In the early morning of July 12, affected by heavy precipitation, the water level of China's largest freshwater lake, Poyang Lake, , surged, and many villages were flooded. Rescuing trapped people and blocking the breach of the defense became the top priority of local emergency rescue and disaster relief.
In Xiaoyi, Shanxi, more than 1,300 kilometers away from Jiangxi, veteran Yuan Pengshuai saw the news of Poyang's emergency and decided to form a volunteer team to go to Poyang County, Jiangxi for support.
It only took 4 hours from issuing the initiative to setting up. Under the leadership of Yuan Pengshuai, this 10-person team drove for 20 hours, traveling 1,352 kilometers, and rushed from Shanxi to Poyang County, Jiangxi Province. They cooperated with the mobile detachment of the Jiangxi Corps of the Armed Police and fought on the front line of flood control for ten days, without even getting down the embankment without getting down the embankment when they were peeled off or worn out.
"As a veteran, floods are an order. If there is a war, they will be called back." Yuan Pengshuai, who once served in a certain unit of the Beijing Corps of the Armed Police, said that it was an instinctive reaction to want to step forward when he saw the disaster.
Yuan Pengshuai and his teammates are loading sandbags. Photo provided by the interviewee
4 hours a day, assembled 10 veterans to Jiangxi to fight floods
31-year-old Yuan Pengshuai served in a mobile detachment of the Beijing Corps of the Armed Police for two years. After retiring from the army, he returned to his hometown Xiaoyi, Shanxi and became the platoon leader of the local militia emergency company's comprehensive service platoon.
Entered July, Poyang County, Jiangxi Province was hit by heavy rains, the water level of Poyang Lake rose, and floods that were rarely encountered in decades occurred. Yuan Pengshuai was also concerned about the rescue work in the disaster area. Seeing that the front line still needed support, he decided to organize the veterans to rush to Jiangxi.
"I have seen many pictures and videos of people's soldiers fighting floods and disaster relief. I was impressed. Although I have been discharged from the army for many years, I should support me for my life." Yuan Pengshuai said.
At 2 pm on July 12, Yuan Pengshuai sent a message from the veteran group to solicit comrades who were willing to participate in flood fighting and rescue. Yuan Pengshuai emphasized: "Only pay, drive by yourself, and gather at six o'clock." Only 4 hours after the message was sent
, a volunteer team composed of two cars and 10 veterans had already gathered at the intersection and was ready to set off.
In this team of flood-fighting volunteers composed of veterans, the oldest is 31 years old, the youngest is only 21 years old, with an average age of 26 years old. From Shanxi to Jiangxi, a distance of 1,352 kilometers, several people took turns to drive uninterruptedly, and entered Jiangxi Province in about 20 hours.
entered the disaster area, and the disaster situation that the team members saw was more serious than they thought.
At around 6 pm on July 13, when I was about to arrive in Poyang County, I suddenly encountered a heavy rain on the road, and the rain almost blocked my vision. While moving slowly, Yuan Pengshuai saw a piece of the roof faintly exposed on the road ahead. After getting off the car and checking, he found that the road ahead had been flooded with water and several cars were submerged in the water.
Yuan Pengshuai said that he was walking very confused at that time, and he had no idea how deep the water was in front of him, and whether the road was intact after being washed away by the flood. "While it was opened, the water flooded the bottom of the car door and was almost flooded. In the end, he met the local people and found a small road to go forward." During the rescue process, the mineral water bottles were covered with soil. Photo provided by the interviewee
peeling off and applying medicine to continue carrying sandbags
While passing through the Hucheng Bridge across Changjiang, the scene of rescue officers and soldiers shouting slogans to carry sandbags in the heavy rain once again touched Yuan Pengshuai and his teammates, "I really want to stop the car and participate in the rescue, but I still held it back and had to speed up to the arranged assembly point."
They arrived at the resettlement site at 8:30 that night. Before they had time to eat, they applied to join the front-line flood fighting team. The Mobile Detachment of the Jiangxi Armed Police Corps organized Yuan Pengshuai and others into a squad and arranged to station in the Jialing section of Xujiang, Changjiang.
Changjiang Weijiang Jialing section is a single retreat dike, and the height of the dam body is limited to certain limits. After rainfall for several days, pipe surges have occurred in several places, and the flood control pressure has increased sharply.
Yuan Pengshuai recalled that he was worried that the water level would continue to rise. The most tense time was on the morning of July 14, when the water was only a little bit too late to overflow the dike. Veterans of the volunteer team followed the armed police officers and soldiers and shouted slogans to speed up the transportation of sandbags to protect the berth. The full sandbags were 50 kilograms, and after a day, everyone's hands were all worn out.
