In December 1985, the 47th Army was ordered to participate"Old Mountain Wheel Battle", the warrior Xing Zhiqiang was on the train speeding south, his thoughts drifting around in the rumble of the wheels.
However, he never imagined what would happen to him next. "Old Mountain Wheel Battle"It is not an old-fashioned war, this mountain at an altitude of more than 1,000 meters is full of lush trees, flowers and plants, birds chirping, and the green trees and flowers all over the mountain show its vitality.
However, the Grim Reaper has quietly set its sights on this vibrant mountain, turning it into a purgatory-like existence on earth. On March 16, 1979, the People's Liberation Army (PLA) returned home after conquering Lang Son and inflicting heavy losses on six divisions of the Vietnamese Army.
However, the Vietnamese army was entangled in the more than 500-kilometer border between China and Vietnam like a ghost. They occupied many of the horseback points in the border areas, and even sent small troops to sneak into our territory and build many fortifications.
In this way, the 122nd Regiment of the 313th Division of the Vietnamese Army seized the main peak of Lao Shan in Malipo County, Yunnan Province, China, and established four military strongholds for defense.
After occupying Lao Son, the Vietnamese army aimed its guns at the people of our country, ruthlessly destroying the soldiers and civilians on the border. More than 28,000 shells were fired into Malipo County, destroying nearly 1,000 acres of rubber forests and killing more than 300 border soldiers and civilians.
The rampant Vietnamese may not have imagined what kind of anger would greet them!
On March 26, 1984, the Kunming Military Region assembled four infantry divisions (31st, 40th, 41st and one artillery division) to prepare for a return attack on Vietnamese troops near Malipo County.
On 2 April, the PLA artillery unit began shelling the Lao Son defense area and the northern part of the country, which lasted for 26 days, destroying the Vietnamese army's defensive line. During this period, the PLA infantry units were also quietly advancing.
In the early morning of April 28, the 40th Division first launched an attack on the Songmaoling area of Laoshan and fired the first shot to recover Laoshan. Although the Vietnamese army built many hidden fortifications, and the shelling lasted more than 20 days, these fortifications were not destroyed, but became an obstacle to the PLA.
Although the officers and men of the 40th Division failed to charge several times, at the critical moment, their sharp knives were like sharp blades, hitting the heart of the Vietnamese army, and finally took the main peak of Lao Mountain.
The offensive of the 40th Division was as fast as the wind, and it took only 5 hours to take the main peak of Laoshan. On April 30, the 31st Division launched a full-scale attack on Zheyinshan, and completely annihilated the defending troops of more than 1,000 people in Zheyinshan at the cost of less than 100 people.
On 15 May, the PLA assault force adopted the tactics of attacking from both flanks and interspersing flanks and rear, and covertly engaging the enemy, and successfully recaptured Heights 169, 634, and Dongshan of the Bali River.
So far, the Laoshan area has been basically recovered.
The repulsed enemy forces would not rest on their laurels, and the 2nd Military Region of Vietnam gathered the strength of three divisions and launched the "MB84" campaign, although they recaptured some positions, but under the continuous artillery fire of the PLA, they did not achieve much success.
The enemy will not easily stop the truce, they organized troops to carry out several attacks on our positions, especially the 634 heights and the 211 positions, although the enemy once captured the 211 positions, but in the end they were recaptured by our troops.
In the repeated tug-of-war, many heroic deeds emerged.
Despite the dangers of the 211 position, we always have a group of fearless warriors who did not hesitate to ask for battle and took the initiative to apply to defend the front line of the 211 position.
In the end, more than a dozen officers and soldiers of the 47th Company of the 417th Regiment of the 5th Army were selected, and they will stick to the 211 position, the permanent residence of Lord Yama. The No. 1 outpost at the forefront of the 211 position is known as the "Ghost Gate Pass", which is only more than ten meters away from the nearest outpost of the Vietnamese army.
