On the front line against India in 85, a border defense team went deep into the Indian area of actual control to reconnoitre, but unexpectedly encountered an accident on a 4,500-meter-high mountain. Gao Mingcheng, the head of the border defense regiment, suddenly suffered from altitude sickness and was dying. Staff officer Zhang Jiangang and guard Xiao Yang guarded the regiment commander's side, running out of ammunition and food, how long could they hold out? Can reinforcements arrive in time to rescue their regiment commander?
The background of the head of the border regiment, Gao Mingcheng
Gao Mingcheng, a well-known name, can be said to be known to everyone in the Tibet Military Region. When he is mentioned, the soldiers will give him a thumbs up and say from the bottom of their hearts: "Commander Gao is the soldier we admire the most in our hearts!"
Gao Mingcheng was born in Wuwei, Gansu Province, in an ordinary working family, his father was a railway worker, and his mother was a housewife. There are three younger siblings in the family, and life is tight. But even in such an environment, Gao Mingcheng still maintains an optimistic attitude, is diligent and studious, and his grades have always been among the best.
Gao Mingcheng's wife is his high school classmate, and the two are childhood sweethearts and fall in love. His wife's father was a Red Army soldier and served as secretary of the Gulang County Party Committee after liberation. Gao Mingcheng's family background is in stark contrast to the prominent status of his wife's family, which makes Gao Mingcheng feel a little inferior for a while. But his wife supported him as always, encouraging him to strive for self-improvement and achieve a career.
In 1967, in response to Chairman Mao's call to "carry out the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution to the end", Gao Mingcheng resolutely joined the army and took the initiative to ask Ying to serve in the Tibetan border defense with the most difficult conditions. Before leaving, he said to his wife: "I will definitely make contributions and give a perfect explanation of our love." His wife nodded tearfully as she watched him go to the frontier.
Who would have thought that this parting would be a lifetime. After joining the army, Gao Mingcheng was successively promoted to squad leader, regimental staff officer, and finally promoted to head of the border defense regiment. Over the years in the army, he and his wife have been together less and more apart, but the love in each other's hearts has never diminished. Every time he took a vacation, Gao Mingcheng would write a long letter to his wife, chattering about the bits and pieces of the border pass. His wife will also carefully prepare various condolences so that he can feel the warmth of home in a difficult environment.
In 1976, Gao Mingcheng finally married his wife. After getting married, the wife gave up the privileged life in the big city and resolutely came to the garrison of the border regiment. She not only silently supported her husband's work, but also did her best to take care of the lives of the officers and men of the regiment. Under her influence, the environment in the garrison became better and better, and the morale of the fighters grew.
In this way, Gao Mingcheng and his wife worked hand in hand to compose a heart-wrenching love hymn on the border line. They used their actions to interpret what it means to "husband and wife are of the same heart, and their profits are golden", and what it means to "love my border defense and love my homeland".
Although Gao Mingcheng was born in poverty, he relied on his diligence and hard work to grow step by step into an excellent border officer. He not only has excellent military qualities, but also has profound patriotic feelings. Whether at school or in the army, he always set strict demands on himself as a Communist Party member and was always ready to sacrifice everything for the motherland and the people.
It is precisely with border guards like Gao Mingcheng that the motherland's borders can be peaceful and the people happy. With their youth and blood, they have built a great wall of steel to protect the safety of each of us. Let's pay tribute to them, to the heroes!
Gao Mingcheng's work on the front line of border defense
After Gao Mingcheng came to the Tibetan frontier, he quickly won the appreciation of his superiors and the trust of his comrades-in-arms by virtue of his excellent military quality and outstanding work ability. Whether it was patrol duty or military training, he was at the forefront, taking the lead, and interpreting the vanguard and exemplary role of a Communist Party member with practical actions.
Patrolling those high mountains at an altitude of three or four thousand meters, or even five or six thousand meters, is a huge test of physical strength and will. But Gao Mingcheng never complained about being tired, he was always the first to climb the ice card, the first to wade across the river, and led the soldiers to overcome difficulties and complete the task with his own actions.
