Chapter 16 Chapter 15 This Is a War, too——Record of 1998 Yangtze River Flood Relief

Hong Feng, one Hong Feng chasing another Hong Feng, shaking the sky; Surging waves, waves chasing after waves, moving the ground. The Yangtze River, the Yangtze River that runs from the snow-capped mountains to the East China Sea, has nourished human beings deeply with its inexhaustible source, nourished rice and flowers, and has given birth to chant and boat songs with its breadth and depth. What's the matter with you this year? ! In the north and south of the river, alarms are everywhere; in the upper and lower reaches of the river, there are frequent emergencies.Today the Yangtze River is angry, and it is shaking the boat of the People's Republic with its flood peaks and turbulent waves.

Yangtze River, do you want to use your flood peaks and turbulent waves to test the reform and opening up of the People's Republic, the Communists who are in power for the people, the people's army whose purpose is to serve the people wholeheartedly, and the industriousness that was born and raised here? brave sons and daughters of heroes... Now, let us open the scene of this unprecedented and tragic struggle between man and nature! 1 The Yangtze River flows through the mouth of Dongting Lake, rushes northward, crosses Chibi, crosses Honghu Lake, and flows into Jiayu County. It suddenly turns westward around a bend like a cloth bag, and then turns sharply northward, flowing towards Greater Wuhan.The embankment inside this bend is called Paizhou Bay.This bend is 41.5 kilometers long, with a land area of ​​156,000 mu and a population of 57,000. There are two townships, Hezhen and Paizhou, with Hezhen in the north and Paizhou in the south.

As the saying goes: Paizhou bends once, and the water in Wuhan falls three feet three.Therefore, the bend of Paizhou slowed down the water potential of the Yangtze River, and naturally became a barrier for Wuhan, and it also became an important place for flood control of the Yangtze River. On July 5, with a flow of 65,300 cubic meters per second, the first flood peak of the Yangtze River flowed through Paizhou Bay; on July 21, during the torrential rain, the second flood peak of the Yangtze River flowed through Paizhou Bay; Low-hanging, drizzling rain, the mighty Yangtze River's third flood peak is approaching Paizhou Bay, and there is no danger.

Although there is no danger, the fierceness and change of the flood peak time and time again arouse people's vigilance. At 00:30 on July 31, at midnight, the security inspectors found two pipes on an embankment called Weijia Wharf. Immediately, the flood control and rescue team guarding the embankment continued to fight at night and built a fence with sand and stones. , the dangerous situation was brought under control, but until 5:30 pm on August 1st, although the phenomenon of piping sand founding was not found, the amount of water seepage gradually increased.At 7:45 p.m., at a distance of 100 meters inward from the foot of the embankment, a large area of ​​sand foundation infiltration suddenly occurred. The rescue team stepped up the rescue and urgently called for help from the PLA stationed there.

At 8:10, the embankment began to sink... The military situation is like fire.The 5th Battalion of the Boat Bridge Brigade stationed in Paizhou Bay and the 225th Battalion of the Air Force Anti-aircraft Artillery Regiment received orders almost at the same time, and upon hearing the news, they rushed towards the Mindi of Weijia Wharf. At 8:20, the two armies merged into a convoy, attempting to drive over a road to the embankment for emergency rescue.However, something that no one expected happened, and the marching convoy was blocked by the swarming crowd.The crowd flocked to the sky and cried, running and shouting: "The embankment has collapsed!" "The embankment has collapsed!"

The embankment broke, and the eight or nine-meter-high waves rushed towards the convoy like a mountain and a sea.Before the officers and soldiers on the car could pull the fleeing crowd onto the car without missing a beat, the oncoming torrent with air waves swayed the wheels of the convoy and was approaching the car. The car body began to shake. "Quick, take off the camouflage uniform, tie a clothesline, and prepare to dive!" "Hurry up, put on your life jacket, give up those who can swim to those who can't, and get ready to dive!" The vehicle body was swinging sharply, and at this moment, the officers and soldiers shouted in unison, leading the fleeing crowd in the vehicle, abandoning the vehicle and diving into the water.Immediately afterwards, the unmanned military vehicle was overturned by the flood, and disappeared after rolling a few times.

Huge cars are overturned and rolled by the flood, let alone people?It is conceivable that the officers and soldiers in the ups and downs of the water may be swallowed by the flood at any time. Fortunately, Feng Yuejin, deputy director of the Political Department of the Boat Bridge Brigade, was not swallowed by the flood. When he was washed nearly 300 meters by the oncoming flood and choked on a few mouthfuls of water, he quickly took out the water from his pocket while he was panting. He took out his mobile phone and held it high above the water. At this time, a wave came and wanted to drag him into the water. He tried his best to stick his head out of the water, and reported the distress news of the 5th Battalion to the brigade commander Xu Caiyuan of the pontoon brigade in a difficult and concise manner. Immediately, a distress signal was sent to the war room of the provincial military region and the flood control headquarters of Xianning area.

Feng Yuejin's radio waves calling for help, like a red signal flare, cut through the dark night sky, guiding people from all walks of life to fly to Paizhou like arrows, and start a big rescue. At 11:35, Zhang Jianguo, the political commissar of the Zhouqiao Brigade, led the car battalion and rushed to Paizhou Bay with an assault boat. Immediately afterwards, the brigade commander Xu Caiyuan also led the brigade's direct team to arrive. The water and sky in the embankment were vast and pitch black, and rescue operations were hindered. "Sign up the signal flare and tell the comrades in the water that we are coming to save lives! Light a fire on the embankment and mark the direction for the comrades in the water so that they can see the fire and increase their strength; launch all the assault boats and focus on observing the target It's a tree." Zhang Jianguo hurriedly issued a rescue order: "Time is life, hurry up!"

