In December 1973, I embarked on my enlistment in the army. Although the date on the enlistment notice was 13 December 1973, the actual date of arrival of our recruits was the evening of 22 December. Before we left our hometown, the whole village saw us off with gongs and drums and firecrackers, and when we arrived at the recruit company, the company commander, instructor and veteran squad leader also gave us meticulous care and care. These warmth shocked me, who had just turned 19 at the time, and at the same time strengthened my determination to become a soldier. One of my most profound experiences during the next three months of recruit training was receiving my first stipend. I remember that at that time, we had just been training for two months as a recruit, and the veteran squad leader gave us a stipend for the first month. Fifty years have passed, but I still vividly remember that the allowance each recruit received was three two-dollar bills. In the seventies, the allowance was $6 per month for the first year of service, $7 for the second year, and $8 for the third year (the first six years were $1). The moment I got the six-dollar allowance, I was excited, nervous and happy. After all, I had just turned 19 years old from the countryside, and that was the first time in my life that I had received a "salary".
Although it seems that six yuan is nothing now, it was a small "huge amount" at the time. You know, in the seventies, toothpaste was sold for 04 yuan a piece, soap 035 yuan a piece, 002 yuan a box, towels 05 yuan a piece, 0 eggs05 yuan a, stamps 008 yuan, envelope 001 yuan. In addition to the allowance, there is another thing in the recruit company that I still remember vividly. On the second day of arriving at the recruit company, just after lunch, the company commander and instructor walked into our dormitory. The company commander's surname is Gong, and he was a soldier who enlisted in the army in 1964The instructor's surname is Wu and he was a soldier in 1965. The company commander smiled and asked us recruits how they had adapted to life in the army in the past two days, whether the food was to their taste, whether they could sleep well at night, and so on. An active recruit in the squad immediately replied: "Report to the company commander, we are very satisfied with our life in the recruit company, the meals are delicious and the meals are sufficient. After hearing this, the company commander smiled and patted him on the shoulder. The instructor carefully sorted out the toiletries on the table, which made me feel warm. After the company commander and instructor left, the veteran squad leader joked: "You soldiers are really lucky, the company leaders of our company are very good, and there is no arrogance at all."
But back then, when I was a recruit in the company, the company commander was quite short-tempered, and no one dared to talk to him. After listening to the class leader's words, everyone began to have a heated discussion. However, I was a little confused about the title of "company chief", so I asked the squad leader for advice. The squad leader smiled and patiently explained to me the issue of salutation in the company. In a company, the company commander generally refers to the chief adjutant of the company, including the company commander, instructor, deputy company commander and deputy instructor, all of whom can be called the company leader. In the military, salutation is a very important etiquette. For the main position, it is usually called the position directly, while for the deputy position, it is generally called "surname + position". When interacting with leaders, salutation is also very important, and at the same time, when dealing with squad leaders, platoon leaders and other positions, we should also follow the corresponding title norms. However, when getting along with comrades in brother squads and platoons, the salutation is relatively easy-going, and the name can be used directly. After I finished the recruit training, I came to the fifth squad of the second company of the first battalion and became a soldier. During the half year of the fifth shift, although the work was very heavy, the squad leader and the veterans took very good care of me, which made me feel the warmth and warmth of home. Even after more than 40 years, I can still recall those good times.
Later, at the end of September 1974, due to the successful experience of publishing a board newspaper and good calligraphy, I was directly transferred to the company headquarters by the company commander as a clerk. In this position, I worked for three full years. For the needs of work, I went to the battalion headquarters and regimental headquarters many times. In particular, the experience of going to the regiment headquarters made me unforgettable. It was one day in December 1976, and I went to the regiment headquarters with Xiao Zhang, the clerk of the Third Company. Our regimental headquarters was located in a ravine, about 20 kilometers from our company's camp. Since there were no buses, every time I went to the regimental headquarters, I had to stand on the side of the road and wait for the passing bus to get to my destination. In the past, although there were a lot of passing cars, that day was particularly unsatisfactory, and cars drove in the direction of the regiment headquarters, but none of them went to the regiment headquarters. Finally, after Xiao Zhang and I waited for half an hour, a local car drove in the direction of the regiment headquarters. We were waiting on the side of the road for a ride, hoping that a car would stop and give us a ride. However, no matter how we waved, the cars ignored our presence and sped past us. In desperation, Xiao Zhang and I had to wait patiently. Surprisingly, however, after an hour, still not a single car passed by.
It was almost ten o'clock, and we had to give up waiting for the bus and decided to start walking to the regimental headquarters. As we walked, we kept looking back to see if there were any cars passing by. It was very cold, the north wind was howling, and the biting chill almost cut our ears and cheeks to pieces. As a result of wearing masks, our exhaled breath condensed on our eyebrows, forming ice spikes that obscured our vision and made it almost impossible for us to see the road ahead. However, we did not dare to take off the masks (once we took them off, the cold wind poured directly into our mouths and noses). So, with our heads bowed and bent over, we struggled to move forward in the direction of the regimental headquarters. After walking for about half an hour, when we were both hungry and exhausted, a jeep suddenly "creaked" next to us. We stopped, and a person got out of the jeep, and I rubbed my eyes and found that the person turned out to be our regimental commander (surnamed Zhou, who was amiable). Seeing the regiment commander, Xiao Zhang and I hurriedly wanted to salute, but the regiment commander waved his hand and asked which company we belonged to, what was going on. Hearing our answer, the regiment commander smiled and said that it happened that they were also going back to the regiment headquarters. The regiment commander led us to the jeep and opened the rear door to let us in.
However, when I looked into the car, I saw that the back seat was already full of three people, two staff officers and one officer. They looked embarrassed, clearly indicating that there was no room for the two of us in the car. Faced with this scene, Xiao Zhang and I had to take a few steps back and say in unison: "Commander, no need, we can walk slowly, there will definitely be a car along the way." Hearing our words, the head of the regiment responded directly: "This unfinished road is a special road for our construction, and there is no problem with five people sitting in the back row." And it's so cold today, everyone can still keep warm by squeezing in. Don't ink it, get in the car, and you'll be at the regimental headquarters right away. The head of the regiment said, and pushed us into the car, urging us to squeeze in. In the face of the resolute attitude of the regiment commander, two staff officers and an officer also began to move closer together to make room for us. In the end, Xiao Zhang and I sat on the seat alone, and the other squatted on the floor, barely getting into the car. The regiment commander closed the door with a smile, got into the car himself, and sat in the front passenger seat. After getting on the bus, the regiment commander asked us to take off our fur coats for him to wear, so that we could also sit more comfortably. Subsequently, the regiment commander asked the driver to set off, and along the way, the regiment commander was very kind and kind to us, and talked with us in a relaxed and pleasant manner.
Before we knew it, we had arrived at the regimental headquarters. The head of the regiment personally sent me and Xiao Zhang to the guest house and arranged for the canteen to prepare meals for us. In addition, the regiment commander also praised our spirit of not being afraid of the cold and hardships, and coming to the regiment headquarters to do business even on foot. After the head of the regiment left, the two of us sat down to eat, and the cook brought a plate of steaming meals. We began to talk about family affairs and our hearts until the head of the regiment left. Looking at his departing back, I couldn't help but feel sad, and tears flowed down unconsciously. The head of the regiment is so approachable and so kind. Perhaps, in his opinion, it was just a trivial matter, long forgotten. However, for me, even decades later, this scene is still deeply engraved in my heart. Every time I think about it, I am still moved to tears. This experience has become an eternal memory in my heart.