"Senpai, we have come to see you!"

On this peaceful land

The mountains and rivers are safe, and the fireworks are as usual

But we have never forgotten—

Behind this tranquil time

Are countless monuments forged by the blood and lives of our predecessors

From the southeastern coast to the northwestern desert

From the snowy plateau to the black waters of the white mountains

During the Qingming Festival, the officers and soldiers of the Air Force from various units bring flowers

With deep respect, they rush to each

“meeting” that transcends time and space

Gently saying

“Predecessors, we have come to see you!”

A certain unit of the Eastern Theater Air Force

New recruits stand solemnly in formation

To present a flower basket to the statue of Du Fengrui

In the national air defense operation on October 10, 1958

At just 25 years old, Du Fengrui

Rushed into the enemy ranks to cover the lead aircraft

After shooting down two enemy planes, he heroically sacrificed his life

More than half a century has passed

Du Fengrui has become the spiritual coordinate of this unit

The new recruits enter the Du Fengrui Memorial Hall

In front of yellowed old photos

And weathered old artifacts

They stop to gaze and reflect seriously

What is the “foundation of a soldier”

Near the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center

In the Dongfeng Revolutionary Martyrs Cemetery

Lie Marshal Nie Rongzhen

And hundreds of heroes who dedicated themselves

To China's aerospace cause

Here, the fallen heroes

Listen to the roar of rockets soaring from the launch site

Watching the country's satellites fly into space

On the eve of Qingming

Officers and soldiers stationed deep in the desert

From a certain unit of the Southern Theater Air Force

Specifically came to the cemetery to pay their respects

The officers and soldiers stand in neat formation

Revisiting the party oath

After a brief yet solemn ceremony

The officers and soldiers turn to walk towards the desert

Stepping onto the unfinished journey

The first ray of sunlight in the morning

Crosses the skyline of the city

And shines into the Chengdu Martyrs Cemetery

In front of the memorial monument for the heroes

Officers and soldiers from a certain unit of the Western Theater Air Force stand in neat formation

To pay silent tribute to the revolutionary martyrs who bravely sacrificed themselves for national independence, national liberation, and people's happiness

Accompanied by the deep and melodious “Flower Offering Song”

The honor guard steps forward steadily

To present a flower basket to the monument

On the steel-cast list of martyrs

The names of 6,527 martyrs are deeply engraved

The officers and soldiers hold white flowers, gently placing them in front of the monument

They use the simplest way

To express the highest respect to those heroes who shed blood on the battlefield

In the Dalian Jinpu New District Martyrs Cemetery

Officers and soldiers from a certain unit of the Northern Theater Air Force

Move among the green pines and cypress

To pay respects at the tombstones of the unnamed martyrs in the cemetery

Offering a bouquet of flowers for each martyr

The connection between the martyrs and the Air Force officers and soldiers

Can be traced back to 1968

At that time, the officers and soldiers learned

That there was an unnamed martyr's grave near their station

Where 69 predecessors who sacrificed in a battle in the Liberation War were buried

With the help of the local government

They relocated the martyrs to a site near the barracks

Since then, the martyrs have been living alongside the Air Force officers and soldiers

For nearly half a century

Although the officers and soldiers have insisted on visiting for many years

The identities of the 69 martyrs remain a mystery

Many soldiers actively “recognize” the martyrs

Even after taking off their uniforms, they often return to pay their respects

In 2017, the martyrs were relocated to Jinpu New District

But to this day

These predecessors are still the most cherished relatives of the officers and soldiers

In the Beijing Xishan National Forest Park

On a hillside overlooking the entire city

Stands a “Square of Unknown Heroes”

In memory of those heroes who sacrificed on covert battlefields

In front of the statues of four heroes: Wu Shi, Chen Baochang, Zhu Feng, and Nie Xi

Are filled with flowers spontaneously offered by citizens

Officers and soldiers from a certain unit of the Central Theater Air Force

Stand in neat formation in the square

To present a flower basket to the statues of the heroes

Following the direction in which the four heroes gaze

The spring sunlight shines on the towering buildings

And on the flowing traffic

The officers and soldiers cannot help but stop and gaze

At the prosperity and peace that these heroes protected with their lives

The green mountains bury loyal bones, the history books record achievements

From the smoke-filled battlefield

To the journey across the stars and the sea

The torch ignited by the lives of our predecessors

Has now been passed to the hands of a new generation of officers and soldiers

Please rest assured, predecessors

This prosperous age, as you wished

This land and rivers, will be guarded by us!

Authors | Hu Rong, Huang Zhixiong, Xu Lianquan, Zhang Yun, Zheng Hanyi, Wei Xin, Cui Junkun, Xu Qiushi, Shi Yuanwen, Li Qiwan, Zhong Jiacheng, Xie Yi, Yang Yuqing, Yang Chen, Chen Xingzhang, Zhang Ge, Zhang Jinyang, Sun Yinglin, Chen Binbin, Wang Pengcheng, Wang Xianghan, Yu Junchen, Jiang Shenghui, Liu Naihe, Yang Xue, Zhang Mingyu, Liu Hang, Yue Peijie, Tian Bowen, Liu Yuyang, Liu Fuxing, Wang Hongda, Zhang Zhenfei, Du Kaipeng, Jiang Qingfeng, Liu Jiajun, Yu Shimin, Wang Tengteng