At 11:45, Li Minggui, Secretary of the Xianning Prefectural Party Committee, rushed over from the Chibi River Embankment. Immediately, the Regional Rescue Headquarters was established to direct the rescue. At 12 o'clock, the emergency commando from the Hubei Provincial Fire Brigade arrived. Several fire trucks shone brightly, and white lightsabers pierced the night sky like white lightsabers. At 2:35 am on the 2nd, three helicopters flew over Paizhou Bay and dropped more than 20,000 life jackets. At 5:30, more than 100 assault boats of the Guangzhou Military Region were launched, and an engineering company of the airborne troops arrived; the Provincial Flood Control Headquarters immediately mobilized more than 150 civilian ships from neighboring Jiangxia, Hannan, Honghu, Xiantao and other places to rescue.

At 6 o'clock, Jia Zhijie, Secretary of the Hubei Provincial Party Committee, and Jiang Zhuping, Governor of Hubei Province, took a helicopter to inspect the sky over Paizhou Bay and directed the rescue. Since then, people in the country have seen touching scenes such as the rescue of the naked girl Xiao Jiangshan on the TV screen. Afterwards, when I stood at the breach of the Paizhou Bay embankment and looked at the vast ocean in the distance, I silently lowered my head and sprinkled a bouquet of flowers on the water to mourn the 19 martyrs who died heroically at the breach. Let history remember them:

Gao Jiancheng, born in Xiangyin, Hunan Province, was born in October 1965, joined the army in September 1984, joined the party in May 1988, and was the captain instructor of the first company of the 225th Battalion of the 5th Air Force Artillery Regiment; Tian Hua, born in Youxian County, Hunan Province, was born in January 1974, joined the army in December 1992, joined the party in March 1998, and was the second lieutenant platoon leader of the 225th Battalion of the 5th Air Force Artillery Regiment; Zhu Shengtang, born in Xinshao County, Hunan Province, was born in September 1970, joined the army in March 1990, and joined the party in March 1993. He was a technician of the 5th Regiment of Air Force Antiaircraft Artillery, with the rank of sergeant major; Yi Zhiyong, born in Youxian County, Hunan Province, was born in July 1974 and joined the army in December 1992. At that time, he was an artillery technician of the 225th Battalion of the 5th Air Force Artillery Regiment, with the rank of sergeant major; Yang Desheng, born in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, was born in January 1974, joined the army in December 1991, joined the party in April 1995, and was a car driver of the 225th Battalion of the 5th Air Force Artillery Regiment, with the rank of professional sergeant; Huang Xiaosheng, born in Lu'an City, Anhui Province, was born in April 1977, joined the army in December 1996, and joined the party in March 1997. Zhou Junming, born in Hanchuan County, Hubei Province, was born in December 1975, joined the army in December 1993, and joined the party in September 1996. He was the deputy squad leader of the 6th squadron of the 225th Battalion of the 5th Air Force Artillery Regiment; Xu Xianwei, born in Taikang County, Henan Province, was born in October 1976, joined the army in December 1994, joined the party in October 1996, and was the sergeant driver of the 5th Air Force Artillery Regiment; Yue Fuyong, born in Gaomi City, Shandong Province, was born in October 1978, joined the regiment in October 1994, and joined the army in December 1996. At that time, he was the gunner of the 13th squadron of the 3rd company of the 225th Battalion of the 5th Air Force Artillery Regiment; Wang Yanping, born in Fugu County, Shaanxi Province, was born in August 1981, joined the army in December 1997, and joined the regiment in February 1998. He was the gunner of the 12th squadron of the 3rd company of the 225th Battalion of the 5th Air Force Artillery Regiment; Wu Deshun, born in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, was born in March 1972, joined the army in December 1989, and joined the party in August 1993. He was the gunner of the 13th Company and the 13th Squadron of the 225th Battalion, the 5th Air Force Artillery Regiment, with the rank of professional sergeant; Cao Junping, born in Pingliang County, Gansu Province, was born in December 1979, joined the army in December 1997, joined the regiment in May 1998, and was the gunner of the 13th Company, 13th Company, 13th Company, 225th Battalion, 5th Regiment of the Air Force Antiaircraft Artillery Regiment; Liao Guodong, born in Pingliang County, Gansu Province, was born in November 1978, joined the army in December 1997, joined the regiment in June 1995, and was a soldier of the 3rd Company of the 225th Battalion of the 5th Air Force Artillery Regiment; Ma Fei, born in Liquan County, Shaanxi Province, was born in April 1978, joined the army in December 1997, joined the regiment in March 1998, and was a private in the 225th Battalion, 5th Air Force Artillery Regiment; Hui Wei, born in Pingliang County, Gansu Province, was born in October 1979, joined the army in December 1997, joined the regiment in March 1998, and was a private in the 225th Battalion of the 5th Air Force Artillery Regiment; Ding Yunfeng, born in Hengshan County, Hunan Province, was born in November 1979, joined the army in December 1997, joined the regiment in 1994, and was a soldier of the first company of the 225th Battalion of the 5th Air Force Artillery Regiment; Liang Li, a native of Hengyang City, Hunan Province, was born in November 1979, joined the army in December 1997, and joined the regiment in February 1998. He was a soldier in the first company of the 225th Battalion of the 5th Air Force Artillery Regiment; Yang Dewen, a native of Dapu County, Guangdong, was born in 1979 and joined the army in December 1997. He was a soldier of the 17th Company of the 5th Battalion of the 32nd Boat Bridge Brigade of the Army; Ye Hualin, a native of Dingnan County, Jiangxi Province, was born in 1979 and joined the army in December 1997. He was a soldier of the 17th Company of the 5th Battalion of the 32nd Boat Bridge Brigade of the Army. As for how many people died in this disaster, relevant authorities have not released statistics. We know from the report on the rescue of Xiao Jiangshan that her mother and grandmother were swallowed by the flood. 