● Reporter Chen Jing
Correspondent Pan Jianjun Xiao Zhonghong
"Positive step. walk..... courtesy... Rebbe.... push. On the morning of September 30, at the scene of the 2021 Martyrs' Memorial Day public sacrifice held in the Chibi City Martyrs' Cemetery, accompanied by the solemn "Flower Offering Song", 14 heroic and sassy soldiers carried flower baskets in their hands and slowly stepped up the steps, offering everyone's reverence for the revolutionary martyrs in front of the martyrs' monument.
The "salute" team, which undertook the task of offering flowers, consisted of veterans from the city. They have served in all branches of the navy, land and air force, and now they are in all walks of life, and some have been away from the army for 20 years, but because of their former military complex, they have gathered together and expressed their deep patriotic feelings with meticulous hard training.
Prepare for the establishment of a "salute" team for retired soldiers
At the Chibi Veterans Service Center in early September, several staff members frowned in preparation for the upcoming Martyrs' Memorial Day public service. "Applying to the garrison troops for courtesy soldiers, the procedures are cumbersome, for fear of delaying the training of troops." Although public security and other departments actively support activities, their security tasks are already arduous..."
Just when everyone was worried, Rao Peng, a retired soldier who came to handle the matter, heard about this incident and introduced himself: "During my service in a certain unit of the infantry brigade of the People's Liberation Army garrison in Hong Kong in Chinese, I have been serving as a flag raiser in the barracks. Why don't I try it this year? I gathered my comrades-in-arms together and set up a salute team of our own retired soldiers to ensure a successful completion of the mission. ”
Rao Peng was born in 1981, specially recruited in the army in 1999, during the period of service due to the excellent military and political quality, has been responsible for the national flag raising and lowering ceremony task, many times rated as "excellent soldier". In the 20 years since he left the army, he has successively engaged in real estate sales, finance and other work, but he has always remembered his military career and practiced the strict style he learned in the army in his life.
Rao Peng practiced the style of a soldier who acted vigorously and vigorously, and immediately called several comrades-in-arms who had retired from the Hong Kong garrison and began to form a "courtesy soldier" team for retired soldiers in Chibi.
"This year marks the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China, and I've been wondering, as a retired soldier, what else can I do for the party and the country?" Your proposal is so good..." Rao Peng's invitation was warmly responded to by his comrades-in-arms. Although busy in various industries, everyone agreed that they would overcome difficulties and actively participate in training.
Intensive training strives for perfection
Liu Bangcheng, the head and coach of a fitness club, served in the military band of the honor guard of the three armed forces of the Chinese People's Liberation Army; Bao Huan, a staff member of a public institution, served in the Hong Kong garrison of the Chinese People's Liberation Army... After a week of intense preparations, on September 26, the Chibi Veterans Salute Team was officially established. 20 veterans were screened layer by layer to become members of the Chibi Veterans Salute Team.
"The height of the members of the 'Salute' team is controlled between 1.78 meters and 1.80 meters. In addition to the standard of body shape and the sunshine of the image, the most important thing is to love the party and the country, obey the command, and have excellent military and political qualities. Zhu Kai, head of the Chibi Veterans Service Center, said. In the process of forming the salute team, he also joined the queue, who had never been a salute soldier.
The training of ceremonial soldiers is different from the military training in the army, and there are certain differences in pace and movement. Most of the 20 members of the team had not been trained in ceremonial pace. In order to successfully complete the important ceremonial task of presenting flower baskets to the people's heroes, Rao Peng, who served as the captain of the ceremonial team, also served as an instructor and trained the team members intensively.
Swing arms flat on the chest, the back hand must not be higher than 45 degrees; the height of the kick is 30 cm, the distance of the step is 75 cm... Under the scorching sun, the members of the "Salute Soldiers" repeatedly practiced the movement of swinging their arms and raising their legs. In order to ensure that the standing posture is straight and the walking posture is correct, the A4 printing paper becomes a training tool, or sandwiched between the legs and knees, or flat on the top of the head, and the paper cannot be moved, let alone dropped.