On one occasion, the border regiment received an order from its superiors to establish a forward observation post on a glacier at an altitude of more than 5,000 meters. This task is very difficult, not only because of the harsh environment and changeable climate, but also because of the threat of altitude sickness. As the head of the regiment, Gao Mingcheng took the initiative to ask Ying to lead the team.
In the ice and snow, Gao Mingcheng and the soldiers set up tents, cleaned up the site, and set up cooking equipment. Due to the high altitude, many people have varying degrees of altitude sickness, vomiting, headache, chest tightness...... But with the encouragement of Gao Mingcheng, everyone gritted their teeth and persevered.
After the observation post was completed, Gao Mingcheng worked out a strict defense plan with the soldiers, and personally led the team to conduct on-the-spot exercises. Under his leadership, the observation post soon became an impregnable "iron cloth shirt", building a solid barrier for the border line.
Gao Mingcheng not only has excellent military qualities, but also cares very much about and cherishes his soldiers. He often said: "When soldiers eat grass, wear clothes, and fight battles, but we must let the soldiers eat well and dress warmly, which is our responsibility as cadres." ＂
In the era of scarcity of materials, Gao Mingcheng often paid out of his own pocket to buy daily necessities such as toothpaste and soap for the soldiers. During the New Year's holidays, he will also try his best to get some condolences to improve the food for everyone. Even his own quilt, he often gave it to the soldiers who were shivering from the cold.
One winter, the station was hit by a rare snowstorm, and the temperature plummeted to more than minus 30 degrees. The soldiers' cotton clothes and quilts were already worn out, and they couldn't withstand the cold at all. After learning of this situation, Gao Mingcheng immediately led people to drive hundreds of miles in the snow, transferred a batch of brand-new cotton clothes and quilts from the munitions depot, and delivered them to the soldiers in time.
Under Gao Mingcheng's careful care, the officers and men of the border regiment were all full of gratitude to him. Everyone said: "With Regiment Commander Gao, we are not afraid of anything! Even if there is a shortage of food and grass and ammunition, as long as we listen to his orders, we will use our flesh and blood to build a great wall of steel!"
In order to better command the troops, Gao Mingcheng also assiduously studied military theories, read a wide range of books, and studied the history and geography of the border. His thick notebook recorded in detail the negotiation process between the mainland and its neighbors on the border issue from the Qing government to the Republic of China and after the founding of New China, as well as the activities of the Indian army on the Sino-Indian border.
These valuable materials not only provided an important reference for him to command the troops, but also provided a useful reference for the party and the state in handling the border issue. Gao Mingcheng often said: "Only by having a clear understanding of the history of the border and a thorough understanding of the enemy's situation can we better guard the border and safeguard our territorial integrity." ＂
It is precisely because of this momentum of studying hard and forging ahead with determination that a large number of advanced models of patriotic border guarding have emerged in the border defense regiment led by Gao Mingcheng, and have been praised by the Tibet Military Region as the "Plateau Eagle Regiment." And he himself has been commended many times and has become a banner of the Tibet Military Region.
Tensions on the Indian front in 1985
In 1985, the situation on the Sino-Indian border began to become tense. The Indian army has frequently crossed the line in the eastern sector of the border, and has even established some seasonal positions, and its air force has repeatedly crossed the Line of Actual Control to conduct reconnaissance in deep Chinese areas.
Our army has always maintained a high degree of vigilance against these provocative acts of the Indian army. The Tibet Military Region has repeatedly reported this to its superiors and has dispatched several small detachments to carry out armed patrols in the border areas, ready to deal with possible military conflicts at any time.
As an important strategic location in the eastern section of the Sino-Indian border, the Wangdong area has become the focus of competition between the two sides. Wangdong is located in the west of the Kejielang River Valley, very close to Lazela Mountain and Zhanglongli Mountain, and its geographical location is very important. It has long been a hotspot for both sides.
After the Sino-Indian border conflict in 1967, the Indian army occupied Wangdong for a time and built some fortifications there. Since then, although our army has forced the Indian army to withdraw from Wangdong through diplomatic struggle, they have always been eyeing this area and waiting for an opportunity to make a comeback.