2 The collapse of Paizhou Bay shocked the people of the country. At this time, the fourth flood peak of the Yangtze River has been generated and is moving forward aggressively.Relevant departments predict that the fourth flood peak will greatly exceed the first, second, and third flood peaks. It is estimated that the water level in Shashi will break through the 44.67-meter flood level at 20:00 on the 6th, reaching 44.75 meters.In response to the current severe situation, the Provincial Flood Control Headquarters formally issued the "Order on Flood Discharge at Liuhe Embankment and Yonghe Embankment" to the Jingzhou Flood Control Headquarters on the 5th. At 13:00 on the 5th, Liuhe embankment will be breached for flooding, and Yonghe embankment will be breached for flooding at 23:00. The way of breaching, the location and width of the openings will be determined by your department; Get ready for flooding. In order to ensure the safety of the Yangtze River embankment, according to the sequence of floods, at 15:55 on August 15, the Provincial Flood Control Headquarters ordered more than 2,000 officers and soldiers of the People's Liberation Army to rush westward for backup of Honghu Lake, focusing on guarding Shashi and People's Dam; Reinforced 6,800 officers and soldiers of the People's Liberation Army and armed police soldiers, rushed into Jingzhou, Shashi, Jiangling, Public Security and other dangerous spots separately, and deployed troops for a desperate battle. 1 Glory comes from responsibility, and responsibility breeds glory.At the most severe and critical moment in the Yangtze River flood fight, the National Flood Control Commander and Vice Premier of the State Council Wen Jiabao, Premier Zhu Rongji of the State Council, General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and Chairman of the Central Military Commission Jiang Zemin successively went to Zhongshajiao, Wucun Town, Honghu. The Zhongshajiao of Wucun and the bird’s nest line of Wulin are the dangers of flood fighting. The main reason is that the foundation of this section of river embankment is a gravel structure and lacks clay. Poor, so had to be heavily guarded.Just on the embankment, there is a guard post about tens of meters away. No matter day or night, people stand in a row, like a comb, combing back and forth within 500 meters of the foot of the embankment, over and over again, without letting go of any doubts .During the day, people can see all directions with their eyes and ears, but at night, it is so vast that they can’t see anything clearly. Watch carefully with vigilant eyes, because any negligence, such as a loose immersion, may become a leak if it is not discovered in time; a pipeline that is not discovered in time or handled properly may lead to a collapse of the embankment. The danger is an order. After hearing the news, more than 1,000 migrant workers came to form a formation and quickly entered the emergency battle; a certain unit of airborne troops, nearly 1,000 people, was also ordered to fly for reinforcements. The army and the people fought hand in hand for 10 hours before they blocked the pipeline and caused a major emergency. The danger is under control.According to rough statistics, more than 400 cubic meters of sand and gravel were filled in just to plug such a hole. After the war, two young reporters from "Guangming Daily" rushed here to interview and found that thousands of soldiers and civilians were still waiting to guard the dangerous embankment above and below the embankment; The ship is prepared to sink the ship in the event of a breach in the embankment.It is said that in the dangerous section of the Yangtze River embankment, several large iron ships filled with sand and gravel are moored at each place for emergency rescue. 2 In Wuhan, an important city in central China, there is also a dangerous point that attracts the attention of the world, that is, the intersection of the Yangtze River and Hankou - the dangerous section of Longwangmiao. The reason why the Dragon King Temple has become the weakest link in the embankment of Hankou is mainly determined by its geographical location and geographical conditions.It is located at the confluence of the Han River and the Yangtze River. At the mouth of the river, there are two concave bends towards the Hankou side.The south bank mouth of Hanyang directly impacted by the Han River is mostly filled with iron slag buried by the Hanyang Iron Works run by Zhang Zhidong in the past. As a result, the river water rushed to the Longwangmiao embankment in Hankou with a huge backflow.However, the riverbed in the Longwangmiao area is mostly silt and fine sand. When the high-speed backflow occurs in the mouth section, it will cause scoured deep grooves. danger. Therefore, in addition to its geographical location and geographical conditions at the confluence of two rivers, the dangerous section of Longwangmiao, after this 1,080-meter-long embankment section, is the most prosperous downtown area in Hankou and even Wuhan, and the most influential important area. business district.Once the embankment breaks here, the loss, whether material or spiritual, will be incalculable, so this place has always been the top priority of flood control in Wuhan. In July 1998, catastrophic floods occurred in the entire Yangtze River Basin, and the flood peaks approached