In 1979, when our border guards were patrolling, they found a man covered in tatters, with worn hands and feet, carrying a gun and 300 rounds of ammunition on his back.
Information source: Baidu Encyclopedia - Xiao Jiaxi, November 25, 2004 People's Liberation Army Daily Iron Warrior "Xiao Jiaxi's Career Transfer, CNKI" - "Grassroots" Hero Xiao Jiaxi
In 1979, a young man named Xiao Jiaxi, with the dream of protecting his family and defending the country, bid farewell to the countryside of his hometown and walked into the gate of the barracks. Who would have thought that this ordinary peasant boy would stand up in the rain of bullets in the future and compose a heroic hymn that can be sung and cried.
Soon after Xiao Jiaxi joined the army, he ushered in the first tough battle of his military career - the self-defense counterattack against Vietnam. The flames of war were raging, and the smoke of gunpowder was everywhere, and the young Xiao Jiaxi went to the front line with the troops.
However, fate played a big joke on the recruit. In a battle, Xiao Jiaxi's cooking squad was separated from the large army, and this improvised small detachment had to go deep behind enemy lines to avoid pursuit.
The vast forest sea is full of thorns. Xiao Jiaxi and his comrades-in-arms took off their bright red collar badges, took off their shiny military hats, and turned into a group of "reckless heroes". They hid during the day, marched at night, nibbled on tree bark when they were hungry, and drank water from mountain streams to quench their thirst when they were thirsty.
However, the pursuit of the Vietnamese army became tighter and tighter, and at the last moment, Xiao Jiaxi stepped forward and took the initiative to ask for a cushion to buy precious retreat time for his comrades.
In the rain of bullets, the Xiao family moved forward bravely. Suddenly, a bullet hit him in the hip, and the blood instantly stained the military uniform red. The pain hit and he was confused, but Xiao Jiaxi gritted his teeth, and with amazing perseverance, he swallowed the pain back into his stomach. He knew that he could not fall, and the safety of his comrades-in-arms was tied to him.
The bullets could not stop the hero's footsteps, the blood was dry, and there were tears to fill it. Xiao Jiaxi took it step by step, dragging his scarred body through the rain of bullets. Finally, he came to a hidden cave and lay on the ground exhausted.
In the cave, Xiao Jiaxi, who was drenched in blood, began to fight with death. The wound hurt like a tear, the hunger gnawed at his internal organs like a wild beast, and the fever of infection almost burned his mind. But Xiao Jiaxi did not give up, he wrapped his wounds with weeds, quenched his thirst with mountain spring water, and woke up from his coma again and again.
For nine days and eight nights, Xiao Jiaxi fought against death in a cave. He knew that he could not sit idly by and must find a way to return to the embrace of his motherland. So, he dragged his crippled body and began a thrilling crawling journey.
The rugged mountain road and the dense thorns, Xiao Jiaxi climbed step by step. The hard rock had worn down his palms, the sharp gravel had pierced his knees, and the blood had stained the hem of his garment. But Xiao Jiaxi did not stop, he had only one belief in his heart: to live and climb back to the embrace of the motherland.
One day, two days...... Xiao Jiaxi didn't know how long he had climbed, nor how far he had climbed. His consciousness was sometimes awake and sometimes blurred, but his instinct to survive kept him in his hand. Finally, on the evening of the ninth day, a field of verdant corn came into his view.
At that moment, tears blurred Xiao Jiaxi's eyes. Corn, that's the crop of the motherland! He knew that he had finally returned to the bosom of his homeland.
When the news came, the whole army was shaken. This warrior, who climbed back from the line of death, was known as the "Iron Warrior" and was awarded the honor of "First-Class Meritorious". Xiao Jiaxi's heroic deeds, like a magnificent song of triumph, are sung in the north and south of the river.
After recovering from his injuries, Xiao Jiaxi returned to the barracks. He was not willing to be a "legend", but continued to fight hard in his military career. From an ordinary soldier, to a deputy company commander, deputy instructor, and then to the deputy brigade commander of the group army, Xiao Jiaxi has written a shining chapter at every stage of his military career with sweat and wisdom.
The story of heroes is always worth remembering and remembering. But in Xiao Jiaxi's dictionary, the word "dedication" is heavier. In 2004, when the word "old hero" quietly appeared in front of his name, Xiao Jiaxi made an admirable choice.
On an early spring morning, Xiao Jiaxi sat in his office, staring at the pen in his hand for a long time. Outside the window, the spring breeze blows through the barracks, and a new generation of soldiers is striding by. Xiao Jiaxi's heart was hot, and he wrote down the words "application for job change".
This decision surprised and reluctantly many people. The comrades-in-arms did not understand, and the leaders tried their best to keep them. In their eyes, Xiao Jiaxi is a rare pillar of the army and a heroic model in the eyes of the soldiers.
However, Xiao Jiaxi has no regrets. He knows very well that on the journey of the new era, the army needs more young blood and new soldiers who understand modern science and technology. They should give up their position and let outstanding young people create their own brilliance.
Xiao Jiaxi's whole life has been racing against the times. Back then, he died on the battlefield, climbed thousands of mountains and rivers, and interpreted the loyalty and responsibility of soldiers with his flesh and blood. And now, he has "given way" to show a veteran's far-sighted thinking about army building.
He understands that no matter how great an individual's merits are, they cannot compare with the future of the army. Only by giving way to the new forces can the army maintain its youthful vitality forever and continue to write new glories.
On the day he left the army, Xiao Jiaxi wet his clothes with tears. He walked through every corner of the camp and hugged every comrade-in-arms tightly. From the cooking squad to the machine-gun company, from the trenches to the barracks, every inch of the land was soaked in his sweat, and every face left his shadow.
Twenty-six years of military career has already made this place a part of his life. However, he knew that his mission had been accomplished. A new battlefield is calling, and a new struggle awaits. Finally, without looking back, he stepped on the train to a new battlefield.
Heroes are not a false name, but a choice, a dedication, and a spirit. Xiao Jiaxi used his own actions to interpret this. His "giving way" is not a retreat, but a higher level of dedication; His departure is not the end, but a new beginning. He will always integrate the blood of heroes into this army; He will always imprint the footsteps of struggle on the journey of the times.
