At 9:30 a.m. on June 30th, 2017, in the military parade for the 20th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to China, Hu Tong’ang, a student in the School of Journalism and Communication of Hunan Mass Media Vocational and Technical College and a soldier in the People’s Liberation Army Garrison in Hong Kong, steadfastly stood on the ground with his fellow soldiers, holding up their heads and throwing out their chests, gazing at the slowly coming Hongqi inspection car with their bright and shining eyes. “Hello, comrades!” Hearing the cordial and familiar voice, Hu Tong’ang felt holy and glorious, with his heartbeats accelerating and his blood surging.
At the beginning of this term, a “new classmate” came to the graduating class in the School of Journalism and Communication. He was suntanned and well-built. It was said that he was a senior student retired from the People’s Liberation Army Garrison in Hong Kong. With curiosity, the journalists interviewed the student, who just attended the military parade for the 20th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to China.
Joining the Army Is to Find a Life Goal
In spring of 2015, Hu Tong’ang was still a sophomore. It would only him half a year to enter graduation year. But he was like a lonesome boat floating on the sea without any settled direction. He could neither let it sink nor had any idea where to sail. He had already experienced the “colorful college life” in the first year. Life in the second year was totally different from what he imagined. As a result, he lost his life goal.
Being slothful, without any hobby or interest and with difficulties in academic learning, the 21-year-old boy got lost in adolescence and had no idea what to do. He thought that if he continued to have no enthusiasm for life, he would finish his college life or even his whole life in an offhand manner. One day, his friend asked him, “Do you want to join the army?”
He nodded his head without any hesitation because he thought it might help him to find a life goal.
(Freshman Hu Tong’ang and His Picture Now)
Looking back upon to the decision of joining the army, Hu Tong’ang admitted that it was made “in a haste”. His family didn’t support him at that time.
“They thought I wasn’t suited for the army because of my personality, but I signed up my parents’ permission.” Talking about this, Hu Tong’ang seemed to be a little embarrassment.
Because of the obstinateness in adolescence, the more people oppose his decision, the more he wanted to prove himself. Since his family didn’t agree with him, Hu Tong’ang was more determined to join the army. His family hadn’t known he was going to be a soldier in the People’s Liberation Army Garrison in Hong Kong until he received the enlistment notice.
“I muddled along everyday before I joined the army. I didn’t have any ambition, goal or plan. But I thought about my future after everyday’s training in the army. I gradually learned to consider a lot of things.”
Two years on, his family has been relieved from his sign-up for the army without their permission. Now, they think that he has changed a lot in his personality and attitude towards life. He is now maturer.
The First Lesson for a Soldier to Learn Is Responsibility
“During two years’ life in military camps, I learned the word ‘responsibility’.”
In September 22nd, 2015, Hu Tong’ang officially joined the army with other 119 new recruits like him. For the following two years, he served the People’s Liberation Army Navy Garrison in Hong Kong.
In the army, he was mainly in charge of photography and news report. He said that it was related to his major in college. The masculinity of Hu Tong’ang was fully released in the army. He received the training with his fellow soldiers from dawn to dusk. Although it was toilsome, he felt passionate. He told himself everyday that he couldn’t lag behind. There was no teacher in the army, but all veteran soldiers were his role models, whom he regarded as his teachers.
He remembered that when he was assigned to a new unit in 2016, he met a squad leader who had been serving for 16 years. Because of too much training, his lumbar vertebra and knees were seriously abrased. He was supposed to stay in bed for half a year after his surgery in General Hospital of Guangzhou Military Command of PLA. However, because of his work, he went back to the army with a walking stick without any hesitation.
It was summer. The squad leader worked over-time to 4 a.m. everyday. He didn’t look like a patient who needed rest at all, Even without any normal rest. When his wife and his son asked him to come back home, he refused and dedicated himself to work again.
He learned what the responsibility was from those veteran soldiers gradually .
In 2016, Hu Tong’ang was promoted to the squad leader, in charge of 13 new recruits’ daily life. He took care of every aspect of their life. When they were sick, he had to take them to see the doctor. “You must take everything into consideration. You must be responsible for them.”