Wuhan one after another, and the Longwangmiao embankment became the frontier of flood control in Wuhan. The third flood peak of the Yangtze River has flooded Wuhan. At this time, people saw from the TV screen that the reporters of Wuhan TV Station were reporting live on the dangerous section of the Dragon King Temple. On the surface of the river where the river was located, the rolling flood peaks rushed towards the embankment with unruly fury, hissing and roaring, one wave after another, hitting the embankment.And the river embankment facing the water, the barbed wire outside the embankment to prevent waves, and the newly erected steel scaffolding on the embankment to reinforce the embankment tremble slightly in the sound of the raging waves... Before the flood season, the author once stopped at the Longwangmiao Wharf.Therefore, it is more about appreciating the scene where the turbid flow of the Yangtze River to the east blends with the clear waves of the Han River from the north. This is the affinity between water and water, and it can also be understood as the assimilation of the strong to the weak.After the third flood peak passed through Han, I heard that the Longwangmiao embankment section from Jijiazui Wharf along the Han River Embankment in Hankou to Wangjiagang Wharf along the Yangtze River Embankment in Hankou has a total length of 1165 meters, especially between Wangjiagang and Huan Wharf. , that is, the upper and lower sections of Longwangmiao Wharf are more serious. In addition to water seepage and some small piping, there is also a danger of overturning. At this time, the river water outside the embankment of Longwang Temple was 8 meters higher than the road inside the embankment, and the Yangtze River was like a hanging river, hanging beside Wuhan. Wuhan's flood control has entered a decisive stage. Traffic control has been implemented along the Longwang Temple along the river. Hundreds of rescue commandos are conducting emergency rescue, reinforcing the embankment and rushing to build sub-dikes; .On the embankment section of the Dragon King Temple, looking from a distance, there is a tall wooden sign standing at the gate, and a letter is written: vow to live and die with the embankment.Taking a closer look, it was signed by 16 Communist Party members.Unit: Gate of Longwangmiao, Jianghan District, Wuhan City.Time: August 7, 1998. "Swear to live and die with the levee", this is just an oath written in blood, isn't it also a bet of life?With such a card of life and death forged with blood, sweat and life, is there any dike that cannot be defended, or is there any flood that cannot be subdued? ! It's really shocking, weeping ghosts and gods. According to the newspaper, on August 14, this life and death card that "swears to live and die with the levee" will be sent to the Museum of Chinese Revolutionary History as a cultural relic. The lofty spirit of not being afraid of sacrifice for the interests of the people and the pride of seeing death as home. In fact, they are just representatives of it.There are 1,500 Communist Party members along the river gates and on-duty points in the Longwangmiao section alone. They stand at the forefront when the most difficult times arise; At that time, the heads of the municipal and district committees rushed to the front line of flood control. 3 If it is normal, they are in life, in the crowd, maybe they can't be more ordinary, and they can't be more ordinary.However, when the flood comes, the embankment is in danger, and the lives and properties of the people are seriously threatened, they will release the light and heat of life, and rush forward with their bodies made of special materials! Maybe the times make heroes! The Shiyang embankment section of the Han River in Caidian District is a section of civil embankment. The embankment is relatively thin, and there is no beach foot outside. The river is approaching, and there is waterlogging inside. At 10 a.m. on August 10, a militiaman guarding the embankment suddenly found a large amount of muddy water gushing from the outlet of the five-star culvert pipe that had been blocked. He knew from experience that the auxiliary pipe might not be able to withstand the pressure of the high water level and broke the gate. If it is worn out, if it is not blocked in time, the raging Han River will pass through the embankment and go straight to the houses and fertile fields. Hundreds of rescue team members and villagers from Wuxing Village and Shiyang Village jointly formed two arm conveyor belts, continuously throwing sandbags of earth and sand into the river.However, the cave was full of water and the sandbags of more than one hundred kilograms were as light as a feather. They were swallowed by the river water from the outside of the dike and spit out from the mouth of the dike.Four large oil barrels filled with sand and gravel were thrown down, and they fell into the sea like mud cows, without a sound. Like the closure of the Three Gorges, the use of aggregates, I don't know who is eager to make a suggestion. Collecting materials locally, the rescue team took apart the oilcloth of the sentry shed, wrapped it with more than a dozen bags of earth, and a dozen people chanted and sprinkled it down, but the oilcloth bag disappeared. At this time, the vortex outside the embankment became bigger and bigger, and the water gushing inside the embankment became more and more urgent, and the situation was extremely critical. How to subdue this crazy black hole in water?When people were at a loss what to do, Xiao Xiaohua, a villager from the fifth group of Shiyang Village, and his family came here carrying a wooden boat of their own.The rescue team hurriedly filled the wooden boat with stones and slid down from the whirlpool. This time, there was only a click, and the wooden boat was broken in the middle by the