Chairman Mao Gives a Eulogy in Person at the Memorial Meeting Held by the Garrison Regiment in Honor of the Soldier Comrade Zhang Side1
(September 8, 1944)
(Liberation Daily News report) Comrade Zhang Side, a soldier of the Garrison Regiment of the Central Committee, was only thirty years old this year. But he had already fought for the Party and for the people for twelve years. He climbed the snowy mountains and crossed the grasslands, went through prolonged trials and hardship and was once honorably wounded. He was a Communist Party member who served the interests of the people faithfully. He was unfortunately killed in an accident on September 5 of this year while making charcoal at Shixiagu in Ansai county. The headquarters of the Garrison Regiment of the Central Committee held a special memorial meeting in the XX Square at two in the afternoon on September 8, which was attended by more than a thousand people and at which Chairman Mao personally delivered a speech. Wreaths and elegiac couplets lined the rostrum, and a streamer with big characters, “Salute Comrade Zhang Side Who Died for the Interests of the People,” written personally by Chairman Mao, was hung at the center of the rostrum. The glory of the deceased was deeply felt by all those present. The meeting began amid funeral music. After Director Zhang of the political section of the regiment reviewed the glorious past of the deceased, Chairman Mao slowly stepped onto the rostrum, paid his respects to the deceased in deep grief, and delivered an hour-and-half-long speech, which explained in detail the significance of making sacrifices in the interests of the people. Chairman Mao said:
“Our Communist Party and the Eighth Route Army and New Fourth Army2 are an organization3 wholly dedicated to the liberation of the people, which works entirely in the people’s interests. Comrade Zhang Side was a member of this organization.”4
Chairman Mao also said:
“All men must die, but deaths can vary in their significance. In ancient China there was a literatus named Sima Qian who said, ‘Death may be weightier than Mount Tai or lighter than a goose feather.’ To die for the interests of the people is weightier than Mount Tai, but to work for the Fascists and to die for exploiting and oppressing the people is lighter than a chicken5 feather. Comrade Zhang Side died for the people, so his death is indeed weightier than Mount Tai.”
Next, Chairman Mao explained the reason for humbly listening to the opinions of people outside the Party and the principle of persisting in doing what is right and correcting what is wrong in the people’s interests. He said:
“Because we serve the interests of the people, we are not afraid to have others point out and criticize our shortcomings, if we have them. Anyone, whether Chinese or foreigners,6 can point out our shortcomings. If you are right, we will correct them. If what you propose benefits the people, we will act upon it. ‘Crack Troops and Simple Administration’ was put forward by Mr. Li Dingming,7 who is from outside the Party. He made a good suggestion, which benefits the people, so we adopted it. If, in the interests of the people, we persist in doing what is right and correct what is wrong, our organizations8 will surely thrive even more.”
Chairman Mao also taught us all to show concern for one another, to care for one another, and to help one another. He said:
“We hail from all corners of the country and have joined together for the common objective of revolution. Nonetheless, we still need the vast majority of China’s people with us on this road. Today, we are already a large organization made up of 86 million people,9 but this is not enough. To obtain national liberation,10 more are needed. In times of difficulty, we must not lose sight of our achievements and our glorious prospects, and must pluck up our courage to move forward. The Chinese people are suffering, and it is our duty to save them. We must exert ourselves in the struggle. Wherever there is struggle, there is sacrifice, and death is a common occurrence. But we have the interests of the people and the sufferings of the great majority at heart, and to die for the people is much worthier than dying for local tyrants and evil gentry.11 Nevertheless, we should do our best to avoid unnecessary sacrifices. Our cadres must show concern for every comrade in arms, and all people in the revolutionary organization must care for one another and love and help one another.”
Finally, Chairman Mao called for instituting the holding of memorials and for introducing this widely to the ordinary people. He said:
“From now on, no matter who in our organization dies, whether cook or soldier, we should have a funeral procession and a memorial in his honor. This should be instituted and introduced among the common people as well. When someone dies in a village, let a memorial be held. In this way we express our mourning for the dead and unite all the people.”
After Chairman Mao’s speech, the representative of the regiment pledged on behalf of the soldiers of the whole regiment to act on Chairman Mao’s instructions of learning from Comrade Zhang Side’s model of serving the people’s interests and to carry out at Zhang Side’s final bequest and work harder. The meeting was adjourned at four o’clock.
Our source for this document is Mao Zedong ji, Vol. 9, pp. 111–13, where it is reproduced from the September 21, 1944, issue of Jiefang ribao. An edited version of this text appears in Vol. 3 of Mao’s official Selected Works, under the title “Serve the People.” Text in italics, below, reflects the original text, which was removed in the revised version published in Xuanji in the 1950s; for more details, see “Variants” in “Note on Sources and Conventions,” above, pp. lxi–lxvi.
1. Zhang Side (1915–1944) was an ordinary soldier from a farming background who joined the Red Army in Sichuan in 1935, completed the Long March, and then served in Shaanxi. He was noted for his bravery and his willingness to participate in production campaigns, notably the Nanniwan Brigade that opened up wasteland south of Yan’an. He also served as one of Mao’s bodyguards.
2. [added] → Led by our Party
3. Are an organization → Are battalions of the revolution
4. Member of this organization → In the ranks of these battalions
5. Chicken → Goose
6. Whether Chinese or foreigners → No matter who
7. Li Dingming (1881–1947) was known as a member of the “enlightened gentry.” He was at this time vice chair of the Shaanxi-Gansu-Ningxia Border Region Government.
8. Organizations → Ranks
9. Already a large organization made up of 86 million people → We already lead base areas with a population of 91 million people
10. To obtain national liberation → Liberation of the whole nation
11. To die for the people is much worthier than dying for local tyrants and evil gentry → To die for the people is a worthy death