Start from Changjin Lake

Chapter 77 A Day in the Life of Major Lester

Today marks Lester's tenth day as a captive.

Still little sunshine and cold.

Today is also a day to miss the sunshine on the coast of Florida...

Lying on the bed, Laist yawned, and boredly flipped through a promotional pamphlet sent to him by the Chinese. There were only some simple English labels on it.

He just glanced at it a few times before throwing it on the table.

"Hey, brother, can you make me some thick bedding, this bed is too hard!"

He shouted a few times to the soldiers guarding the door.

The few Chinese soldiers couldn't understand what he said, so he had to forcefully point to his bedding, making a "cold (cold)" movement.

Amidst the distressed expressions of the soldiers guarding the door, several soldiers took out their quilts and spread them out for the American prisoner.

Lester touched the thickness of the quilt, but he was not very satisfied. There was almost no cotton in the thin quilt.

He couldn't understand, don't these Chinese people never sleep on the bed? How could they sleep on such a hard board?
Soon it was time to eat again.

He watched several Chinese soldiers bring in food that he couldn't even swallow, and he didn't even want to look at it.

He has complained a lot in the past few days, and these people gave him these things, the first time he gnawed on the boring "gray and white bread".

He became very angry.

He told them that he would definitely sue the United Nations for mistreating the prisoners.

"what happened?"

Just as Layster refused to eat again, a young staff officer knocked on the door and walked in. Layster knew him, and this was the only Chinese with whom he could communicate smoothly for more than a week.

"Food! I need food!"

"Aren't these?"

"Liu, look at what this is. Is this something that people eat? I need milk, bread, cheese, coffee, everything that can replenish calories!"

The young staff officer was silent, he took away the food on the table.

Lester was thinking proudly, these Chinese people should be able to submit obediently now, right?

He thought that he would be able to taste the warm and delicious coffee and butter cheese later, and immediately drooled with happiness.

really.

After a while, the staff officer came back again.

It's just that it's not like what Lester thought, the Chinese just took him for a walk around the camp.

And what he saw next subverted his imagination.

Lester stared dumbfounded at these Chinese soldiers squatting on the grass one after another, gnawing food like lime powder regardless of their appearance.

He tasted just a little and spat it out—he was sure no bill in estrus would have eaten it after three days of starvation on his grandmother's ranch.

Are these Chinese people here to fight?
Why do they still have smiles on their faces after eating such food? Are they willing to suffer?

He saw that the best food here was potatoes, which were covered with ashes in a small coal pile, because there was only such a small fire spot for fear of fire and smoke.

Everyone is queuing up, but there are hundreds of soldiers in front of them, and some of them can't wait any longer, so they can only gnaw their teeth on raw, frozen potatoes with skin and swallow them.

Lester fell silent.

He had to admit that the food given to him was indeed much better than those of these Chinese soldiers.

But he also knew that the milk, bread, coffee and hot wine that he thought about were probably all ruined.

The young staff officer told him that these are Chinese, Chinese soldiers.

Lester felt absurd and unbelievable, if this is true...

Such a tough nation, such a people, how can we win?

Was MacArthur out of his mind and wanted to end the war by Christmas?
In the past, he felt that the Chinese must not have woken up, but now he thinks that MacArthur may also be dreaming.

Back in the small caretaker's house, Ryster lay on the bed.

He suddenly felt that the one thing he regretted the most in his life was to set foot on the land of North Korea, on the banks of the Yalu River.

At the beginning of November, MacArthur held a long-distance running competition within the Allied Forces, threatening whoever could reach the Yalu River first would be rewarded.At that time, Leicester thought that he must become the "long-distance running champion" of the sixteen countries-because he knew where he was, which was closer to the river.

So, as an adviser to a major in the U.S. Army, he led a South Korean Army Corps that he led all night to the northern border, and the North Korean Army along the way was powerless to resist.With his army, he ran happily day and night among the snow-capped mountains, and he succeeded—he was the first to reach the Yalu River as he wished.

God knows how bold and excited Leicester was at that time!
He excitedly picked up the machine gun and fired towards the opposite bank, and drove the car to take photos with the soldiers.

He cheered loudly on the ice: "I have come, I have seen, I have conquered! I am the first American to reach the bank of the Yalu River!"

Yes, at that time, Lester was the first American to reach the Yalu River, but he didn't know that he was about to be the first American to be captured, and even the first major senior officer of the United States to be captured...

He created many "firsts".

Soon, on the way back, within two or three days, the South Korean army he was in was completely wiped out by the Chinese rushing out from all over the mountains and plains.

When Lester woke up from midnight again, looking at the cold iron windows, wooden bed and small dark room, he still felt like he was living in a dream.

He once taught at West Point Military Academy and participated in many classic battles of World War II. He is familiar with the history and tactics of all countries in the world... But these tricks are not counted in front of the Chinese.

He was depressed.

