Tu Tongjin
Tu Tongjin | |
|---|---|
| Born | 11 September 1914 |
| Died | 3 April 2023 (aged 108) |
Political party | Chinese Communist |
Doctor Tu Tongjin (Chinese: 涂通今, 11 September 1914[1][2] – 3 April 2023) was a Chinese military officer and neurosurgeon. He was one of the last survivors of the Long March.[3]
Biography
Tu was born in Fujian. In 1934, Mao Zedong visited his village advocating for the peasants to seize the land of wealthy landlords by force.[3] Tu joined the Chinese Red Army in September 1934 against his parents wishes.[4] He was trained as a medic; unlike most soldiers he had some primary school education.[3] During the battle of the Xiang River, he crossed a river while under fire from Kuomintang bombers; after the battle the non-walking wounded were ordered to be abandoned. In another battle, Tu and three other medics became separated from the army after getting lost. During one winter, he foraged for food and medicine to treat 300 men suffering from snow blindness. He later recalled the lack of food[3] and sleep; in one incident he fell off a cliff while sleep deprived but was caught by tree branches on the rockface.[4]
Following the establishment of the People's Republic of China, Tu was sent to the Soviet Union to study neurosurgery at the Burdenko Neurosurgery Institute in Moscow, becoming one of three Red Army soldiers with a doctorate after five years of study.[5][6] He became a founding major general of the People's Liberation Army in 1964.[7][8] Tu taught neurosurgery at the Fourth Military Medical University in Xi'an, Shaanxi for 20 years.[6] He later served as the President of the Chinese Military Medical Academy, having taught there after earning his doctorate.[9][10]
Tu died on 3 April 2023 at the age of 108.[11]
References
- ↑ 王恭 (1985). "福建科学家小传" (in 中文).
- ↑ "涂通今--乡村研究数据库" (in 中文).
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 "China's reality check on Long March". Los Angeles Times. 16 January 2008. Retrieved 6 July 2025.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Man who survived Long March, became neurosurgeon and trailblazer". ECNS. Retrieved 6 July 2025.
- ↑ Chaurasia, Bipin; Beraldo, Renato Fedatto; Liebl, Bruno; Atallah, Oday; Scalia, Gianluca; Umana, Giuseppe E.; Zarra, Francisco; Arnautovic, Kenan; Ganau, Mario; Bozkurt, Ismail; Neri Alonso, Jose Raul; Haridas, Abilash; Tamer, Wardan Almir; Farid, Asadov; Salim Ahmed, Abubakr Darrag; Regab AbdelSalam, Ahmed; AbdelRahman, Ali AbdelSalam; Demartini Junior, Zeferino; Garg, Kanwaljeet; Montilla, Flor; Guinto Nava, Jose Orlando; Boop, Frederic (May 2024). "In Memoriam: Honoring our Esteemed Neurosurgeons Who Left us in 2023". World Neurosurgery. 185: 297–306. doi:10.1016/j.wneu.2024.02.144.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Man who survived Long March, became neurosurgeon and trailblazer". China Daily. Retrieved 6 July 2025.
- ↑ 历届全国政协委员人名辞典 (in 中文). 北京: 中国国际广播出版社. 1996. p. 286. ISBN 9787507813746.
- ↑ 何虎生; 李耀东; 向常福, eds. (2003). 中华人民共和国职官志 (in 中文). 北京: 中国社会出版社. ISBN 9787800883934.
- ↑ 刘景泉主; 沈久泉; 王凯捷; 李卓, eds. (1999). 中国抗日战争人物大词典 (in 中文). 天津大学出版社.
- ↑ 吴如蒿 (1989). 张光彩; 赵功德 (eds.). 中华军事人物大辞典 (in 中文). 北京: 新华出版社.
- ↑ "109岁开国少将涂通今逝世：辽沈战役中保证了伤员70%归队率" (in 中文). ifeng. 4 April 2023. Retrieved 4 April 2023.