在1984年4月28日，118团 bravely launched an operation to reclaim the strategic position of Laoshan. After several hours of intense and fierce combat, the main assault unit successfully captured the summit of Laoshan. However, this triumph came at a devastating cost; the battle claimed the lives of 178 heroic soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice while still in their youth.
Among these 178 valiant souls, we remember five remarkable individuals: Li Yourong, Yang YuKui, Qin Anjin, Huang Xuanfu, and Hong Guoji. Hailing from various provinces and born in different decades, they all met their untimely end on that fateful day, April 28, 1984, with their average age being just around 20 years old.
At the Maliqipo Martyrs Cemetery, 978 martyrs find their eternal resting place, with a staggering 99% of them having left no descendants behind. After 38 years, these brave men still stand in formation, guarding the southern border of our nation with unwavering resolve and dignity.
Many of these martyrs waited in vain for their parents to come and pay their respects. Tragically, numerous parents, when they were young, could not afford the necessary travel expenses to visit them. By the time they grew old, their health deteriorated, ultimately leading them to depart this world carrying an immense sense of longing and regret for their fallen sons.
Martyr Li Yourong was a soldier in the 72nd squad of the 35207 unit, born in December 1964 in Hengxi West Village, and he belonged to the Han ethnic group. He enlisted in January 1984 and courageously lost his life in the self-defense counterattack against Vietnam on April 28, 1984, at the tender age of just 19. He was posthumously honored without any recorded merit. His remains are interred at Section 10, Plot 26 in the Maliqipo Martyrs Cemetery in Wenshan, Yunnan.
Martyr Yang YuKui, a soldier from the 59th squad of the 35207 unit and also a Han, came from Bazhong, Sichuan, born in December 1962. He joined the military in January 1983 and, just like Li, exhibited exceptional bravery on April 28, 1984, during the Laoshan operation. He was only 21 years old at the time of his sacrifice. His valor was recognized with a posthumous second-class merit award. He now rests peacefully at Section 10, Plot 28 of the same cemetery.
Martyr Qin Anjin, another soldier from the 73rd squad of the 35207 unit, hailed from Chengdu, Sichuan. Born in March 1964, he also enlisted in January 1983. On that fateful day, April 28, 1984, he bravely laid down his life at the age of just 20 in the battle at Laoshan. His acts of heroism earned him a posthumous third-class merit award. His final resting place is in Section 10, Plot 32 at the Maliqipo Martyrs Cemetery.
Martyr Huang Xuanfu served in the 60th squad of the 35205 unit and was born in November 1964 in Funing, Yunnan. He, too, enlisted in January 1984, and just three months into his service, he exhibited remarkable courage on April 28, 1984, when he fell during the counteroffensive, only 20 years old. His bravery was also recognized with a posthumous third-class merit award. Huang’s remains lie at Section 10, Plot 33 of the Maliqipo cemetery.
Finally, we remember Martyr Hong Guoji, a squad leader in the 72nd squad of the 35207 unit. Born in November 1961 in Heqing, Yunnan, he enlisted in January 1981. On April 28, 1984, he made the ultimate sacrifice at the age of 23 during the intense combat in Laoshan. His courageous deeds were honored with a posthumous third-class merit award. He rests at Section 10, Plot 41 in the Maliqipo Martyrs Cemetery.
