Soon, a transportation plane flew to the hardest-hit area over Mao County. At that time, in addition to the 5 crew members on board, there are 100 officers and men, according to the plan of the first detachment of 15 members of the first batch of parachute landing, the second detachment of 85 members of the second batch of parachute landing. This is at a height of 4,999 meters, if you take into account the average altitude of more than 4,000 meters in Mao County, here is undoubtedly 10,000 meters high altitude. Transportation aircraft wind and rain measurement radar scanner shows the echo is more and more intense, heavy rain hit the transport aircraft glass cabin "pop" sound. Looking down through the window, the ground mountains towering, steep cliffs, forests and trees in the sky, as well as the epicenter of the disaster area on the ground of the exposed steel pieces of debris. No one on board the parachute members know what will be waiting for them to jump.
Around 12:00 noon on the 14th, the transport plane approached the epicenter of the disaster area in Mao County step by step, and began to hover over it, looking for the most suitable time to parachute. About 5 minutes later, the transport aircraft below the clouds suddenly opened a parachute window, through this window can see the Mao County Chengguan Bridge, so the parachute commander immediately seized the fleeting favorable opportunity to decisively parachute order, Major Li Zhenbo the first to jump out of the cabin, followed by six parachute team members. In an instant, snow-white umbrellas bloomed and drifted toward the lonely city of Mao County.
However, it is unforeseen that the clouds over Mao County changed rapidly, the original open parachute window closed instantly, the transport aircraft had to continue to hover in the sky, about seven or eight minutes, the clouds parachute window reappeared, eight parachute team members do not have the slightest hesitation, to seize the favorable opportunity to quickly jump out of the cabin. But after this, Mao County began to rain over the sky, and the rain is getting bigger and bigger, parachute window closed again, originally prepared for the second batch of parachute 85 paratroopers, had to sit in the transport aircraft, continue to hover over the sky ......
12:25, after the earthquake of the first batch of parachute 15 warriors, and finally stepped on the epicenter of the land of the county of Mao County.
The first 15 parachutists after the earthquake finally stepped on the ground in Mao County, the epicenter.
Major General's painful choice
May 20, commanding the airborne airborne a department of Major General Commander Wang Weishan interview with reporters, told reporters about the airborne before and after.
"This is a painful and difficult choice, is not in history - on the one hand, to insist on the implementation of the orders issued by the headquarters, on the other hand, but also to ensure the safety of the officers and soldiers, under this determination is too difficult! " Wang Weishan lamented.
With more than 400 parachute experience of Major General Wang Weishan, know the enormity of this task: Mao County terrain is particularly complex, all for the steep cliffs, no landing site; the territory of the peaks in the altitude of 4000 meters or so, the usual training in the height of only a few hundred meters of parachute airborne troops, today is to be implemented in the high altitude of 4999 meters of parachute landing, and parachute at an altitude of 4,000 meters above the need for oxygen masks; paratroopers need to be parachuted in the air. Mask; paratroopers to jump from the clouds over the sky, no knowledge of the situation under the clouds, can only rely on the paratroopers to control their own.
But Wang Weishan did not have much time to hesitate, he quickly decided to send a 15-member squad first airborne Mao County. These 15 officers and soldiers are all airborne troops backbone, with more than 100 times of parachute experience, familiar with the mountainous terrain, especially in the Wenchuan earthquake-stricken areas.
Li Zhenbo, director of the Airborne Forces Research Institute, major rank, enlisted in the army in 1978. As the commander-in-chief of the airborne air drop, a new generation of paratroopers main combat parachute is also under his leadership in the research and development; the success of the study, Li Zhenbo is still the first person to try to jump. After learning that the earthquake in Sichuan needs support, Li Zhenbo took the initiative to fight, and was eventually appointed as the captain of this airborne squad.