In 1985, the activities of the Indian army became more frequent. They continued to increase troops and fortifications in Wangdong, and also sent armed patrols to harass our forward positions. According to intelligence, the Indian army also secretly transported a large amount of ammunition and materials, and is ready to fight with our army.
In the face of the provocation of the Indian army, the Tibet Military Region decided to take strong measures to defend state sovereignty and territorial integrity. In May 1985, the Military Region ordered several border regiments stationed on the Sino-Indian border to send small detachments to reconnoiter the Wangdong area, find out the Indian army's troop deployment and activity patterns, and prepare for our army's counterattack on the Indian army's offensive.
After receiving the order, Gao Mingcheng's border defense regiment immediately held an emergency meeting to study and deploy reconnaissance missions. As the head of the regiment, Gao Mingcheng attaches great importance to this mission. He understands that this reconnaissance has a bearing on the overall strategic situation of the military region and even the whole country, and there is no room for the slightest mistake.
In order to complete this mission, Gao Mingcheng decided to personally lead the team and go deep into the hinterland of Wangdong to conduct reconnaissance. Before setting out, he repeatedly told the staff officers and company commanders to have a detailed understanding of the terrain and landforms along the way, conscientiously analyze the enemy's situation, and be prepared to deal with all kinds of unexpected situations.
The rainy weather in the past few days has made the terrain of the Wangdong area more complex and changeable. The trails are muddy and full of cliffs, and the slightest mistake can be a disaster. However, Gao Mingcheng and his comrades-in-arms did not flinch, and they carried forward the spirit of the Tibet Military Region of "being particularly able to endure hardships, fight, and dedication," and advanced step by step toward the deep area of Wangdong.
During the march, Gao Mingcheng always rushed to the front and used his body to open the way for the soldiers. When the mountain road was too slippery, he took off his coat and laid it on the road for the warriors to step on, and when the cliff was too steep, he tied himself to the warriors with a rope, and everyone climbed hand in hand, shoulder to shoulder, and climbed together......
In this way, the reconnaissance team trekked through mountains and rivers, day and night, and finally arrived in the hinterland of Wangdong. Here, they found a shocking scene: they saw that the Indian military camp in the valley was densely covered with tents, smoke curled from cooking, and all kinds of heavy weapons and equipment were available, and there was a tense scene.
What surprised Gao Mingcheng even more was that the fortifications built by the Indian army were even stronger than they imagined, and there were many pillboxes and machine guns with crossfire, which was simply a solid "military fortress".
In the face of the dangerous situation in front of them, the reconnaissance team did not flinch in the slightest. They secretly lurked, carefully observed the Indian army's every move, recorded their personnel and firepower configurations, and drew detailed schematic maps of their fortifications. For several days in a row, everyone relied on instant noodles and compressed biscuits to satisfy their hunger, and they did not care about resting, for fear of missing any important information.
The hard work paid off, and after arduous reconnaissance, the detachment mastered a large amount of first-hand information about the Indian army. Gao Mingcheng immediately decided that he and one soldier would stay behind and continue to monitor, while the other soldiers would split up and send the information back to the regiment headquarters in two ways, so that the military region could draw up a combat plan as soon as possible.
At this critical moment, something unexpected happened. A sudden snowstorm completely disrupted the deployment of the reconnaissance team. Heavy snow blocked the mountain, the road was blocked, and the soldiers who sent the intelligence were trapped in the mountains, and Gao Mingcheng and the soldiers who stayed behind were also besieged by the heavy snow near the Indian army fortifications.
The snow was getting heavier and heavier, and the vision was getting more and more blurry. The Indian army noticed the anomaly and began to shoot in the direction where Gao Mingcheng and the others were hiding. At the last moment, Gao Mingcheng had no choice but to evacuate the place with his soldiers, trekking through the heavy snow to find a new hiding place.
