A soldier for all time

In life, he was an everyday hero to those who knew him, but in death, stories of Fu Lizhi's extreme commitment to the military are a source of inspiration to people far and wide, Deng Zhangyu reports.

Fu Lizhi was 500 meters from the finish line of a 5-kilometer race, an annual military drill, when he collapsed, exhausted. His colleagues tried to help him stand and his superior suggested he quit, but Fu, a military man whose single-minded dedication to his work was the stuff of legend, brushed them away.

With the scorching June sun beating overhead, Fu, whose favorite saying, peppered throughout his diaries, is "never stop fighting the battle", pulled himself to his feet and staggered to the finish line, where he collapsed.

He never got up.

"If he didn't insist on running another 100 meters, he wouldn't have exhausted himself to death," says Dehong People's Hospital doctor Liu Jun, who treated Fu. Fu died of heat stroke, his doctor says.

Before the race, the 31-year-old company commander of border forces in Dehong in Yunnan province had taken part in five other military races in the previous two days. He studied drill rules and worked on the strategy for his racing team until the wee hours, only sleeping five hours a night. During the two weeks before the drill, Fu had continued training his soldiers without proper rest.

Fu has now been named a model military man by the Chengdu military region to inspire other soldiers across the country. His story comes at a time when President Xi Jinping is calling on the military to build a strong army.

"Fu is a typical example of an excellent soldier. His life demonstrates what a strong army should be like," says Yang Chengxi, military commissar of Yunnan province.

In life, Fu was a legend among those who knew him for his commitment to the military and compassion toward his fellow people. But in death, anecdotes about the man have been shared, and spread and have inspired. His was a life cut short, but despite its brevity, it was a life lived to full effect.

Photos of Fu show a short man. His face was gaunt and dark. His superior Li Daoyin says Fu was hardly the type to stand out from the crowd. But there was something in his eyes that spoke of the intensity of the man.

In Fu's dormitory, a piece of calligraphy with the words "to serve my country" was hung on the wall. Throughout his 17 diaries written over six years, the words "hero" and "achievement" crop up again and again.

"To be a soldier and a hero was his childhood dream. My son loved watching military films and reading military novels," says Fu's father Fu Guolin.

Fu's superiors and soldiers under his command describe a committed military man who was extremely disciplined, and was strict with himself as well as with his troops.

In 2010, at grenade throwing drill, Fu used his left hand, having broken his right during a daily exercise. He practiced throwing with his left arm for hours each day, until finally he could throw 10 meters farther with his left hand than he could with his right.

In a three-day test of survival skills in 2011, Fu led a group of six equipped with only basic supplies - maps, knives, compasses, salt and matches. One of his fellow officers, Ruan Honghai, gave him several cereal bars, but Fu refused to take the food, insisting on hunting and gathering his meals from the forest near the border.

"He said, 'if you don't take it seriously when practicing, you will lose in a real battle'," says Ruan, adding Fu's face was gaunt after the tough drill with little food.

Fu and his troops used to patrol the 40-kilometer border under their charge on foot. It is dangerous territory, where drug dealing and smuggling are rampant. Rivers, rough mountain roads and forests made their patrol particularly difficult.

But Fu usually chose the tougher route to patrol, sometimes even forging a new path by climbing onto a sharp mountain, soldier Li Chao recalls.

Fu wouldn't allow his solders to secretly reduce the weight of their patrol packs. He woke up earlier and went to sleep later than those under his command. His soldiers say he always led by example.

"Our commander was an iron man," says Yang Wanli, a soldier in Fu's company.

But despite his tough exterior, Fu had a softer side that won him the love and respect of those who knew him.

Even now, Yang's eyes fill with tears when talking about his commander.

Once, when Yang was doing daily exercises, a falling log left him with a swollen foot. Fu removed Yang's socks and treated the damaged foot despite the pungent smell. Fu applied medicine to Yang's foot every day until the swelling receded.

Fu's kindheartedness was also felt in the surrounding villages. A longtime drug addict, Huang Jingbo had unsuccessfully tried to quit his habit several times. In 2011, when Fu was patrolling by his house, Huang collapsed. Fu broke in and took Huang to hospital.

In the following months, Fu kept in regular contact with Huang and succeeded in persuading him to receive treatment. To help Huang regain his confidence in life, Fu helped him build a new house.

"He was a brother to me, giving me hope for my life," says Huang, who is a group leader in his village.

Born to a farmer family in Henan province, Fu was the second of five children. Although he was not wealthy, he was always generous, giving what little he had to others. He was reluctant to spend money on himself even to buy much-needed shoes.

He sponsored a 15-year-old girl to return to school and donated 4,700 yuan ($774) to the father of one of his soldiers so he could receive medical treatment, says Fu's superior Huang Delong.

For Fu's wife Liu Chengbing, her husband's sacrifices were also her own. He devoted more time to his soldiers than to her, but she says she understands her husband's commitment.

"I could tell from his daily calls that he loved his job. Every time he returned home, he tried to do all the things to make up for the lost time," says Liu.

When Fu was on vacation, he would visit both parents with Liu, free her from housework and take care of their 3-year-old son.

"I'm proud of my husband. I know he was guarding our country's frontier. He was a real man," Liu says, her eyes full of tears. "If I had a second chance at life, I would marry my husband again."

Contact the writer at dengzhangyu@chinadaily.com.cn.

Fu Lizhi speaks to his soldiers before his final military drill in which he died on June 17. Photos Provided to China Daily