The Spirit of Family and Country in Letters of War - The Filial Love in General Zuo Quan's Last Letter

August 4, 2025 22:32

In the display cases of the Chinese People's War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression Memorial, yellowed letters are quietly exhibited. These letters are General Zuo Quan's heartfelt confessions written to his family during the years of war. These letters not only record the sincere emotions between General Zuo Quan and his wife Liu Zhilan, but also demonstrate his steadfast beliefs and filial devotion as a revolutionary and a soldier.

Between November 1940 and May 1942, over 18 months, General Zuo Quan wrote 11 letters to his wife Liu Zhilan. These letters are plain in language, and they reveal his longing for his family, his sense of responsibility to the country, and his yearning for peace. Among them, the last letter is especially touching, written in May 1942, just a few months before General Zuo Quan's sacrifice.

In the letter, General Zuo Quan wrote: 'Although I cannot always be by your side, you will always be in my heart. When the country is in trouble, every individual has a responsibility. I am willing to sacrifice my life for the country to repay it.' These words, although brief, are filled with the infinite loyalty of a general toward the country and the people.

General Zuo Quan's letters are not only a witness to history but also a profound education for future generations. They remind us that in peacetime, we should remember the heroes who sacrificed for the country and nation, inherit their spirit, and continue to move forward.

These letters are now quietly displayed in the memorial, as if telling each visitor about those arduous years. They are not only a寄托 for General Zuo Quan's personal emotions, but also a miniature of the unyielding spirit of the Chinese nation during the war years.

Today, we should still draw strength from these letters, remember history, and cherish peace. The filial love of General Zuo Quan will continue to inspire us to move forward.