10 retired soldiers hold the No. 8 post and fulfill their loyalty oath of "I will not leave until the water recedes"
2024-08-07
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Ten retired soldiers fulfilled their oath to guard the No. 8 post of the Chibi main dike in the Hubei Xianning section of the Yangtze River.
"I will not leave until the water recedes"
■Li Xin and Qin Junjun
"Although the water level of the Yangtze River has been dropping in the past two days, we must carry out inspections in accordance with flood prevention requirements and cannot slack off in the slightest." At Post No. 8 on the Chibi main dike in the Hubei section of the Yangtze River in Xianning, post chief Yuan Jianping is organizing a regular meeting of flood prevention commandos to arrange and deploy flood prevention work.
There are 19 sentry posts on this main levee. On the outer wall of sentry post No. 8, a sign that reads "Veteran sentry post" is particularly eye-catching. The 10 flood control commandos stationed at the sentry post are all veterans from the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Bureau of Chibi City. They are responsible for patrolling the 1,040-meter levee line of sentry post No. 8, including the old dangerous section, Yaozui dangerous section, where the bank collapsed in 1998.
Since the end of June, these 10 retired soldiers have moved their luggage to the outpost, lived and ate on the levee, and stood guard 24 hours a day. The dog days of summer are extremely hot. They not only have to endure the test of scorching sun and heavy rain, but also the bites of mosquitoes, but everyone is full of energy and high morale.
The exterior of Post No. 8. Photo by Li Xin
When I walked into the post, I saw that the rules and regulations were neatly posted on the wall, the bedding on the simple beds was folded into "tofu blocks", and the toiletries, tableware, and luggage were all neatly placed. Li Shaoyun, a member of the flood control commando, said that the post adopted semi-militarized management, and everyone followed the military standards from housekeeping to work style.
Yuan Jianping, who retired from a naval unit, has served as the sentry chief of Post No. 8 for the fourth time this year. Some time ago, when he heard that the bureau was going to form a flood prevention team of retired soldiers, Yuan Jianping, who was receiving medical treatment in the hospital, was the first to sign up without telling his wife. "I am familiar with this section of the Yangtze River main dike and am the most suitable candidate," said Yuan Jianping.
Yuan Jianping is a recognized expert at Post No. 8 due to his rich experience in flood prevention. While passing on his experience to his teammates, he also summed up a set of flood prevention dike patrol methods: 3 people in a group, moving forward in a row, one person checks the outer slope to check for wave eyes and external collapse; one person checks the top of the dike, checks the top of the dike and the inner and outer shoulders to see if there are pits and cracks; one person checks the inner slope of the dike and the no-footing area to check for leakage, slippage, pipe bursts, etc. Whenever it rains heavily, Yuan Jianping always takes the lead in patrolling the dike. He said: "On rainy days, especially at night, the situation is complicated. I have more experience than you, so I'll go."
Retired soldiers inspect the levee for dangerous conditions. Photo by Li Xin
Under the leadership of Yuan Jianping, the flood control commandos went through wind and rain, carried forward the style of the soldiers who were particularly able to endure hardships and fight, and stayed on the main dike of the Yangtze River. Ren Zuopeng, who retired from the Iron Army, had originally agreed with his wife to take his two children to Tiananmen Square in Beijing to watch the flag-raising ceremony during the summer vacation. After the flood control began, he submitted an application to join the flood control commando without discussing it with his wife. In recent days, when the children video-called him, they always asked: "Dad, why don't you come back and take us to Tiananmen Square to watch the flag-raising ceremony?"
In response to the children's questions, Ren Zuopeng said: "We can't go to Beijing this summer, but we can go during the winter vacation. But if no one protects the Yangtze River embankment, thousands of children may not even be able to return home."
Luo Yanmin, who retired from an armored unit of the army, told his father Luo Xunyi, who was in hospital, that he had joined the flood control commando team with a sense of guilt. His father strongly supported him. Luo Xunyi said, "This is what a veteran should be like. Only by taking good care of everyone can you have a happy family." During the flood control period, Luo Yanmin stayed at the Yangtze River embankment and greeted his father every day through video calls.
"Since ancient times, it has been difficult to be both loyal and filial. If one family is not happy, all families will be happy." Yuan Jianping said, "The disaster situation is an order. When the party and the people need us, we will rush to the front line without hesitation to protect the lives and property of the people."
As of now, the water level in the Xianning section of the Yangtze River has receded below the warning level. The flood emergency response in Xianning City has been adjusted from level three to level four. Ten retired soldiers are still guarding Post No. 8 day and night.
Source: China Military Network - China National Defense News
