PLA hero chose to keep service secret for decades

At the age of 90, Wang Yuchang, a recipient of the July 1 Medal — the Communist Party of China's highest honor — has lived a life of quiet dedication, safeguarding national security in his youth and keeping his distinguished military service secret for decades after returning to civilian life.

Born in 1936 into an impoverished farming family in Xiaoxian county, Anhui province, Wang endured hardship from an early age.

In 1954, at the age of 18, he joined the Chinese People's Liberation Army with a strong desire to serve the motherland. He was later selected for one of China's earliest surface-to-air missile units, where he served as a missile-fueling technician. His primary responsibility was injecting oxidant into missiles and cleaning their bodies, a critical procedure to ensure combat readiness.

Despite sweltering summers and freezing winters, Wang trained relentlessly and mastered highly refined operational skills. Together with his comrades, he helped develop the renowned "short-range quick combat tactic", which achieved remarkable success in air defense operations.

In November 1963, Wang and his teammates coordinated seamlessly to launch a surface-to-air missile in Shangrao, Jiangxi province. The missile accurately struck a United States U-2 high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft flying 20,000 meters above the ground, bringing it down. Wang went on to participate in two more successful operations that shot down U-2 aircraft. For his contributions, he received individual and collective First-Class Merit citations.

In July 1964, Wang and fellow officers and soldiers from his battalion were warmly received by national leaders including Mao Zedong and Zhou Enlai. That same year, he formally joined the Party.

"That was the proudest moment of my life," he said.

In 1973, Wang retired from the military and returned to his hometown of Xiaoxian.

Adhering strictly to military confidentiality requirements, he locked away his merit certificates, commemorative photographs and military honors in a wooden box, putting his military career behind him. He then took a modest job as a sales clerk in the textile section of a local department store.

"I am just a brick of the Party. I will do whatever the Party asks of me, and I will never live off my past achievements," Wang said.

Drawing on the perseverance forged during his military service, Wang quickly mastered sales techniques and abacus calculation, becoming one of the store's most productive employees. He was later promoted to deputy manager.

Zang Yuxi, one of Wang's former colleagues, said Wang always upheld principles and never showed favoritism, yet was the first to lend a helping hand whenever others encountered difficulties.

He was equally strict with his family. He never revealed details of his military missions, even to his children, and forbade his relatives from seeking special treatment in his name. Influenced by his integrity, all his children joined the Party.

The veteran's long-hidden wartime achievements finally came to light in early 2019. While completing veteran registration procedures, Wang produced copies of his First-Class Merit certificates and old group photographs to verify his military service, astonishing everyone present.

Since then, his remarkable story has spread throughout the county and beyond. His family members, former colleagues and neighbors learned for the first time of his outstanding contributions to national defense.

Although his chest is adorned with numerous medals, Wang always wears his Party membership badge above them all, regarding it as his greatest source of pride.

"I feel deeply gratified to witness the great prosperity of our motherland. I have remained loyal to the Party throughout my life, and I have no regrets," Wang said.