Fan Zhuxian was born in Guantao County, Hebei Province in 1881. He joined the Kuomintang in 1912, and later acted as chief of staff of the 1st Route Army under Feng Yuxiang's command. In the wake of the breakout of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, he took the post as the commissioner of the Sixth District of the Shandong Provincial Government and the commander in chief of the Anti-Japanese Guerrilla Forces in Northwest Shandong Province. He worked together with the Communist Party of China to organize an anti-Japanese force with 50,000 to 60,000 men strong and set up more than 20 anti-Japanese regimes in northwest Shandong Province with Liaocheng City as the center.

　　In November 1937, the Japanese aggressors pressed hard toward the north bank of the Yellow River. Han Fuqu, chairman of the Shandong Provincial Government of the Kuomintang escaped without any resistance and ordered Fan Zhuxian to retreat to the south of the Yellow River twice. Fan Zhuxian refused to do so, and instead he called together a joint army and government conference in Liaocheng, at which he read out a general notice to the whole nation, which reads: "Looking at what's happening in north China furiously with wide-open eyes and under no circumstances I'll consider retreating to the south of the Yellow River. I swear to lead the valiant fighters of the guerrilla force and the armed masses of the people to fight the Japanese aggressors to the finish." All newspapers in the country published the general notice and patriots from all circles expressed their great support to him.

　　In December, Jinan City fell into the enemy's hand. Kuomintang's governments at all levels in northwest Shandong Province collapsed one after another, and governmental officials escaped to south. Fan Zhuxian adhered to the anti-Japanese national united front and to the practice of relying on the communists and progressive patriotic youths, and established an anti-Japanese base in northwest Shandong Province in no time. He re-established the county-level government institutions and appointed a large batch of members of the Communist Party of China and progressive personnel to act as heads of the counties.

　　In order to pin down the Japanese troops in Jinan from reinforcing the Japanese troops in Wuhan, Fan Zhuxian staged the Jinan Battle in 1938. During the battle, Fan Shumin, his second son and leader of the Youth Advancing Vanguard Units, gave his life in a heroic way for the country. After hearing the terrible news, Fan Zhuxian did not hesitate to go on with what he was doing and remained self-composed in extending his regards to the troops, and then he appointed his 20-year-old second daughter Fan Shukun to be the leader in replacement of his dead son. Soon after that, he sent his first son, first daughter and third daughter to study in the Chinese People's Anti-Japanese Military and Political College in Yan'an.

　　In November 1938, the Japanese troops besieged more than 600 soldiers of Fan Zhuxian's troops in Liaocheng City, Fan Zhuxian included. He led his troops to beat back the Japanese troops' attacks for many times. On Nov. 15, a large number of the Japanese reinforced troops stormed the city. Fan Zhuxian personally directed his troops to fight the Japanese at the east city gate. After a long time of bloody battle, Fan Zhuxian was shot in the left arm, but after dressing the wound, he quickly joined the fighting again. Then, his left leg was shot and broken by the enemy's fire. Since they were by far outnumbered by the enemies, the enemies eventually broke through into the city. Unwilling to be captured by the enemy, Fan Zhuxian shot himself with his gun and died heroically for his country. At that time, he was 58 years old.

　　By Ou Can

　　(PLA Daily)