(Hu Tong’ang in Service)
Being Determined to Be inspected in the Military Parade
In June 30th, 2017, the military parade for the 20th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to China was held in Shek Kong Subcamp of in the People’s Liberation Army Garrison in Hong Kong.
Hu Tong’ang was one of the soldiers being inspected in military parade.
(Military Parade)
However, the glorious event set a great barrier for him.
Every soldier in the People’s Liberation Army Garrison in Hong Kong desired to attend the military parade for the 20th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to China, including Hu Tong’ang. But he was afraid because his height and weight couldn’t meet the requirements for the military parade.
It required a soldier to be 175cm tall and with a weight between 135-150kg. Unfortunately, Hu Tong’ang was 174cm tall, which couldn’t meet the requirement. He suffered a lot from the battle between self-esteem and desire. He hesitated because he was wondering whether he could pass the test without his height meeting the requirement.
There were nearly 2,000 people signing up for the preliminary test and the formation he could join only needed 20 people, so he was very likely to be eliminated. Right at that time, his superior got to know his idea and encouraged him, “Don’t be afraid of being laughed at. If you participate in it, you are courageous. Even if you get eliminated, you are a brave soldier.”
Having bean inspired, Hu Tong’ang went for the preliminary test. The military office in charge of the test told him that he could pass if his military posture was qualified. Knowing that, he was determined to stand in the military parade.
Overcoming all obstacles, Hu Tong’ang became one of the 20 soldiers selected out. But the military parade training was more severe.
In Kong Kong, it was already very hot in June.
The venue for the military parade was She Kong Subcamp. Captain Fang, who was in charge of the training, told them to keep the military posture for 2 hours from 1 p.m., when the sunlight was the strongest, so as to strengthen their adaptability to heat. The longest time that Hu Tong’ang kept his military posture was only 1 hour.
The sunlight at 1 p.m. was scorching. Sweat dropped from his face continuously in less than 10 minutes. Half an hour later, he was too numb to feel the sweat.
But everyone persisted. Although their body was shaking, no one said anything and no one quit.
Hu Tong’ang still remembered that, the ground temperature was above 50 ℃, he and his fellow soldiers had stood for almost 2 hours. Finally, they heard the voice of Captain Fang, “You have reached the national training standards.” All of them forgot the painstaking, flinging their hats into the air with cheer.
(Training)
Through two months’ strict training, Hu Tong’ang and his fellow soldiers were all ready for the military parade.
At 9:30 a.m. on June 30th, 2017, in the military parade for the 20th anniversary of Hong Kong's return to China, Hu Tong’ang steadfastly stood on the ground with his fellow soldiers, holding up their heads and throwing out their chests gazing at the Hongqi slowly coming inspection car with their bright and shining eyes. “Hello, comrades!” Hearing the cordial and familiar voice, Hu Tong’ang felt holy and glorious, with his heartbeat accelerating and his blood surging.
Returning to the Campus with a Goal
In September 2017, Hu Tong’ang retired from the army and went back to campus, where he haven’t been to for 2 years.
Maybe it was because he lived the enclosed army life for two years, his mentality changed a bit. He couldn’t adapt to the campus life at the the beginning since he was used to the strict disciplines and fixed range of activity. He was even not accustomed to the dressing style.
Most of his classmates were born in 1997 and 1998. However, he was born in 1994. There was big difference of not only age, but also experience between them.
Talking about his future plans, he told us without any hesitation that he would get his diploma first, and take the Military Officer Qualification Test to go back to the army.
His determined tone made it hard to imagine what he was like before he joined the army. But the current him is whom everyone is glad to see.
At last, he was interviewed, “Do you have any suggestions for the junior fellow students who would like to join the army?”
“No matter joining the army or not, the most important thing is to have your own goal. Only being responsible for yourself, you can be responsible for others and the country.” Hu Tong’ang said it with determined eyes. At that time, we believed that he had become a real man.
