Just before the end of the Sino-Japanese war, Chang signed up in the Chinese armed forces, and joined the battle against the Communists.
代馬輸卒是國軍克難新兵種，當時國軍接收日製的四．七曲射砲，砲身笨重，軍中騾馬又死亡殆盡，張拓蕪和一些年輕力壯的夥伴，這時派上用場了。