He never thought that there would be an army that boldly intersected between the mountains like a ghost, blocking front and rear, hiding during the day, and attacking at night. Obviously they have bombed in all directions with planes and tanks, but as long as the sharp As soon as the "Chinese trumpet" sounded, countless Chinese people still attacked from all over the mountains and plains.

He had never heard of this style of play, and it was even more difficult to parry.

"God bless, I hope I can come back to the United States alive!"

The days were spent in such a boring and tasteless captive life, and Lester even thought that this might be the case for the rest of his life.Although life is not comfortable, at least these Chinese people will not beat and abuse him.

But in the boring days, this day suddenly came with a little freshness.

If he knows Chinese, he will know that there is an interesting story called: A newcomer came to the organization department.

In the early morning, Lester, who was lying by the window, wanting to bask in the sun, suddenly saw a man in American military uniform walking in the distance.

"Hey!"

He wanted to call to stop him, but the "American" followed a Chinese commander here into the house from a long distance away and didn't hear him.

Lester felt that he was an old prisoner and should be more generous.

He decided to wait for him.

He hadn't seen another American for a long time.

The Chinese soldiers here can't speak English, and they can't communicate with him at all. He is fed up with the ghost days of not being able to talk to people!

So Lester sorted out his clothes in a very good mood, although it was not a U.S. military uniform, but a Chinese-style padded jacket given to him by the people here.

But wouldn't it be better to keep a decent appearance and meet your compatriots?

He even picked up the red China propaganda pamphlet that he had thrown on the ground, and happily flipped through a few pages. Even though he couldn't understand it, he read it with gusto.

He even learned a few Chinese words because of this: "Howling in the mud", "Howling everyone", "Oh, Lord Spear", etc., and the guard at the door gave him a thumbs up.

The waiting time was quite long, and Lester was thinking wildly: After the American also came in as a prisoner, how should I entertain him?

Take him to eat charcoal baked potatoes?
Or teach him a few new Chinese words.

I don't know outside, is the war over now?

If Mr. MacArthur reaches the bank of the Yalu River, will he be captured like him...

Lester was thinking wildly in his mind. He had already thought of Washington from New York, and from the Army to the stray dog ​​who was beaten by the neighbor's little boy Jack.

a moment.

Suddenly he vaguely saw someone coming out of the window, he immediately turned over from the bed and looked outside.I saw that "American" talking and laughing all the way, and actually followed a group of Chinese soldiers to their Chinese cafeteria for breakfast.

"What (what the hell)?"

Why can he move freely outside, but I can only stay in this cabin? Are these Chinese soldiers making discrimination?

why?It's not fair!
Lester felt very angry. He asked the soldiers at the door, but the soldiers at the door didn't know what to ask, and the conversation between the two was like a chicken talking to a duck.

He sat down again.

staring out the window
Finally, after more than half an hour, he saw the "American" come out of a Chinese commander's room.

Lester's eyes lit up, and he swore that he must let that American notice him!
"Shhhhhh!"

He put his thumb and forefinger in front of his mouth, stuck out his tongue against the joint of his fingers, took a deep breath, and whistled loudly and clearly.

"Hey bro, this way!"

Lester quickly waved his hand and said, "I noticed you a long time ago, why are you able to move around freely!"

But his "fellow American" didn't respond. He was talking in a low voice to the person next to him, and then glanced in his direction.

Lester was dissatisfied: "My friend, don't be like this, you heard me talking, didn't you, didn't you?"

A group of them passed by in a hurry and did not reply.

"Shit! Why didn't you arrest him too?" Lester felt deeply malicious, and he slammed on the door of the wooden house loudly, "I saw it early in the morning! He also had breakfast with you, it's not fair! I am also an American, why can he be so free, you are discriminating and abusing prisoners, I want to report your government to the United Nations..."

The soldiers told him helplessly that they didn't know what he was talking about.

And Leicester also told them rascally, did you guys hear what I was saying!
Lester was exhausted from the noise, so he ran to the window and looked over, and found that the "American" had gone far away, but through the window, he saw that person suddenly turned his head and glanced here.

For some reason, he saw a deep coldness in that look.

Leicester shivered subconsciously...

"Are you going to catch a cold?"

He lay back on the bed angrily, unable to vent his anger, so he had to hammer the thick bed hard, "...it's all because of the Chinese bedding!"

He lay down and slowly fell asleep.

At a certain moment, Lester suddenly woke up, and found that the Chinese people outside were cheering, making him uneasy, as if they were celebrating the New Year—this was also a Chinese word he had just learned.

"Extra meal!"

The young staff officer came in and brought him dinner for tonight.

Thankfully, he was given a few cigarettes and a few biscuits in addition to the normal food.

There was also a small bowl of broth.

Raist asked what happened.

The young staff officer told him that they had a Chinese version of John Basilone here.

Basilone knew that the legendary hero of the First Marine Division during World War II led a squad to block the attack of 3000 Japanese troops with guns.

But do the Chinese have heroes?

He didn't refute, it doesn't matter if you are a hero or not, just treat me as an extra meal!
Lester poked the bowl a few times, and there were only a few shredded pork in the broth.