powerful force of the water, but the nozzle was firmly stuck. Just like the soldiers charging after blowing up the enemy's bunker on the battlefield, the rescue team and the villagers competed to throw tens of thousands of earth bags and rocks, and finally sealed the culvert tightly, making the levee safe from danger. No wonder in this great flood fighting, the people said: a party member is a flowing banner, a cadre is a foundation pile for a berm, and a party branch is a strong waterproof wall. 4 Wang Zhancheng, an old hero fighting against floods who is well-known in Jingchu and well-known in Jiangcheng, is an outstanding representative of our party members. To talk about Wang Zhancheng, we must first introduce the Dan Pool in Hankou.Danshuichi is not a big place, but it is quite famous. There are no people in Wuhan who don't know this place.why?Because this is the breach of the Yangtze River embankment in 1931. The raging flood broke through the embankment and turned Dahankou into a swamp country. In the great flood in 1954, there was also a major danger here. The flood overflowed the river embankment. Fortunately, the rescue was timely. , Strengthening the dike to hold back the flood did not cause a catastrophe. Coincidentally, on July 29, 1998, another major danger occurred here.What is even more puzzling is that on July 29, 1931, the Danshuichi river embankment burst, and on July 29, 1954, a major danger occurred here. July 29th was a black day for Hankoudan Pool. Wang Zhancheng's family lives less than 200 meters away from the gas station of Zhongnan Petrochemical Wuhan Company, so he is naturally concerned about the danger here. At around 8 o'clock that night, he wanted to hear what's new. As soon as he climbed the embankment, he heard people talking about emergency rescue in the afternoon. thing. At this time, the pipes and drums in the embankment became more turbulent, and the earth pressured the rock cover to no avail. The warehouse of the Zhongnan Petrochemical Gas Station was filled with muddy water. The armed police soldiers were busy moving the gas tanks that might cause danger at any time to a safe area. The big girl and the little daughter-in-law in the scene all cried loudly... Wang Zhancheng couldn't sit still any longer and jumped into the river again.This time, he not only boldly explored and advanced in the river, but also carefully measured the flow direction of the water with his hands to see if there was any suction of the vortex.Suddenly, he found that there seemed to be a whirlpool 4 meters away from the embankment.He aimed at the vortex, moved over step by step, and judged the position of the hole according to the magnitude of the suction force on his feet. Use quilts to wrap earth and rocks to increase the plugging area.Flood control experts made suggestions, and immediately, the employees and family members of the petrochemical dormitory brought fifty or sixty quilts and blankets from the guest house and their own homes and sent them to the embankment. The rescuers jumped into the water, pulled the quilt horizontally, and asked the rescuers on the embankment to throw loess bags, a quilt, and five bags of soil onto the quilt, and then wrap them into a big bag to block the hole.One bag was thrown in, and it was swallowed at once, and two bags were thrown in, and it was swallowed in a second; it was not until more than 30 bags were thrown in that the water in the gully in the embankment slowed down, and it was not until 43 bags of quilts were thrown in. , the gushing water at the nozzle is basically blocked. Afterwards, on-site investigation and investigation by experts from the Provincial Flood Control Headquarters determined that this danger was a leak in the muddy water, a dangerous breach, larger than the hole that caused the Jiujiang embankment to collapse, and it was the largest danger that occurred on the Yangtze River embankment in Wuhan in 1998. The car rattled, Ma Xiaoxiao. The strong troops from the north marched southward, and the strong troops from the south marched northward. When the country and the nation were in danger, my heroic People's Liberation Army marched day and night to the front line of flood fighting and emergency rescue in the Yangtze River. This is the largest troop mobilization along the Yangtze River since the Battle of Crossing the River. History, remember such famous generals?The deeds of the Ye Ting Independent Regiment, the Tashan Hero Regiment, the Red First Regiment, the Eighth Company of Shangganling Special Gong, and the Five Heroes of Langya Mountain... At that time, they charged forward on the battlefield of gunfire and gunpowder, bravely killed the enemy, and set a milestone for the liberation of the Chinese people. An immortal historical feat.Today, the sudden torrent of floods threatens the lives and properties of the people and the great cause of socialist construction. They are like gods descending from the sky, and with their bodies of steel, they build a human wall to protect the stability of the Yangtze River embankment and keep them safe. The bursting flood pressured back into the river... Now, I will pick a few clips to appreciate the loyalty and heroism of our people's soldiers. 