Ren Tao, a soldier from Deyang, Sichuan. His grandmother was killed in the earthquake and his mother-in-law was seriously injured. He hid his grief quietly in his heart and devoted himself to disaster relief. Because he is familiar with the local terrain, he was appointed as the first parachute squad leader to take up the role of "sharp knife".
......
Let's remember the names of these 15 warriors: Li Zhenbo, Wang Junwei, Li Zhibao, Yin Yuan, Guo Longshuai, Li Yajun, Zhao Haidong, Zhao Quangfang, Lei Zhisheng, Liu Wenhui, Wang Lei, Yu Yabin, Ren Tao, Li Yushan, Xiang Haibo.
Intelligence that is a matter of life and death
After receiving the order, the 15 parachutists immediately prepared the important equipment needed for the airborne: glide parachute, GPS satellite positioning system, maritime satellite phone, necessary dry food and drinking water, as well as the necessary medicines.
Before departure, according to the tradition of airborne troops, Wang Weishan personally tied a bright red ribbon on the left arm of the 15 officers and soldiers to pray for peace.
However, the first to jump out of the cabin of Li Zhenbo just off the plane encountered an unexpected danger: jumped out of the cabin, his main parachute delayed to open, his body in the air a fall, the wind in the ears, life is at stake. But he quickly calmed down, in the decline to about 700 meters from the ground, he calmly opened the reserve parachute, finally safe to the ground.
Communication sergeant Lei Zhisheng successfully landed 3 minutes later, immediately established communication with the command post, he reported the landing situation in the first time, and provided an important information about the life and death of comrades: the ground terrain is complex, not conducive to the implementation of high-altitude parachuting brigade; the weather is deteriorating, and the remaining 85 people are used in the parachute is a round parachute, unlike the wing parachute that they use the flexibility of the wind, so it is recommended to cancel the parachute. The weather was deteriorating, and the remaining 85 men were using round parachutes, which were not as flexible as their wing parachutes, so it was recommended to cancel the airborne operation of the remaining men.
At this time, the airplane has circled over Mao County for the third time. In the cabin, the remaining paratroopers stood up in two rows....... At the critical moment, the door of the airplane slowly closed, and the information provided by the first squad allowed the commander to make a correct decision.
20 minutes later, 14 paratroopers have all assembled to Li Zhenbo's side. They quickly made contact with the governor of Mao County and reported the damage to the command. It was not until 15:00 that afternoon that Colonel Li Zhenbo took the time to report to his wife, Sheng Yaling, that he was safe. "The 15 of us arrived safely." He was breathing heavily and said only this sentence.
The parachute was used to keep out the cold
Over the next 7 days and nights, the 15 warriors' determination to complete the mission was not affected by aftershocks or storms, or lack of food or water.
Reporting the disaster is the first task of this parachute team. Landing on the day of 3:00 p.m., they used to carry the communication equipment for the first time to send back the disaster in Mao County. In order to further find out the accurate disaster situation at the border of Mao County and Wenchuan, they were in the case of 20 kilograms of equipment per person, dodging flying stones falling from aftershocks, stepping on landslides and mud and rocks, and advancing to Wenchuan County, the epicenter of the earthquake with great difficulty. They traveled 30 kilometers a day on the mudslide mountain road at an altitude of more than 3,000 meters, and all of them had blood blisters on their feet, and five of them had crotch ulcers.
At the time of departure, in order to carry more equipment, each of the 15 people wore only a set of camouflage clothing, with less than three days of dry food and water. So from the 17th, they began to cut food, no water to drink, not to mention medicine, everyone's mouth because of the fire blisters. When night falls, they can only get into the parachute to ward off the night cold of the western Sichuan plateau, and five members of the team caught a cold as a result.
Their hard work was not in vain. After the survey, they have in Mao County, Wenchuan along the way to choose airborne field 6, command and guide the airborne, air drop more than 20 times, especially in Mao County, the south town of Moutou village survey selection of airborne, air drop point, in one fell swoop lifted the nearby townships 100,000 people affected by the disaster, and the sick and wounded in the predicament.
