Tu Tongjin
Tu Tongjin | |
|---|---|
| Born | 11 September 1914 |
| Died | 3 April 2023 (aged 108) |
| Political party | Chinese Communist |
Doctor Tu Tongjin (Chinese: 涂通今, 11 September 1914[1][2] – 3 April 2023) was a Chinese military officer and neurosurgeon. He was one of the last surviving members of the Long March.[3]
Biography
Tu was born in Fujian. Tu joined the Chinese Communist Party in 1934 when Mao Zedong held a rally in the village, calling for the rice fields Tu worked on to be given to the workers, despite his parents objecting to it.[3] Due to having an education, Zedong drafted Tu to be trained as a field medic. Tu was present at the Battle of Xiang River where he waded neck-deep through icy waters avoiding Kuomintang bombers. The commanders ordered that the Communists had to march or be left behind, regardless of injury as part of the Long March. Tu was separated from the main body on a mountain pass and survived on herbs before buying pork and herbal medicine from a village after days in the wilderness.[3] During this, he almost died after falling off a cliff due to being sleep deprived but was saved by tree branches breaking his fall.[4]
Following the establishment of the People's Republic of China, Tu was sent to the Soviet Union to study neurosurgery at the Burdenko Neurosurgery Institute in Moscow, becoming one of three Chinese Red Army soldiers with a doctorate after five years of study.[5][6] He became a founding major general of the People's Liberation Army in 1964.[7][8] Tu would spend 20 years teaching neurosurgery at the Fourth Military Medical University in Xi'an, Shaanxi.[6] He later served as the President of the Chinese Military Medical Academy, having taught there after earning his doctorate.[9][10]
Tu died on 3 April 2023 at the age of 108.[11]
References
- ^ 王恭 (1985). "福建科学家小传" (in Mandarin).
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link) - ^ "涂通今--乡村研究数据库" (in Mandarin).
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link) - ^ a b c "China's reality check on Long March". Los Angeles Times. 16 January 2008. Retrieved 6 July 2025.
- ^ "Man who survived Long March, became neurosurgeon and trailblazer". ECNS. Retrieved 6 July 2025.
- ^ "In Memoriam: Honoring our Esteemed Neurosurgeons Who Left us in 2023". World Neurosurgery. 185: 297–306. 1 May 2024. doi:10.1016/j.wneu.2024.02.144. Retrieved 6 July 2025 – via ScienceDirect.
- ^ a b "Man who survived Long March, became neurosurgeon and trailblazer". China Daily. Retrieved 6 July 2025.
- ^ 历届全国政协委员人名辞典 (in Mandarin). 北京: 中国国际广播出版社. 1996. p. 286. ISBN 9787507813746.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link) - ^ 何虎生, 李耀东, 向常福主编 (2003). 中华人民共和国职官志 (in Mandarin). 北京: 中国社会出版社. ISBN 9787800883934.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link) - ^ 刘景泉主编; 沈久泉, 王凯捷, 李卓副主编 (1999). 中国抗日战争人物大词典 (in Mandarin). 天津大学出版社.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link) - ^ 吴如蒿著; 陈策才, 张光彩, 赵功德等副主编 (1989). 中华军事人物大辞典 (in Mandarin). 北京: 新华出版社.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link) - ^ "109岁开国少将涂通今逝世：辽沈战役中保证了伤员70%归队率" (in Mandarin). ifeng. 4 April 2023. Retrieved 4 April 2023.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unrecognized language (link)