journal:

December 13, 1979 (Sunny)

"At around 3 o'clock yesterday morning, the ship arrived at the dock. At this time, we realized that it was Ningbo Port. Then, the truck of the troops sent our recruits to the troops stationed in Guoju, Zhenhai County. Along the way, when the car entered the mountainous area, we, the recruits born in Shanghai, grew up so old that we saw the real mountain for the first time. This made us all overjoyed. On the way, when the troops led the commander to get off the car and acted. When I got off the car, I ran up to the mountain with mercy. As a result, I was scolded by a veteran and could only get down obediently. After more than two hours of itinerary, we arrived at the training ground of the recruit company, which was surrounded by mountains on three sides and facing the sea. The bungalows along the mountain were our recruit company. In this way, I started my unforgettable life of the recruits."

We fell asleep unknowingly. Just as we were sleeping soundly, we woke us up. Then, knocking on the door one by one, we all sat up from the bed in a daze. The one who entered the door was our recruiting cadre. He turned on all the lights in the cabin. In an instant, our eyes were so pierced that we couldn't open. I rubbed my eyes and asked, "Chief, have we arrived at our destination?"

The cadre of the receiving army shouted loudly: "Get up quickly, hurry up, move quickly, pack up your luggage, take out the white towel and tie it on your left arm, don't run around, sit in the cabin and wait for notification."

The recruit Du Zhigao was about to open the cabin door after putting on his military cap, but was stopped by the recruiting cadre: "What are you doing? Go back immediately."

"Chief, I want to see where this is." Du Zhigao muttered and retreated to the bed to sit down.

"I'll know after getting off the boat later. Now rest on site. Please remember the number of our troops. Don't panic if you get separated. There are cadres from the Fleet Military Affairs Office on the dock to coordinate and they will help you find the troops." After saying that, he reported the number of troops again, and then closed the hatch door and went to the next door.

Everyone took out the pen and the ballpoint pen to write the number of the troops in their palms, quickly sorted out their luggage, took out a white towel from their shoulder bag and helped each other to tie them on their left arm, and then sat on the bed with anxiety and restlessness waiting for the order to get off the boat.

"Woo... Woo..." Two flutes sounded, and the recruit who was playing the harmonica by the cabin door opened the cabin door, and we all squeezed into the cabin door and looked out.

Wow!

A city in the distance appeared in front of us in a vague way with the ups and downs of passenger ships. Judging from the twinkling neon lights and the staggered building complex, this city should be a larger city. Where would it be? We were all excitedly guessing.

The ship is getting closer and closer to the dock, and two big words composed of neon lights are gradually coming into our eyes - Ningbo.

We all understand that this is where we will join the army in the next few years. From then on, the place name "Ningbo" will be eternal in memory with our military years.

In the dock square, the sunlight shines the entire square as daytime. The square is full of countless military trucks, as well as a large number of personnel from various military branches and troops who come to receive troops. Now, we understand that the reason for unified marking is to prevent new recruits from taking the wrong troops and getting on the wrong train.

We started to get off the boat, and we lined up in the narrow passenger ship aisle to go down the stairs. When I went downstairs, I stumbled forward due to the dim light. At this moment, someone behind me shouted: "Beware!" and then pulled my arm. The recruits in front also turned their heads and blocked me with their bodies, so that I did not fall from the corridor, otherwise the consequences would be unimaginable.

I thanked the two comrades in front and behind with gratitude: "Thank you." But when they turned around and smiled at me, I realized that the one who helped me was the recruits in Chongmingbao Town who had a dispute with us in the middle of the night. The one who blocked me with his body was the recruit who rushed up to fight with us. I patted his shoulder and said hello: "Friend, I was a little angry on the boat at night, please forgive me."

He turned around and smiled at me, "It's okay, I won't know each other if I don't fight."

The big man behind who reached out to hold me also interrupted: "The leader is not saying that we are comrades-in-arms, and we should help each other." His words were deeply touched and he had a new understanding of the meaning of the word "comrades-in-arms".

Yes, you are young and energetic, and it doesn't matter if you have friction, but it's a fate that we can become comrades-in-arms. This kind of comrades-in-arms is more unforgettable than the love of classmates and colleagues. This experience becomes deeper and deeper as the years of the military camp last. Thinking of this, I stretched out my hand to them: "My name is Huang Aimin, where are you?"

The recruit in front shook hands with me enthusiastically and said, "My name is Zhou Bing, please take care of me." The big man behind also reached out and said, "I am Gu Qing."

Shen Jianzhong also squeezed over: "And I, Shen Jianzhong."

Feng Wenquan said, "Don't join in the fun, squeeze wherever you are busy." Laughs filled the narrow aisle.

The cabin aisles were filled with new recruits waiting to disembark, most of which were our navy. Later I learned that Ningbo was the location of our East China Sea Fleet Command, and it was not surprising that there were too many naval forces.

Every recruit who lined up to get off the boat was identified with a white towel. For example, we tied our left arm, right arm, military shoulder bag, and neck. At first we all felt funny, but when we got off the boat, we felt that such a sign was very useful.

After getting off the ship, there were recruits wearing all kinds of military uniforms everywhere. Before dawn, it was difficult to distinguish the colors of the military uniforms under the sunlight. At this time, the towel sign became a good way for the recruits to find their own recruits. They gathered in large numbers on the side of the ship. Whenever they saw that they were their own logos, they pulled them over and shouted: "Hurry up, gather here." When a recruit went to the wrong team, they all distinguished which unit was based on the towel sign, and would lead him to the troops and handed them over to the recruits.

When we were organizing the team to call, the recruits from other troops were handed over to us from time to time. The atmosphere at the scene was tense and orderly. Obviously, the annual recruitment of troops was already used to all troops, and had a very mature method, which was more than enough to deal with it.

The pier, which was still very peaceful just now, has become very lively. The roar of hundreds of military truck engines, thousands of people gathered, lined up to call, and boarded the bus, formed a different symphony of recruits gatherings.

When the car started to drive away from the dock square, there was a big clock in front of it, and the time pointed to 3:45 am. Military vehicles drove out of the Ningbo dock and rushed to their respective troops to start our unforgettable military career.
Chapter completed!