On May 20, Major Li Zhenbo opened and closed his cracked lips and said: "In the seven days and nights in the disaster area of Mao County, my comrades and I braved a number of aftershocks, climbed over four 3,000-meter-high mountain peaks, hiked 220 kilometers, has been in seven townships and 55 villages to reconnaissance the situation, to the superior to report the important situation of the disaster of more than 30 batches, for the command command forces to move in and deployment of earthquake relief. The company's website has been updated with the latest information on the latest developments in the industry, including the latest news on the latest developments in the industry and the latest news on the latest developments in the industry.
On the way to Wenchuan, the parachute team also found more than 150 people trapped in the valley, including 47 teachers and students from Chengdu Academy of Fine Arts who were sketching in the area as well as 106 Chinese and foreign tourists. They quickly reported the situation and requested support.
Calls to his wife
For seven days and nights, the 15 warriors never told their commanders about the dangers they encountered, but a few rare phone calls between Colonel Li Zhenbo and his wife revealed their hardships:
At about 10 p.m. on May 15, Sheng Yaling finally waited for her husband, Li Zhenbo, to call her again. "We have hiked from Mao County to Wenchuan." "Have you eaten?" "I've only eaten instant noodles since we left." "What's the situation over there?" "We're surrounded by flash floods on one side and cliffs on the other." "Be careful."
The call was always so brief. Sheng Yaling had another sleepless night.
The next day, she tried to call the satellite phone back, but it was not working. Around 7:00 pm, her husband called from his cell phone, and she was pleasantly surprised. "I'll be going to Dujiangyan soon." "What are you doing now?" "Command collection, reconnaissance information, to report to the superior, to help the seriously injured."
At 20:00 on May 17, although she knew that her husband must be very busy at the moment, Sheng Yaling could not help but dial his phone. "Today on the way to Dujiangyan encountered mudslides, landslides, now to withdraw to Wenchuan, tomorrow to Chengdu." "Now I am afraid of an epidemic, you have to pay attention to prevention." "Don't worry, I will bring 14 people back to the army safely!" "How are you doing now?" "Wherever we go, the people are very nice to us. These days have not washed their faces, have not changed clothes, at night is really sleepy, with umbrellas as a sleeping bag to sleep for a while."
Rumors and the truth
When the 15 airborne troops successfully landed in the epicenter of the day, the network appeared on the "airborne troops sacrificed 4 people, 10 people can not be contacted" and other rumors. In the interview process, when this reporter and the airborne troops officers and soldiers talked about the rumors of the outside world, they coincidentally said: "We do not have time to care about the outside world, we are doing our duty."
In fact, the outside world does not know much about the nature of the airborne forces and the real situation of parachuting. According to 36-year-old Xiao Liang, a battalion commander of the airborne forces, airborne forces have a strong mobility, assault speed characteristics. In the rescue of the disaster area in the most common way there are two kinds, one is the use of helicopters will be directly transported to the destination of the troops of the "airborne", a transport aircraft will be sent to the destination of the airborne troops over the paratroopers parachute landing "parachute landing".
"Because the disaster area is located in a very complex terrain, forests, broken walls, the ground changes after the earthquake, easy to cause casualties. In this case, sent 15 officers and soldiers parachute reconnaissance disaster, the large force to implement accurate airborne disaster relief measures is very correct."
After the safe return to the team, the airborne forces medical personnel for the 15 officers and soldiers to do a physical examination. Except for a major who sprained his back during the parachute descent, the others were in good health. The injured major moved to say: "In these seven days and nights, whenever rest, even a moment's rest, comrades have come to me by waist and back, is the love of comrades, comrades love, gave me the strength and courage."
After seven days and seven nights of continuous combat, the 15 warriors appeared to be a little tired, but the people of the disaster area are still waiting for them, they can not wait to rest, and soon into the next battle.