Braiding: Dawn Whistle (fxsw2021)
Source: Contributed by Lu Baoming
Text/Lu Baoming
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Since I was a child, I have loved watching war movies, not only do I like them, but my companions and people around me like to watch them. Because at that time, it was not like now that you could know the world's affairs without leaving home, there were no media media such as television and mobile phones, information was closed, and cultural life was monotonous.
When I was a child, every evening, my companions would ask which village to perform a movie, no matter how far away they had to walk to watch it. At that time, most of the movies were war themes, and we called those films "fighting wars", such as "Heroes and Children", "Tunnel Warfare", "Mine Warfare", "Railway Guerrilla", "Plain Guerrilla", "Small Soldier Zhang Ga", "Surprise Attack", "Southern Expedition and Northern War", "Dong Cunrui", "Invisible Front" and so on. Each of these films has been seen no less than five or six times, and the dialogue of some of the characters in some films can be said in advance, and it is exactly word for word. What makes me most unforgettable is the image of the heroes in the film, especially heroes such as Wang Cheng and Dong Cunrui in "Heroes and Children", which have taken deep root in my young soul, and it is these heroes who have prompted me to resolutely become a soldier.
When I was browsing the memories of heroic deeds, I came across an American veteran reminiscence article, originally titled "An American Veteran Remembers the Battle of Shangganling and Still Doesn't Know What Volunteer Soldiers Said?" After reading it, I learned that it was Wang Cheng's original body in "Heroes and Children", because there was only One Wang Cheng left on the position, and the US army was paralyzed and wanted to catch it alive. I did not think that Wang Cheng used a walkie-talkie to report the direction of "firing at me", so that all the US troops who rushed to the position were destroyed by artillery fire.
According to my own organization, I will tell you this touching story.
In 2008, president of the U.S.-China Business Association, Robert M. Goodman invited Callahan, an elderly American veteran, to tell a Chinese business delegation about his experiences during the Korean War.
In the fall of 1952, 23-year-old U.S. Army Captain Callaghan was ordered to stand by near the southern side of "Triangle Mountain," which we call "Upper Ganling."
On this day, Callahan's company received orders to take the 597.9 heights that had not been shaken for several days. Callahan was very nervous because his company was placed at the front of the offensive formation.
Torrential downpours of heavy artillery fire mixed with all sorts of shells and incendiary shells poured down on this already small hill, and there was not a single tree, a single grass, an ant, or even a complete stone.
"No one can survive such artillery fire." Callahan and his comrades thought so. Just then, smoke bombs fired by the Americans blocked the possible shooting field of the Volunteers, and the artillery extended to block the Retreat and Reinforcements of the Volunteers, and Callahan's infantry began to attack. The attack did not receive much resistance, and Callahan did not dare to relax, because he learned from other troops that Chinese very good at melee combat, and they could only search and advance carefully step by step...
Stumbling and stumbling along the way, the American troops who rushed to the volunteer position found only 30 corpses, basically a platoon of troops, and the defenders had been completely destroyed.
"Maybe they're really dead this time?" Callahan breathed a sigh of relief, it seemed that their company was very lucky this time, and finally could take this high ground that did not know how many times it had been attacked. Just as the Americans were preparing to rejoice in victory, he and their comrades found a living volunteer soldier who was the same Chinese soldier that he would never forget.
Callahan said that when he attacked the heights, there was only one volunteer soldier left. He looked small, as if he were still a child, but his eyes were full of hatred, and decades later, the look in his eyes still made Callahan remember it vividly...
It seemed that the little warrior had been seriously injured, had stood unsteadily, his whole body trembling, still supporting his body against the half-charred trunk, and his mouth was still screaming strangely, not knowing what he meant. Callahan said he thought it was a sign of fear and despair.
"Don't shoot! Round him up and catch him alive! Callaghan gave orders to the American soldiers.
When the American soldiers circled behind the side of the volunteer soldiers, they suddenly felt panic: "Damn! He's carrying a walkie-talkie! ”
Before the words could be heard, the roar of the shells spread over the sky overhead, pouring on the ground like hail, the unsuspecting American soldier was blown to pieces, and the volunteer soldier disappeared into the smoke.
Callaghan fainted on the spot and woke up to find his hands full of shrapnel, and only three of the more than 100 U.S. troops who rushed to the heights survived. One of the three lost both legs and right arm, one was blind in both eyes, deaf in both ears, and the last callahan himself, all below the knee of his left leg, was blown up.
For decades, Callahan had believed that he had killed his comrades, and while blaming himself, he still had a question stuck in his mind: What did this volunteer soldier say?
After listening to Callahan's story, all the Chinese at the interview scene were in tears, and a reporter with the group stood up and walked next to the physically disabled Callahan and said to him:
"Sir, what the volunteer soldier said, I can translate it for you now, he said, 'I am surrounded by enemies!' Comrades, please fire at me! For victory, shoot at me! ’”
Callahan asked the reporter again, "How do you know?" ”
The reporter replied with tears in his eyes: "Not only do I know, but all the Chinese people know!" ”