Hao Mengling

Hao Mengling (18 February 1892 – 15 October 1937) was a Chinese general who distinguished himself first in the Northern Expedition and then in the Battle of Xinkou.

[1] Born on 18 February 1892 into a family of poor farmers, Hao ran away from his apprenticeship at a grocery shop to join the army when he was just a child.

After he graduated from Baoding Military Academy, he joined Feng Yuxiang' Guominjun along with his mentor Wei Yisan (魏益三) in 1921.

Hao relinquished his command in 1937 after battling communist forces for decades, but returned after the Marco Polo Bridge Incident.

By the time he got back to the front line from Sichuan, the IJA had already broken through Yanmen Pass and were converging on Xinkou.