1 The Yangtze River suddenly became ferocious, rolling, rushing, roaring and rushing forward, while the surging waves, like countless wild horses running wild, hit the embankments on both sides of the river. It's really a stormy sea.The Xinzhou Embankment in Jianli County, Hubei Province, located in the lower Jingjiang River, under the pressure of the fiercely rising river and the turbulent waves crashing on the bank, looked like a drunken alcoholic who could not stand firmly, swayed from time to time, and was about to collapse at any time. Danger. History has not forgotten that in 1954, there was a collapse here. It was still raining and the water was still rising. When Xinzhouyuan was frowning, on July 3, 1998, an airborne force descended from the sky and planted the battle flag of "Shangganling Special Gong Eighth Company" on Xinzhouyuan. The most dangerous part of the embankment - the dangerous section of the small gate of Xingou. If you say it's dangerous, it's really dangerous.The officers and soldiers walked by and saw that the river water was already higher than the surface of the river embankment, and only a sub-dike built with straw bales and woven bags filled with soil to resist the river waves hitting the bank, standing on the sub-dike, seemed to feel that it could be done at any time. There is a danger of being swallowed by Jiang Tao. If the flood tears the dike, the consequences will be disastrous.The commanders and fighters of the Eighth Special Gong Company have only one belief at this time: people are here.They immediately jumped into the mud and threw themselves into the battle to build the embankment, and then the Seventh Company and the Ninth Company of the Red Army were also ordered to come for reinforcements. For a while, the red flags fluttered and the red stars shone. Meteors are flashing, and the wind is fast. Packing, carrying bags, and embankments are interlocking, tense and orderly. 430 sparkling red stars are just above the raging flood peak, building a red line of defense against wind and waves. The river is surging, have you ever seen this particularly capable fighting team?No, as early as 1996 during the flood fighting and rescue, they had experienced the demeanor of this team. That was at 17:45 on July 22, 1996, a dangerous situation occurred in the Zhoujiazui embankment section of Honghu Lake, and a 6-meter-long, 3-meter-wide, and 2-meter-deep dimple collapsed inside the top of the embankment.At this time, the water level of the Yangtze River was 34.17 meters, which was 1 meter higher than the water level in 1954. The water level difference between the outside and inside of the embankment was 7 meters. It's really hanging by a thread.At the critical juncture, the officers and soldiers of a certain airborne division of the No. 8 Company of Shangganling Special Gong were ordered to rush to the place of the falling nest to fill in the ridge for rescue. Feeding the berm, with an order, the straw bales and woven bags filled with soil were thrown into the water like raindrops from the hands of the officers and soldiers.Unexpectedly, the waves were high and the water was rushing. The mud bag thrown into the water was washed away by the torrential river without splashing a splash. Feeding can not be positioned, why berm?It was too late to say, and then soon, I saw officers and soldiers jumping into the water one after another, arm in arm to form a human wall, and stepped on the soles of their feet with mud bags thrown from the bank to form an artificial cofferdam. This trick really worked. The officers and soldiers on the shore rushed to pour soil into the artificial cofferdam to build a platform.After more than 10 hours of fierce fighting, this breach-type dangerous situation that was concerned by the State Council was finally controlled, and was awarded by the National Flood Control Headquarters. The flag is still the battle flag of that year; the team is still the heroic army of that year; after several rounds of fierce fighting, they heightened and strengthened the dangerous section of the Xingou gate, before they had time to take a breath, they suddenly received a rush An emergency order for the rescue of the Miaoling embankment. The initial battle was successful, but it was not time to withdraw troops. After the relevant water conservancy technicians checked and accepted the newly built inner dam, they asked to build a cofferdam 4 meters long, 1 meter wide and 1 meter high around the piping. Do what you say, and the instructor Zhuang Zheng gave an order, and the commanders and soldiers did not know where they came from. The tiredness shown after the successful completion of the task just now was swept away, and they sang "Unity is Strength" and "Battle Hymn of the Airborne Forces". ", but also high-spirited, high-spirited, vigorously engaged in new battles. The singing swelled on the embankment, overshadowing the sound of wind and rain, and overwhelmed the rising river. The first flood peak of the Yangtze River came with a bang, and the water level here has exceeded the highest water level in 1954 by 0.52 meters, but several dangerous embankments guarded by the regiment of the Eighth Company of Shangganling Special Gong are safe and sound. After a stormy battle, the local villagers spontaneously came to condolences. On the "battlefield last night", the villagers were surprised to find that there were several feet-deep soil grooves on the embankment, which were neither dug by people nor Due to mechanical operations, this turned out to be the imprint left by the commanders and fighters doing "arm gliding" on the embankment in order to compete for time and speed.What makes the villagers even more sigh is that the eighth company of special meritorious service in Shangganling has more than one hundred people in the whole company. After a fierce battle, only two pairs of military shoes are left.In this way, how these barefoot officers and soldiers struggled and rolled forward in the knee-deep mud! The next day, Yang Fengling, a national model of supporting the army, killed three fat pigs raised by her family and sent them to this heroic army fighting against floods; people from all walks of life donated more than 1,000 pairs of brand new military sneakers, clothing and food to the soldiers.The supporting army composed of women rushed to the army station to cook, wash, and clean for the soldiers; while the cultural propaganda team composed of students not only stayed at the army station, but also