When commemorating the Battle of Guningtou, Taiwan President Lai Ching-te stated that no matter how great the threats and challenges, the conviction of the Taiwanese people and military to defend Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, and Matsu has never wavered.
On the 25th, Lai Ching-te posted on Facebook recalling that more than 40 years ago, he served as a medical platoon leader in the 5th Battalion of the 284th Division in Kinmen. Although the artillery battles had already ended by then, the tense atmosphere at the frontline was still present.
He said that, at the time, the entire island’s troops in Kinmen would still take turns doing night marches, and while at the rear guard, one’s nerves were taut, but it was not out of fear—it was a sense of responsibility. "You knew what you were protecting: the country, and the safety of the people of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, and Matsu."
Lai Ching-te said that in the Battle of Guningtou 76 years ago, "Our military, holding firmly to the resolve to defend sovereignty and not yield an inch, successfully repelled the CCP’s invasion and established the foundation for decades of peace."
The Battle of Guningtou is also known as the Battle of Kinmen. On October 24, 1949, more than three CCP regiments, over 10,000 soldiers, sailed on wooden junks to attack Kinmen and attempted to land on the island; but the boats were all quickly destroyed by KMT forces' firepower, causing the subsequent four regiments to be left with no means to land. The initial landing forces fought fiercely for three days and nights but were eventually entirely wiped out by the defending KMT troops.
Lai Ching-te stated that the story of Kinmen symbolizes all of Taiwan: regardless of the scale of threats or challenges, the conviction of the Taiwanese people and military to defend Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, and Matsu has never wavered.