That's when the unexpected happened. A stray bullet hit Gao Mingcheng's left leg, and the blood instantly stained the snow red. Under the severe pain, Gao Mingcheng's feet weakened and he fell to the ground. At this time, the Indian army's pursuers were getting closer and closer......
The mountains and snow are merciless, and the soldiers are righteous. Seeing this, the soldiers left behind did not hesitate to carry Gao Mingcheng on their backs, dragged their wounded bodies, and struggled forward in the wind and snow. One step, two steps, three steps...... Every step is like dancing on the tip of a knife, and every step can be shattered.
Finally, they came to a hidden cave. The warrior gently put Gao Mingcheng down, used the clothes on his body to bind his wounds, and piled up snowdrifts at the entrance of the cave to cover his tracks. After doing all this, the warrior endured the severe pain, took up his gun, and stood at the entrance of the cave, ready to fight until the last moment.
Outside the cave, the snowstorm is getting bigger and bigger, and the Indian army's search is getting closer and closer. In the cave, Gao Mingcheng endured the pain and told the soldiers over and over again that the information they had detected should be sent back no matter what, even if they sacrificed themselves.
And just like that, one night passed, and another night passed. Finally, reinforcements arrived and drove the Indian army away in time. Gao Mingcheng and the soldiers were finally saved, and the reconnaissance information was also sent back to the regiment headquarters in its entirety.
Gao Mingcheng, who returned to the regiment headquarters, immediately reported the reconnaissance situation to the leaders of the military region. The Military Region immediately decided to take strong measures to smash the Indian army's offensive plot. Soon, our army launched a powerful counterattack in the Wangdong area, driving the Indian army back south of the Line of Actual Control. So far, this Sino-Indian border contest ended in the victory of our army.
Scout for an unexpected encounter with Wangdong
On 20 June 1985, the Tibet Military Region finally decided to set up a capable reconnaissance team led by Gao Mingcheng to secretly infiltrate the Wangdong area and go deep into the hinterland of the Indian army to obtain first-hand information. Considering the particularity and danger of the mission, the military region specially selected four elite fighters who are proficient in reconnaissance and survival in the wilderness, and together with Gao Mingcheng, formed this special detachment.
Among the members of the detachment were Jiang Jiuhua, a veteran company commander who had made outstanding achievements in the war against Vietnam, Zhang Jiangang, a staff officer who was among the best in reconnaissance training, and Lao Yang, a guard with rich combat experience. They are all Gao Mingcheng's most trusted and relied on comrades-in-arms, who have been born and died in many missions and have established a deep revolutionary friendship.
Before leaving, Gao Mingcheng gathered everyone together and said earnestly: "Comrades, this mission is related to national security and border stability, and we are shouldering a sacred mission. No matter how many difficulties and obstacles lie ahead, we must continue to move forward until the task is completed. ＂
"Understood!" everyone replied in unison, all of them with high morale and eager to try.
In the early morning of June 30, the reconnaissance team quietly set off. They unloaded their arms, changed into the clothes of local herders, carried simple bags on their backs, and blended into the vast snow-capped mountains. At the same time, they also brought sufficient food, tents and other wilderness survival equipment, and were ready for long-term combat.
On the first day, the detachment followed the predetermined route, climbed over mountains with an altitude of more than 5,000 meters, crossed a series of turbulent rivers, and marched on rugged and difficult mountain roads. Due to the rainy days, the mountain road is muddy, and if you are not careful, you will slip. Everyone can only hold hands, shoulder to shoulder, support each other, and move forward with difficulty.
The next day, the detachment arrived at a hidden place less than 5 kilometers from the Indian fortifications. Here, they found that the terrain was completely different from what the map had marked, and that there were steep cliffs all around, and there was no way to go. In desperation, everyone can only rest on the spot and wait for the opportunity.
That's when the unexpected happened. A sudden heavy snowfall completely disrupted the reconnaissance plan. The snow is getting thicker, visibility is getting lower, and the already complex terrain is becoming more difficult to identify. Not only that, physical exhaustion and altitude sickness also made everyone's body seriously uncomfortable.