rushed to the embankment where the soldiers were rescued. The body and mind of the soldiers boosted the morale of the battlefield. At 3:00 p.m. on July 6, the Jianli County Party Committee and the county government held a commendation and celebration ceremony for the soldiers who bravely defeated the flood on Miaoling Embankment.Then, on behalf of the 1.4 million Jianli people, Yang Daozhou, secretary of the county party committee, dedicated a pennant with eight gold-plated characters, "Soldiers descend from heaven, turn danger into safety" to the soldiers of the heroes. It is not so much a commendation written on the pennant that the magic soldiers fell from the sky, and the danger was saved, it is better to say that it is a vivid and realistic description of this heroic army.Wherever the battle flag is planted, there is the front of the battle. I saw Lu Weihua, the commander of the Eighth Company, took the lead, leading the soldiers to jump into the gap, and built a human wall with their hands; Taking advantage of this opportunity, a combined grain package and a woven bag filled with sand were quickly thrown into the gap to rush to build a dike.For a while, in the water and on the shore, you call and I respond, rush to fill and quickly block, and cooperate to fight.As a result, the Ximen warehouse, which might be submerged in the flood within an hour, had to be blocked by the commanders and fighters for half an hour, and the frenzied flood was subdued neatly. Afterwards, when the staff of the grain depot talked about the "Battle of Ximen", they all sighed and said: This army is really like a magic soldier.If they hadn't rushed to rescue and block the entrance in time, the consequences would have been disastrous. 2 A disaster is an order.For a soldier, the order is to rush to the battlefield, to the forefront of the battlefield. Pan Jinsheng couldn't sit still.From the TV, he saw that his unit has been involved in the intense flood fighting and rescue battle, and his company is fighting on the front line of heroic flood fighting and rescue. Yes, no one informed him, and he faintly felt a little lost.Also, you are in the hospital with a cold and fever, bronchitis complicated by bronchitis, and you are still lying on the hospital bed for infusions, injections, and medication every day. Can your comrades let you go to the front line? When is this, Pan Jinsheng asked himself: You are the instructor, where is your company?Where are your soldiers?Where is your combat station? Coincidentally, when Pan Jinsheng successfully returned to the team, he was just catching up with his company's "war against Yang Jiatudang".He looked up and saw the red flag fluttering in the wind on the embankment.Under the banner, I saw soldiers put down more than a hundred catties of woven bags full of sand on their shoulders, piled them on the river embankment, turned around and slid down from the embankment, slid to the foot of the embankment, picked up the woven bags again, and stepped on the river embankment. Muddy, climbing up the embankment, running towards the red flag on the embankment... The collapse of Paizhou Bay in Jiayu County not only made Jiayu the focus of the world's attention, but also made Jiayu one of the hardest hit areas.To this end, thousands of officers and soldiers from a certain division of the Jinan Military Region assembled in full gear within 21 hours, crossed the Yellow River and the Yangtze River, and traveled day and night to a small county in the south of the Yangtze River to carry out flood fighting and emergency rescue tasks. A certain regiment set off from the station on August 8. The convoy just entered the county seat on the morning of the 9th, and before they had time to shake off the dust and set up camp, they received an order: There were many serious dangers on the embankment, and the embankment needed to be reinforced immediately. Soldiers are extremely fast. Under the leadership of regiment leader Zhang Debin and political commissar Chen Zhiyong, the officers and soldiers of the whole regiment ran to the river embankment. What awaited them was a rare piping. The piping was located in a paddy field 1,500 meters away from the river embankment. 0.2 cubic meters per second.When it was discovered, it had ejected more than 1,000 square meters of sediment.The water in the paddy field is waist-deep, and the pipe is hundreds of meters away from the nearest shore, and about a thousand meters away from the place where stones can be transferred. Zhang Debin and Zhang Zhiyong jumped into the water first with a wave of their hands. The rushing soldiers opened the way. For a while, following behind the head of the regiment and the political commissar, the soldiers stood in waist-deep water and formed two conveyor belts with their flesh and blood, continuously conveying the sand and gravel that blocked the pipe to the place where the pipe was poured until two hundred All the tons of sand and gravel were delivered to the site before going ashore for lunch. It was already 2 pm. After the pipes in Shijiayuan Village were rectified, they were ordered to rush to Wangjiayuan, where they also found a pipe.They carried forward the style of continuous combat and fought until the early morning of the next day before building the cofferdam of the water storage and anti-pressure pipe, and then they held the red flag and sang the battle song to welcome the first ray of morning glow in the east... Coincidentally, 82 fighters in this regiment were Jiayu people. When they jumped off the military vehicle and headed towards the river embankment, several fighters were recognized by the crowd who came to welcome the PLA, and they kindly shouted: Calling their names, these soldiers rushed forward with the team without even looking at the relatives who called their names, except for turning their heads to