Comments Forwarding the General Political Department’s Summary Report on the National Conference of Model Combat Heroes (October 12, 1950) To the Party Committees of all Major Military Regions, with copies forwarded to the respective regional, corps, army, and divisional party committees, as well as to all central bureaus, sub-bureaus, and provincial/city-level party committees: We hereby transmit to you one copy of the General Political Department’s summary report on this National Conference of Model Combat Heroes, which outlines several key points〔1〕. Please study it carefully and take appropriate action.
Mao Zedong October 12 Based on the manuscript for publication.
Note 〔1〕 The General Political Department of the People’s Revolutionary Military Commission, in its summary report dated October 10, 1950, on the National Conference of Model Combat Heroes, pointed out that there are two pressing issues in ideological work within the armed forces that require urgent resolution.
These two issues are: First, a rather widespread sense of complacency and paralysis has taken hold in many units.
Therefore, it has been decided that each unit, at the level of army or division, should first convey the spirit of this conference to its cadres, fostering a fighting spirit, a new patriotic mindset, and mobilizing troops against U.S. imperialist plots.
This coming autumn and winter, training among soldiers should focus on reviewing and strengthening their combat will.
During the current rectification campaign, summarizing the combat will of cadres should be made one of the main tasks.
Second, the movement to recognize and promote model heroes and meritorious deeds has not been sufficiently widespread, particularly among cadres, where it has not yet received the attention it deserves.
The conference calls for all units to vigorously promote this movement going forward, with各级 units regularly summarizing their experiences with it and establishing model hero meetings as a solid institutional practice.
All important tasks should first be discussed and communicated within the Party and among model heroes and meritorious individuals, prioritizing the activation of these core groups.
Individual model heroes should be consistently supported and developed, rather than merely utilized without proper guidance.
Their achievements should be widely publicized, but without diminishing the role and contributions of the broader masses.
High- and mid-level cadres who have distinguished themselves should also receive appropriate rewards.