Inscription for Ma Maojie [I]
(October 4, 1951)
Sister Mao:
Study well and make progress every day.
Mao Zedong
October 4, 1951
[Note]
This is an inscription written by Mao Zedong for Ma Maojie. On the night of April 20, 1949, Mao Zedong and Zhu De ordered the million-strong heroic divisions of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army to force the crossing of the Yangtze River. Ma Maojie, then only 16 years old, took part in the first boat flotilla crossing the river in her hometown of Wuwei County, Anhui Province. For her outstanding combat record, she was awarded the title “Heroine of the River Crossing.” On October 4, 1951, Mao Zedong sent someone to bring Ma Maojie to his home as a guest and specially gave the little heroine, who had no formal name and was called “Ma Sijie,” the name “Ma Maojie.” Mao Zedong said: “‘Ma’ is your family surname, and the first character of your given name will follow my surname.” When Mao Zedong learned that Ma Maojie had started school, he happily wrote in a notebook:
“Sister Mao: Study well and make progress every day. Mao Zedong, October 4, 1951.”