In order to ensure the strict appearance of the salute team, Rao Peng personally invested 30,000 yuan to purchase 14 sets of "dresses", and then carefully selected 14 team members from 20 team members, wearing dresses and riding boots, carrying flower baskets for training, and striving to be perfect in every action.
His debut was praised by the crowd
September 30 is the eighth "Martyrs' Day" in China. Chibi City solemnly held the 2021 Martyrs' Memorial Day public ceremony in front of the Chibi City Martyrs' Cemetery Monument. After 4 days of intensive training and meticulous preparation, the Chibi veterans "salute soldiers" team ushered in the first honor guard mission.
"Present flower baskets to the Martyrs' Monument and play the "Flower Offering Song"..." At the scene of the event on the same day, Ge Jun, deputy secretary of the Chibi Municipal Party Committee and mayor, announced the start of the flower offering ceremony, and 10 heroic "salute soldiers" were neatly listed. Their expressions were majestic and solemn, swinging their arms and raising their legs, and their movements were uniform, without delay.
"Ready... rise. "5 flower baskets, the "salute soldiers" team members in pairs, steadily lifting the flower baskets. Even when turning a corner and stepping up the steps in front of the monument, the flower basket in your hand always remains at a steady level without the slightest shaking.
"The debut of the Chibi Veterans Salute Team is a beautiful scenery today." "You guys are awesome, you're full of spirits, and you're as tall and mighty as the salute soldiers you see on TV!" At the end of the public ceremony, the leaders, officers and soldiers, and representatives of the masses from all walks of life who participated in the activity praised this well-trained salute team one after another.
Aunt Lang, the mother of Bao Huan, a member of the ceremonial team, looked at her son wearing a "ceremonial soldier" costume, stepped forward and hugged him, and her eyes were full of tears of excitement: "Son, you are awesome, and your mother is proud of you!" ”
Taking off their boots, the feet of several of the saluted soldiers were worn out by the intense training they had been training for several days, but they smiled indifferently: "What is this?" To be able to pay tribute to the revolutionary martyrs on behalf of the masses of the people is a supreme honor for us veterans. After a few days of training, we seemed to be back in the barracks, only to feel the blood boiling. Next year, the year after that, and every year of the public festival day, we must actively participate in the flower baskets to the people's heroes! ”
Patriotic education is carried out tirelessly
In 1949, after the Chinese Communist Party liberated most of China, the Five-Star Red Flag was designated as the national flag of the People's Republic of China at the Chinese Political Consultative Conference. The big five-pointed star in the national flag represents the Communist Party of China, and the four small five-pointed stars represent the four classes of workers, peasants, petty bourgeoisie and national bourgeoisie. The five five-pointed stars are interlinked and densely intertwined, symbolizing the great unity of the Chinese and the people..." On the afternoon of September 30, a unique national defense education class was held at the Yujiaqiao Township Central School in Chibi City.
On the podium, Rao Peng, captain of the ceremonial corps, integrated the history of the party, the knowledge of the national flag, and the story of the War of Resistance, and more than 100 teachers and students under the podium listened with relish and applause.
"When I participated in the festival day, the performance of the ceremonial team made me feel very shocked. In them, I saw the indomitable spirit of the Chinese soldiers, so I invited them to come and give a lesson to the children. Zhu Yubao, principal of Yujiaqiao Township Central School, said that veterans combined their own experience to carry out patriotic education, which can infect and impress children more. He hoped that by looking back at history and remembering the martyrs, he would let these pillars of the motherland's future always remember that today's happy life was not easy to come by, so as to study and serve the motherland well.
Over the past few days, several schools and units have found Rao Peng and invited the "salute soldiers" team to carry out publicity and training on the knowledge of raising the national flag.
"In the future, our veterans' 'ceremonial soldiers' team will work in an increasingly professional direction, not only to participate in all kinds of Qingming festival sweeping and public sacrifice activities, but also to undertake public welfare services such as revolutionary history propaganda and national defense education, and to give back to the society what they have learned in the army." Rao Peng said.