Thousand Mile Camping And Training- Wang Fahu's Documentary Essay Collection "Rong Ma Xiyu Forty Autumns" No. 19

Original Wang Fahu

On November 24, 1970, Chairman Mao Zedong read the "Military Training Bulletin" drawn by the Eighth Army Division' camping and training, and he was very happy and immediately gave the instruction that "this training is good." Since then, the enthusiasm of the whole army's troops in camping and training has been in full swing. In fact, on November 3, a little earlier, our regiment had already completed the thousand-mile camping training in Urumqi----- Bayinbrook --- Aksu (1500 kilometers), which caused a sensation throughout Xinjiang.

After the "708" exercise, during the half-month period from September 4 --- 19, 1970, Zhang Yukun, the head of the regiment, took me to conduct an early survey of the route of camping and training. The first camping point we surveyed was Bayinbrook, where Wang Chengbang, deputy chief of staff of the 12th Regiment of our division (a 58-year soldier, a native of Gansu), who was on the left side of the (grassland pastoral area) at that time, warmly received us. The next day, Meng Fansheng, chief of staff of the division, led Bao (61 soldiers, from Anyang, Henan) to the army, and together we took a horse to survey the marching route, and at the same time looked at the Tianshan "Kule" (Uyghur: meaning Tianchi) and Swan Lake (left photo), and enjoyed the great scenery of the well-known Bayinbrook Grassland. Subsequently, we took a detour along the Black Eagle Mountain, Baicheng and Yu'er Roll to survey the 28 camps of the marching army on foot. On the morning of the next day in Aksu, when I presented the "Marching Road Map" drawn overnight to Commander Zhang with a nervous mood for decision, I was relieved to see his rare bright smile.

The first time I was alone with the awesome Commander Zhang, I felt nervous. However, through the extensive contact between time and work practice, I was very impressed by The temperament and work style of Commander Zhang who was not alarmed, confident, informal, able to speak, and made a promise.

Less than three days after the regiment-affiliated unit received the "advance order" to "prepare to move," at dawn on October 2, the regiment-affiliated unit (owes the first battalion) was on standby in the parking lot of the bus company opposite the Mingyuan in Urumqi, and Xu Guoxian, deputy commander of the military region, and leaders of relevant departments of the department, government, and rear departments personally visited and made a brief speech. Immediately, the troops took a car and began a motorized march of about 500 kilometers --- Urumqi --- Avel ditch --- Ulastai.

The large march on foot from Ulastai, north of Barenta, to Aksu for about 1,000 kilometers is unforgettable. Everything is based on difficulty, strictness, and the needs of actual combat, and the soldiers are all loaded with guns and heavy burdens. Especially on the first day, there were many tribulations. What is fatal is that in the final stage of the march the next day, the grassland burst into flames, and I was advancing with the sharp soldier company (the eighth company), the first to bear the brunt of the rescue, under the command of the company commander Peng Zhiqiang (60 years of soldiers, Changsha, Hunan), the soldiers took off their shirts, desperately tried their best to fight, and I also fought in it. However, because the fire borrows the wind, it is fierce and unstoppable. Many warriors were burned by the fire, fainted and fell, and looked at the large grassland, which turned into ashes in an instant. At this critical juncture, fortunately, the follow-up troops arrived, and after more than half an hour of all-out rescue, the fire was finally extinguished, thus avoiding a catastrophe on the grassland.

Coincidentally, the so-called misfortune was not alone, on the third day of the march, due to the high water surface of the "Kule" in the northern foothills of the Tianshan Mountains, it flooded the road on the north side of the past, and the vanguard troops suddenly lost their way of advance.

This changed from the situation when surveying the marching route, and at that time I was also confused. In a hurry, I could only lead by example and command the sharp soldier company (the fifth company) to grope along the flooded road on the north side of "Kule", because the lake was cold and bone-chilling, and the soldiers were afraid of difficulties. Coupled with being overwhelmed, complaining, and traveling very slowly.

Mu Hongqian, then commander of the Second Battalion (an old instructor of the Ninth Company), also challenged me with a straight face, saying that he hoped that the troops would not wade into the water and asked to bypass the "Kule" as much as possible to find another way.

Seeing the arrival of follow-up troops one after another, crowding was inevitable, while the sharp company was slow to move. At this time, Commander Zhang came from behind, he glanced at the changed situation, and said to Commander Mu: "Look at what you see, it's just that the lake has flooded the road, and the command troops have formed all the way, try to the right, and wade forward!" ”。 In fact, the water depth is only about 30 centimeters, and everyone pulls on the trouser pipe and passes. The decisive determination of Commander Zhang gave me the ultimate relief.

After crossing the Tianshan Mountains, the march and camp have always been relatively smooth, the daily march is about 30 kilometers, most of them are advancing along the road, plus the troops have mastered the law of long-distance marching, groped for experience, and rarely special circumstances occur. After twenty-eight days of continuous marching, on November 3rd, we completed the Thousand Mile Camp training and successfully returned to the Aksu barracks.

The camping and training, marching on foot for 28 consecutive days, with a total mileage of more than 1,000 kilometers and an average daily journey of more than 35 kilometers, created a precedent for the large troops of the Xinjiang Military Region to camp and train for thousands of miles, gained the basic experience of the large troops in walking, fighting, eating, living, and hiding under the severe cold conditions of the Gobi, and won the commendation of the military region and the general headquarters.

(To be continued)