly after his sacrifice. The United Nations also approved his request to award him a medal in 2017. He brought glory to the country with his personal strength and gained recognition from the international community.
On September 17, 2019, the state awarded Shen Liangliang the title of "People's Hero" and was elected "The Most Beautiful Struggler". The whole army and society carried out the main activity of learning from Shen Liangliang, strengthened patriotism education, followed in the footsteps of the hero, and never forgot the original intention. , keep the mission in mind.
There was a touching scene at the award ceremony. Shen Liangliang’s honor was received by his father on his behalf. This was an absentee award ceremony.Later, when being interviewed by the host, Shen Liangliang's father also said emotionally:
"Liangliang's sacrifice was not in vain. The country and the government still remember him. Dad is here to receive the award for you!"
After Shen Liangliang's sacrifice, every time When the peacekeeping troops arrived in Mali, the first thing they did was to mourn Shen Liangliang and learn the heroic spirit. Every year, newly recruited soldiers from Wen County will pay homage to Shen Liangliang’s deeds and remember the martyrs at the Martyrs Cemetery. As for Shen Liangliang's troops during his lifetime, they also often carried out learning activities and received instruction from his heroic deeds.
After the outbreak, Shen Liangliang’s parents also wanted to contribute to the fight against the epidemic. They donated 10,000 yuan to the Red Cross on January 31, 2020, inspiring more people to contribute their efforts to the epidemic. In the following years, Shen Liangliang's family never forgot the care given to them by the country, strictly demanded themselves, and did their best to help the government.
China has participated in United Nations peacekeeping for more than 30 years, and has sent a total of 22,000 officers and soldiers. 7 peacekeepers, including Shen Liangliang, died in a foreign country forever, making indelible contributions to maintaining regional peace. The sacrifices of these outstanding soldiers will not be in vain. They will always be remembered by the people, and those who come after will be more determined to move forward.
The peacekeeping troops dispatched by China are all engineering, transportation and medical logistics support troops. No offensive troops have ever entered foreign territory. This undoubtedly demonstrates China's peace-loving and common development philosophy. When conducting peacekeeping operations, Chinese soldiers have been unanimously recognized for their extremely strong operational capabilities and obedience concepts, and they have completed a number of complex tasks, allowing the world to see China's speed.
For those countries in need, China has never been stingy and provided free support for a number of basic supplies to ensure people's livelihood. China has a high voice among the local people. For example, in Libya, China's "Blue Helmets" actively helped local post-war reconstruction, guided farmers to grow rice, taught various technologies, and built several roads, which touched many local people.
At the same time, the Chinese peacekeeping troops have strong combat effectiveness. No matter how difficult and tiring the mission is, even if they need to sacrifice their lives, Chinese soldiers will never retreat. When countries in Africa and the Middle East were in war, China's peacekeeping forces eased the situation, remained neutral, and effectively resolved regional disputes.
It is precisely with countless "blue helmets" like Shen Liangliang and such an army that is willing to endure hardships that China has an unstoppable peacekeeping force and has demonstrated a good image of the Chinese army.
Currently, China has a total of 10 peacekeeping forces operating overseas. They live with the roar of guns and artillery every day and bear huge risks. However, these cannot shake the sense of mission of Chinese peacekeepers such as Shen Liangliang. With the blessing of honor and belief, they move forward bravely and unswervingly complete their tasks, demonstrating the spirit of Chinese soldiers and making China do its best to promote the peaceful development of the region and the world. Responsibility, give thumbs up to these bravest people!