He was sorry to use broth to describe this bowl of dark soup, and the young staff officer told him that it was their hero, the bird that was shot down.

"Is it tasty?"

The soldiers at the door couldn't help asking him, but he didn't understand.

But looking at that appearance, he thought for a while and handed the soup to him: "Try?"

"No, no, no! This is what the chief gave you to eat. We can't eat it. It's a violation of discipline! You eat what you eat..."

Lester didn't understand why these soldiers didn't move when they clearly wanted to eat. In his team, those white guys didn't know what generosity meant, so they had already snatched it up.

But he shrugged indifferently, and then finished the soup under the watchful eyes of these soldiers.

"Forgive me, I haven't tasted a little bit of meat for a long time." Lester licked his lips, feeling that the taste was not bad, he thought so in his heart.

He even thought vulgarly, if there was poison in the soup, he would admit it.

These Chinese soldiers looked at him eagerly, which made him a little uncomfortable.

"Eat well, eat well, eat it for us, and feed you fat, and you are not allowed to beat the Chinese again."

A young soldier came in from the door and took out his dishes. Lester didn't know why, so he just nodded, and the little soldier laughed happily.

night.

Lester discovered that a South Korean prisoner was newly living in the next room.

"What's your name?"

"&￡￠＾#￥￥_(_`"＊∠)_..."

"Fuck!"

After only exchanging a few words, Lester knew that the South Korean didn't understand English, and they couldn't communicate at all.

And An Pengcheng over there saw that he was a real American, so he sat up happily and kept knocking on the wall, trying to talk to him.

But Lester never tires of bothering, they can't communicate at all, why bother themselves?

"Shut up!"

He kicked the wall and yelled at the house next door.

An Pengcheng over there shook his body and dared not speak any more.He originally thought that he had met a real American officer, and he might have a different feeling, but he didn't know that this white man was as scary as the American officer who captured him... No, the Chinese officer was as scary.

Lester didn't care that he thought so much.

He is closing his eyes and meditating.

He has work to do tonight!
Years later, he wrote in his memoirs:

"I thought another American captive was coming, and I was excited and thought: 'Oh, God have mercy! Lester, there is another unlucky guy coming in, you can finally talk to people, or two people fight Playing Texas Hold'em?' You have to understand that the Chinese soldiers at that time didn't know much English, even the same young staff officer who interrogated, communicated and educated me. This is not common in the United States. Those guys in the intelligence agency, Different people can make you submit obediently in different ways, but the Chinese are different. They always speak softly and treat prisoners of war like relatives and friends. I enlisted in the army at Pearl Harbor in 1942, fought in the Philippines, visited Japan, and Having been to South Korea, my military experience is very rich, and I can assure God—this is hard to imagine in any country and army in the world. Of course, this does not stop my yearning for freedom and communication. "

According to Leicester's statement in his autobiography, it was obvious that he was extremely boring at the time, and he was looking forward to the second prisoner coming in.

He even sometimes prays that the US military will lose the battle.

So he whistled through the window, disregarding the guard's dissuasion, and shouted loudly, wanting to communicate with his 'American compatriots' in advance.

But he didn't expect that the man in the American military uniform would enter the Chinese combat headquarters in such a grand manner and be regarded as a guest.

He couldn't understand it at the time, and he didn't know who that person was. He only knew that his little calculation was completely in vain—he hated it so much.

He even speculated maliciously that even if MacArthur came, these Chinese people would not pay so much attention to it. After all, everyone knows that he is an arrogant guy.

It was not until the autumn of 1953 three years later that after the end of the Korean War, Lester returned to the United States as an exchanged prisoner of war. When the Ministry of Defense ordered him to write a combat record, he learned from the newspaper that the man in a white cloak and The person wearing the American military uniform was the famous white death sniper at that time, who was called the "ghost" walking on the battlefield by the American soldiers, and the unstoppable iron-blooded ace on the sniper ridge.

The soldiers were afraid of him, hated him, feared him, and feared him, but facing such a powerful and terrifying opponent, Lester had no impression at all.

As the first American and U.S. military major officer captured by the Chinese, he was unlucky and lucky. He escaped a war in the Far East that killed or injured 10,000+ Americans, and escaped a grain of death from China A cold bullet.

But whenever someone asked him if he had really seen that ghost, he was always speechless.

He didn't know what the mysterious "ghost" that frightened the Americans had talked with the Chinese army commander on that snowy night.

The only thing he knew was that they sat and talked for a long time in that small wooden house.Because of the continuous wind and snow, the icy chill in the night made him drowsy, but he still saw the dim lights that were always on in his memory.

Holding the warm scarf and Chinese padded clothes that the Chinese gave him, he sat in the corner and tried to open his eyes wide, hoping to see someone come out, but he couldn't do so until late at night.

"The Chinese can really endure..."

Before falling asleep, he couldn't help mumbling.

Then turn over and fall asleep.

And the soldiers guarding the door still stood upright in the wind and snow.

.........

(End of this chapter)