What's even more worrying is that Gao Mingcheng's condition is getting worse and worse. Due to his long-term work in a high-altitude environment, his body has long been lit up with a red light. Before this mission, the doctor had repeatedly dissuaded him and asked him to recuperate, but he insisted on coming. Now, the high fever and vomiting have made his face pale and almost collapsed.
"Regiment commander, you rest first, let's figure out a way!" The old company commander Jiang Jiuhua held back his tears and helped Gao Mingcheng to lie down.
At this critical moment, Staff Officer Zhang had an idea and decided to venture down the mountain to find the way to come, so as to lead the team to evacuate as soon as possible. In order to cover his actions, the guard Lao Yang took the initiative to ask Ying to attract the attention of the Indian army in place.
"Be careful, I'm here waiting for you to come back!" Gao Mingcheng struggled.
"Don't worry, head of the regiment, we will definitely come back safely!" Staff Officer Zhang held Gao Mingcheng's hand tightly, turned around and disappeared into the vast snow-capped mountains.
An hour passed, two hours passed, and Staff Officer Zhang and Lao Yang never returned. Everyone's hearts hung in the air, for fear that something would happen to them.
After another hour, Staff Officer Zhang finally returned, but he was covered in injuries and could barely stand. It turned out that in order to get rid of the pursuers of the Indian army, he accidentally fell off the cliff and suffered multiple fractures. In order to cover him, Lao Yang was hit by a stray bullet from the Indian army and died heroically.
"I'm useless, I can't even keep Lao Yang, am I still a soldier?" Staff Officer Zhang was grief-stricken and couldn't cry.
"No, you did a good job, Lao Yang sacrificed to protect you and complete the task, he is a revolutionary martyr, we must always remember him!" Gao Mingcheng endured the severe pain and hugged Staff Officer Zhang tightly.
After another night, reinforcements finally arrived. The soldiers carried Gao Mingcheng and Staff Officer Zhang, escorted by medical personnel, back to the unit station. At this time, Gao Mingcheng was already dying, and he didn't even have the strength to speak.
"Commander Gao, wake up, I am the commander of the military region, you have completed the task, everyone is waiting for you to triumph!"
"Commander, I'm sorry for you, I failed to complete the task, I failed to live up to the expectations of the party and the people...... ＂
"No, you have done a good job, you have made immortal contributions to the party and the people, and the motherland and the people will never forget you!"
Gao Mingcheng smiled with satisfaction and slowly closed his eyes.
"Captain Gao, Commander Gao!" everyone gathered around the bed, crying silently.
Since then, this amiable and respectable frontier regiment commander has forever stayed on the top of the snow-capped mountain that he dreamed of. His name, together with veteran company commander Jiang Jiuhua, staff officer Zhang Jiangang, and guard Lao Yang, will forever be engraved in the green mountains and green waters of the motherland's borders and in the hearts of the people.
Gao Mingcheng is gone, but his spirit lives on. On that hot land that he guarded with his life, generation after generation of border guards went forward one after another, continuing to write a magnificent chapter of defending the homeland and the country. Every year on June 30, the soldiers come to Gao Mingcheng's tomb to present a bouquet of flowers and pay the highest tribute to this national hero.
"When I go to Tibet to serve as a soldier, I don't want to enjoy happiness, but to endure hardships, not to get, but to dedicate, not to honor, but to responsibility...... "Every time they visit the Heroes' Tombs, the warriors silently recite this oath. This is Gao Mingcheng's famous words before his death, and it is also the motto of the Tibet Military Region.
Today, although Gao Mingcheng has left us, his heroic deeds, his revolutionary spirit, and his noble sentiments will forever inspire generation after generation of soldiers and the people of all nationalities across the country to forge ahead bravely on the road of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation until the great dream of the Chinese nation is realized.
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Let us once again pay tribute to Regiment Commander Gao Mingcheng and to all the heroes who sacrificed their precious lives for the motherland! It was they who forged the great wall of steel of the republic with their blood and lives and defended the dignity and territorial integrity of the motherland. Without them, we would not have the happy life we have today.