Xing Zhiqiang, a man from the northwest, bravely stood up and took the initiative to apply for transfer to the No. 1 sentry post and was appointed as the sentry chief. Before leaving, the division commander also wore his number "00001" on Xing Zhiqiang's chest, making him a real "first soldier in Laoshan".
However, the "first soldier of Laoshan" is not easy. Sentry 1 is a narrow passage made up of three stone crevices, and in order to enter, you must walk on your back. Xing Zhiqiang struggled to defend his position in the cracks of the stones, and at the same time had to keep an eye on the movements of the Vietnamese army in front of him.
Although the rumbling sound of cannons could be heard in his ears, which was as shocking as a war drum, Xing Zhiqiang always maintained a firm will, and he held a steel gun to resist the crazy attacks again and again.
Even if the bomb was nearby** and the stone hit the corner of his right eye and right leg, he still held his position and guarded the road that did not allow the Vietnamese army to advance with his gun. They are heroes who stand up and stand up for their posts, even in the toughest of circumstances.
They are our pride, and they have written a magnificent history with their courage and faith.
What made Xing Zhiqiang, a man from the northwest, feel more unbearable than the surging attack of the Vietnamese army was the hot and humid weather in Southeast Asia. He was born in Qingyang, Gansu Province, and experienced this suffocating sultry heat and continuous rainfall?
Especially in the stone crevices of this karst stone mountain, every day seems to be boiling. When it rains, a large amount of water will pour into the cracks of the stones, almost submerging most of Xing Zhiqiang's body, and only showing a vigilant head looking at the Vietnamese position.
In order to alleviate the effects of the heat, he often went naked** and let the cool penetrate his skin. However, the mosquitoes were more active in the scorching heat, biting his skin one after another, leaving him with mosquito-bitten blood and ulcering ** all over his body.
The tragic situation at the No. 1 sentry post made people can't help but cry sadly when they see it. In order not to let the soldiers suffer, the army commander Qian Shugen decided to give priority to the food of the military headquarters to the heroes of the 211 position, so that they could get the best treatment.
However, the conditions on the front line are too bad, Xing Zhiqiang and others have to hold their positions, and even peeing and pooping can only be solved in the cracks of the stones, even in the face of delicious food, they dare not eat more, because the smell may be more terrible than the chemical ** of the Vietnamese.
Despite such a difficult predicament, Xing Zhiqiang and his comrades-in-arms never gave up. Pan Jiutian and Bai Shishou were his comrades-in-arms, and they performed well in a surprise attack, but unfortunately, Pan Jiutian was blown off a leg, and Bai Shishou was seriously injured and his life hung by a thread.
Xing Zhiqiang was also wounded, but they stubbornly repelled the Vietnamese army and held their positions. Although the organization intended to let them withdraw, Xing Zhiqiang insisted on staying in the position, and he understood that he could not do without himself here.
In the hot and humid weather, mosquito bites, unbearable stench, and bleeding wounds, Xing Zhiqiang has been sticking to the No. 1 post of the 211 position for 117 days. He forgot about the passage of time and only paid attention to the movements of the Vietnamese army.
Although he had repelled dozens of Vietnamese attacks and killed an unknown number of invaders, he wanted to know when the war would end. When he heard his comrades tell him that the mission had been successfully completed, he couldn't believe his ears.
However, when he heard the number 117, the difficult and vivid days came to his mind clearly, like a movie projection. He was a lonely hero, brave and resolute, blocking the best Vietnamese army and protecting the Laoshan position.
In an interview after the war, Xing Zhiqiang revealed that although he is now away from the smoke of gunpowder, his body now has difficulty sleeping and walking. This shows that the war has devastated him very severely, and it also shows the tragedy of the PLA soldiers on the old mountain.
This tragedy not only belongs to Xing Zhiqiang, but also to every soldier of the people who fought for the country on the Lao Shan and on the battlefield in Vietnam. They are true warriors, and while they may not have the strength to save the world, their courage and perseverance are admirable.