All have temper (1)
Dozens of corpses, like sculptures, were not buried in the ground, half-buried in the snow, lined up in a row, all facing the position. Dozens of frozen corpses stood proudly in the cold wind, reviewing the valley, fearing nothing, neither bullets, shells, incendiary bombs, nor toxic gas, nor even the cold.
The third platoon is executing a reinforcement mission. Yesterday afternoon, the 2nd platoon and the battalion headquarters lost contact with the blocking position. Was it because the communication soldier was sacrificed on the way? Or did the US military occupy the position? The third platoon had to take risks and cross through the weak defensive zone of the US military's outer perimeter in order to arrive at the blocking position in time. The 2nd platoon has been stuck in the blocking position for two whole days, under continuous artillery fire, even tanks have melted into iron water.
The 2nd Battalion secured the high ground near the U-shaped road, which was located at the easily defended but difficult to attack entrance of the valley. The valley was a wind tunnel with icy gale-force winds that never let up for a second.
A column of fifty-two warriors marched in silence, occasionally hearing the loud shouts of their squad leader during breaks. This was the character of an elite unit: those who talked too much were sacrificed because they were afraid, and those who worried too much were also sacrificed because they hesitated. During the War of Resistance against Japan, a university student from Tianjin joined the army, shouting slogans every day with great passion, but after several rounds of artillery fire from the Japanese army, he became mentally disordered and was killed in a blind rush. The son of an inn owner joined the third squad during the Liao-Shen Campaign, carrying his fiancée's photo in his arms and wearing five amulets around his neck, hiding behind others during the charge, and later being shot by a Nationalist officer who had been playing dead.
The law of the battlefield eliminated the tall and handsome warriors in a bloody manner, exposing those with good looks and sharp eyes during reconnaissance missions. The surviving old soldiers were like ancient trees that had lost their voices for life, but once they picked up their guns, their joints would burst out with crisp sounds, and their bodies would be covered with scars like ravines. Their backs were smooth as mirrors. The old soldiers had rustic faces like peasants, and when thrown into a crowd, they would disappear without a trace. Squatting to eat, their fingers were short and thick, and even if the sky fell, they would only smile foolishly. A military commander was filled with emotion during an inspection of the third platoon: "This is our troops, this is what it means to have a heavy sword with no edge!"
This peasant army is invincible in battle.
Chen Zizhong, at 1.9 meters tall, was an oddity in the Sharp Blade Regiment, which mainly carried out reconnaissance, infiltration and penetration missions. Xu Kai persuaded Chen Zizhong to join the Anti-Japanese League, but he was reluctant to let him lead the charge with a gun. He dissuaded Chen: "Big guy, have you seen our regimental flag? Every time we fight, it gets shot full of holes, dozens or even hundreds of them. You're more conspicuous than the flag."
Chen Zizhong proved with facts that Xu Kai, this old sharp knife company commander, would also make mistakes. He was exceptionally brave in battle and had great combat wisdom. Within two years of joining the sharp knife company, he rose from an ordinary soldier to squad leader based on his outstanding military achievements, and soon promoted to platoon leader.
Being the leader of a sharp knife company is not easy, and being the leader of a row is even more difficult. The warriors of the sharp knife company are basically all elite soldiers drawn from other troops, who seem simple but are actually brilliant and introverted. These elite soldiers who have been fighting in the war for several years are all rushing forward with their heads down, firing shots, throwing grenades, and embracing the enemy to die together on the battlefield. Each person's experience can be written in bold letters in the history of war. Having won many battles, the old soldiers' pride naturally formed, and without real skills and a domineering aura, it is difficult to make this group of tough guys surrender.
In Chen Zizhong's illustrious military exploits, the forced crossing of the icy river is hardly worth mentioning. His height of 1.9 meters was a miracle for the Sharp Blade Regiment, and his rare injuries in battle were another miracle he created. The soldiers of the Sharp Blade Regiment all said that Chen Zizhong was Jiangziya in the bullets, Jiangziya arrived and the gods retreated, and when Chen Zizhong charged, the bullets dodged him.
He shouldered a gun for nine years, and in the Liberation War he single-handedly killed 132 enemies and captured 26, earning him the title of "First-Class Hero for Killing Enemies". He was awarded four First-Class Merits, five Second-Class Merits, five Bravery Medals, one Medal for Hard Struggle, as well as Commemorative Medals for the Liberation of Northeast China, North China, Southwest China and Central-South China. In the battle to liberate Haikou, Chen Zizhong lost a finger, his most serious injury to date. He was awarded Double First-Class Merits for outstanding completion of tasks.