"The water level rises regardless of day or night. After returning to the resettlement site at night, I tossed and turned and couldn't sleep. Finally, I could climb to a high place and watched the situation of the dam. I felt much more at ease." Talking about my experience of participating in flood control these days, Yuan Pengshuai admitted that every day when the sun was almost overhead was the time when he felt the most tired. Almost every soldier's skin was burned by the scorching sun, and he had eczema and heat rash.
On the third day, Yuan Pengshuai's face, neck and body began to turn red and peel.
The doctor from the Armed Police Corps called him over and told him while applying medicine that skin may leave sequelae when it is sunburned to such a level. It is recommended to take a break.
Yuan Pengshuai felt that this was nothing to the soldiers. After applying the medicine, he immediately returned to his post to continue working. "The army is a good place and can learn a lot. We can tolerate what ordinary people can tolerate, and we can also tolerate what ordinary people can't tolerate."
Yuan Pengshuai and his teammates moved supplies at the resettlement site in front of the Three Temples. Photo provided by the interviewee
Flood protection and rescue on the dike during the day, and take care of the left-behind people at night
Yuan Pengshuai’s station was arranged in the school building of No. 1 Middle School in front of Poyang San Temple. This is also a resettlement site for local disaster victims. Among the more than 700 victims, most of them are elderly people, left-behind children, etc. Many of them need help from others in their daily lives.
Yuan Pengshuai told the Beijing News reporter that some victims have special conditions and are unable to take care of themselves. Every day at around 4 a.m., veteran volunteers were called to help these people drink water and take medicine. "Actually, I am so tired every day on the dam. I can only help you when I go back to the resettlement site, but I got used to it later." Yuan Pengshuai sighed.
There are more than a dozen children at this placement site, the youngest is 7 years old and the older teenagers. Yuan Pengshuai sometimes organizes them to play some games together, trains them to stand in military posture, etc. Yuan Pengshuai hopes to organize more children together through the game to let them experience what military life is. "In fact, it is also to divert the children's attention and boost their mood."
During the process of getting along, Yuan Pengshuai's relationship with these children is getting better and better, and he also has a code name. "Because my name is Yuan Pengshuai, as children watched cartoons, they thought my name was very similar to Marshal Tianpeng. Later, they stopped calling me a name, and they joked about it." Yuan Pengshuai felt that as long as the child was happy, he could call it whatever he wanted. This is the innocent and romantic side of the child.
Yuan Pengshuai brought the veteran volunteer team to Xiaoyi safely and took a photo. Photo provided by the interviewee
When the children were evacuating, they hugged the veteran and cried
On July 23, the volunteer team received an order from the Jiangxi Armed Police Corps that the flood had basically stabilized and the troops could withdraw. Many children were very sad when Yuan Pengshuai and his group left, hugged them and cried, "They cried and said that they would not see us in the future. They felt really uncomfortable at that moment, and we couldn't help crying and promised them that they would go back to see them again."
recalled the ten days and ten nights of experience in Poyang, Jiangxi Province. Yuan Pengshuai Water, during the day, they had to block the dam, dig soil and sand, load sandbags, strengthen and raise the dike, and go back to the resettlement site to sort out supplies and clean, and take care of the elderly, weak, sick and disabled, and left-behind children. Although I didn’t have a good night’s sleep for a day, I saw the victims and front-line officers and soldiers, and I was exhausted and hardworking. "
After taking his comrades back to Shanxi safely, Yuan Pengshuai told his parents and friends that these days, they were going to fight floods and disaster relief. Before that, only his brother knew that they were going to Jiangxi.
Yuan Pengshuai's brother was 33 years old and a veteran. He originally wanted to go to Jiangxi to fight floods with the team, but he failed to do so due to work problems. "The floods are ruthless, and my brother is very clear about the dangers. "Yuan Pengshuai said that when he was forming a team to Jiangxi, his brother prepared instant noodles, ham sausages, mineral water and other supplies, and told Yuan Pengshuai to "take good care of the brothers." "
Yuan Pengshuai said that he had shouted "retirement will not fade" in the army before, and now he should take practical actions. He has always demanded himself in this way. During the epidemic this year, he summoned more than 30 veterans to prepare to support Wuhan.
"The experience of the army has a great impact on me. I learned unity and made me feel that I need to take on more social responsibilities." Yuan Pengshuai still remembered that the former squad leader told them that a chopstick could be broken, but it is not easy to break ten chopsticks together.
Beijing News reporter Liu Mingyang Intern Huang Ying
Editor Gan Hao
Proofreading Wu Xingfa
Source: Beijing News