answer. A certain red regiment of the Guangzhou Military Region is a heroic unit with a glorious revolutionary tradition. Seventeen warriors emerged during the long march across the Dadu River. A group of heroes such as warriors.Perhaps it is a coincidence of history that during the Liberation War 50 years ago, this heroic unit participated in the battle to understand and enlarge Wuhan as the vanguard of a certain unit of the People's Liberation Army. Fifty years later, this heroic army was ordered to go north again to participate in the great flood fighting and rescue battle, stick to the four dangerous sections of the Yangtze River and Han River, and defend Greater Wuhan.Because of the Red First Regiment led by Wang Jianfeng, the officers and soldiers of the whole regiment carried forward the glorious tradition of the revolutionary ancestors, maintained the vigor of the war years, were high-spirited, brave and fearless, and successfully completed urgent and difficult rescue missions one after another. Praise from relevant parties, on August 14, 1998, he was also cordially received by General Secretary Jiang Zemin.When General Secretary Jiang Zemin heard the soldiers shouting in unison: "Resolutely implement Chairman Jiang's instructions and ensure the safety of Wuhan! People are on the embankment!" Now, I feel more at ease." Then, he turned to Wang Jianfeng and said, "The common people feel at ease when they see you coming. Yes, people are on the embankment, just like fighting, people are on the ground.Isn't this flood fighting and emergency rescue also a special war?As a commander, he knows the responsibilities on his shoulders and knows where his post is! 3 Shocking waves, raging waves, thousands of miles of river embankments, flying flags, walking on the embankments on both sides of the Yangtze River, you can see vivid scenes of officers and soldiers holding hands shoulder to shoulder at any time to resist the flood.Where there is danger, there will be shining red stars; where there is breathing, there will be fighters who do not care about themselves; where there are soldiers, the people will have a backbone and a sense of security. 8月20日20时，洪湖水位34.95米，此时，长江第六次洪峰正以排山倒海之势涌过洪湖江段，而六级大风裹挟着大雨，也前来给汹涌而至的洪峰呐喊助威，一时间，狂风暴雨催促汹涌的惊涛骇浪，肆无忌惮地冲向洪湖大堤。 洪湖干堤高程32.50米至32.70米，洪水水位，早已超过干堤高程，全靠新的1米多高的子堤挡水，挡水的子堤在惊涛骇浪的撞击下，已岌岌可危。 18时30分，燕窝镇七家垸堤漫溃，垸后干堤子堤迅即挡水；19时30分，筑在干堤之上的子堤被风浪击垮，守在子堤抢险的抢险突击队员被风浪卷走，有四名抢险队员壮烈牺牲。 子堤溃口口门迅即扩开，宽至140米，子堤过水深度达0.3米至0.6米。情况万分危急。 险情就是命令。 武警某师政委马炳秦大校率1000多名官兵立即出动；空降兵某师师长许龙发大校指挥驻守八十八潭和电厂、子沟险段的600多名官兵紧急奔赴；正在大堤帐篷输液的陆军某师副师长陈树望大校，闻讯后即拔掉输液的针头，带领850多名官兵急速赶往。 洪水还在漫涌，而对没过堤面的洪水，抢险官兵100多人，奋勇跳入湍急的洪流中，手挽手、肩并肩组成一堵防浪墙。 洪流太烈，一道人墙不行，二道；二道人墙也不行，三道；三道人墙仍不行，四道。这一道一道人墙，随着风浪的冲击，前仰后合，一起一伏，而那一道道由救生衣连缀而成的橘红色的彩链，迎着波涛起舞，就仿佛给挡水的子堤筑起的一道外帮堤，用意志与血肉锁住了洪流奔涌的势头。 趁热打铁，抢险官兵蜂拥而至，他们迎着风雨，个个冲锋在前，以惊人的意志与力量，装包、填土、扛包、垒堤、筑坝……新起的用编织袋垒起的子堤，随着洪水的攀涨节节增高，用血肉之躯筑起一道道人墙，顶住恶浪如猛兽般的撕咬，守护着节节增高的子堤，抢险现场一时歌声、口号声此起彼伏…… 也许这种抢险现场让你感动，为了使刚垒在水中的泥袋不被洪水冲走，有的战士跪在水中用胸膛顶着泥包在子堤溃口处筑坝。也许这种抢险方式让你感叹，太原始了。但就是这种抢险方式，保证了长江大堤。8月21日凌晨5时许，经过三军将士近10个小时的拼搏奋战，一道长160多米、高1米、宽2.5米的子堤降伏了洪魔。 中流砥柱，就是人在堤在。只有战斗在长江大堤抗洪第一线的百万军民，只有在抗洪第一线冲锋陷阵的英勇战士，才真正理解人在堤在将意味着什么，那就是用自己的热血和汗水，用自己的血肉之躯守护大堤。 在这场抗洪抢险战斗中，我们不能不说在抢险中献出自己年轻生命的英雄士兵李向群。 8月7日，广州军区某部塔山守备英雄团接到命令，北上长江，投入抗洪抢险。九连战士李向群闻讯后，即从海南提前返回部队。这是他参军入伍后的第一次探家，母亲依依不舍地拉着他，希望他在身边多住一天，他说：部队就要北上执行抗洪抢险任务，你能让你儿子掉队吗？ 提前归队，他随部队迅速投入抗洪抢险斗争中…… 塔山英雄守备团，当年我东北野战军为围歼锦州之敌，特令四纵在锦州之外的塔山防守，阻击从葫芦岛方向汹涌而来的援敌。当年在塔山面对的是强大的凶狠的敌人，今天在长江大堤上面对的是汹涌的洪水；当年先辈们受命坚守阵地，寸土不失，今天我们抗洪抢险，同样受命坚防死守，人在堤在，背水一战；是啊，这何尝不是又一次阻击战呢？想到这里，李向群为自己是“塔山守备英雄团”的一名士兵而自豪，每当看见“塔山守备英雄团”的战旗在大堤上猎猎飘动，他更是热血沸腾，每遇险情，他都冲锋在前。一次，为摸清险情，他一个猛子扎进水里，侦察渗水洞的险情，为堵洞提供信息。8月14日，他在大堤上火线入党，当晚，他兴奋得睡不着觉，在日记上写道：为了战胜洪魔，我甘愿奉献自己的一切。这是誓言，是行动的动力与准则。李向群知道，在抗洪抢险第一线，一个共产党员该怎么做。 大堤险情加剧，出现滑坡，部队奉命紧急出动，李向群看在眼里，急在心里。他心生一计，躲过值班卫生员，偷乘兄弟连队的卡车赶到抢险现场，抢运沙包。 李向群在向生命的极限挑战。几个小时后，他又一次昏倒在地。但他的意志是清醒的，他告诫自己：别趴下！随即，他睁开眼睛，望着来往奔波堤上堤下的战友们，他鼓了鼓劲，挣扎着爬了起来，加入了抢筑大堤的行列。 他又一次扛着泥包走向大堤，远远看去，步履有些蹒跚，当他将一包泥土从肩上摔下，垒筑在大堤上，他也猝然倒在大堤上，口吐鲜血…… 生命的价值，展示着动人的美丽。他这一倒，从此再也没有站起来。8月22日，李向群终因劳累过度，一而再再而三地挑战生命的极限，不幸告别了他的战友们。就这样，为了保护国家和人民利益，他置生死于不顾，以其二十岁的青春年华和22个月的军旅生涯，谱写出一曲壮丽的人生赞歌，被誉为“新时期的英雄战士”。 这是一位普通士兵的英雄事迹，我们再来看看一位指挥三军抗洪抢险的将军——龚谷城。 因“总理一抱”，广州军区副司令员、广州军区前线指挥部总指挥龚谷城自然被世人关注，自然也就成了中央及各地媒体追逐采访的对象。可是，几路记者蹲守在广州军区前线指挥部所在地荆州，却不见龚谷城的身影。 不追了，守株待兔，就待在险点险段。 不久，监利江段一个洲垸决口，垸内1000多名群众来不及转移，被困在洪水中，情况十分不妙。闻讯赶来的记者驱车直到现场，果然在黑压压的人群中一眼就发现龚谷城副司令就站在决口不远的地方，正和某集团军邓政委和几位地方干部说着什么。记者此时也顾不上礼节礼貌，径直朝龚副司令走去，只见龚副司令黝黑的脸膛挂满汗珠，两眼布满血丝，正向某集团军邓政委和几位地方干部下达命令：立即通知某舟桥部队火速赶来抢救遇险群众，务必在天黑前将所有受困群众抢救出来。 事后，当记者采访龚谷城将军，得知一个指挥几个军和沿江各市县民兵的大军区前线指挥部就是由三台军用三菱指挥车和八个人组成时，一脸愕然，便向龚谷城将军讨教，想知道个中的秘密。 龚谷城将军一脸坦然，他说：这就好比打仗，指挥靠前，一是迅速了解敌情，好作出决断。Only by knowing yourself and the enemy can you be invincible in a hundred battles! 一个指挥千军万马抗洪抢险的将军，一群奋勇向前置生死于不顾的士兵，他们不就是1998年长江抗洪抢险的数万军人和百万民兵的典型代表吗？ ! 8月16日下午，北戴河机场，一架小型专机停在停机坪上，这架名为“挑战者”的小型飞机，是国家防汛抗旱总指挥部从国外进口的一架专机，用于防总负责人飞临防汛抗旱第一线指挥作战的一架专机。 大约7时许，国务院副总理、国家防汛抗旱总指挥温家宝、一脸凝重登上了专机，他将代表党中央和国务院，遵照江泽民总书记和朱镕基总理的嘱托，为今晚荆江是否开闸分洪作最后的决策，前往荆州。 事还得从头说起。 8月6日，根据连日长江汛情，为防不测，湖北省防汛抗旱指挥部发布了《关于做好荆江分洪区运用准备的命令》： 荆州市防汛指挥部： 在荆江防汛出现恶劣形势的情况下，8月5日至6日，长江上游大部地区发生中到大雨，乌江局部普降小到中雨，寸滩至万路间，降了大到暴雨，鄱阳湖及汉江上游也出现了降雨过程，我省长江防洪形势异常严峻，尤其是荆江河段防洪形势更加恶劣。今天8时，沙市水位已达到44.65米，预计明天8时，沙市水位将突破45米，突破国务院规定的重要水位。 第89章长江卷(22) 在此危急时刻，省防汛指挥部命令你们在严防死守、死守荆江大堤、长江干堤和乌江支堤的同时，务必做好荆江分洪区运用准备，即刻转移分洪区内老、弱、病、残、孕、幼及低洼地区的群众到安全地带，争分夺秒落实各项安全转移措施，确保人的生命安全。 你部执行命令情况，随时上报省防指。 湖北省防汛抗旱指挥部【公章】 一九九八年八月六日 湖北省防汛抗旱指挥部，同时将其抄报国家防汛抗旱总指挥部，国家防总收到后，即呈国务院秘书长马凯和温家宝副总理。温家宝副总理阅后，即与国家防总有关负责人进行研究，决定当晚飞往荆州。 飞机是晚上10时降落沙市机场。没有客套和寒暄，温家宝一走下飞机，与前来迎候的省委书记、省长、省军区副司令、市委书记握过手后，就邀他们上车，急速地驶出机场。 与来时的路线不一样，这支小小的车队到了该进市区的道口却没驶向市区，而是向监利方向驶去。大约行驶了近一个小时车才停下，温家宝副总理要勘察荆江大堤监利段，这是荆江大堤最险的一段。 放眼一望，江堤上隐约可见队队军人和列队军车，这些军人和民工或打着手电查险，或蹲在哨棚值班，或躺在地上枕戈以待，温家宝副总理的脸上露出些许笑意，接着，他又听取了防守此段的空降兵军长马殿圣少将关于防守情况的汇报，他当即将这里的防守情况在大堤上用手机向江泽民总书记、朱镕基总理作了详细汇报。 这时，时近午夜，温家宝副总理一行巡察完监利堤防，立即赶赴监利县城，连夜召开会议，听取湖北省委和荆州市委的情况汇报。会议在进行中，有人报告：沙市水位已突破44.67米的分洪水位，已达44.76米。 接着，又传来一个惊人的消息：公安通三大垸口溃口。 会场顿时一片寂静，人们仿佛屏住了呼吸，将目光移向温家宝副总理，期待这位最高防汛总指挥作出决断。 温家宝副总理显得很冷静，他说：“我来之前，江总书记一再叮嘱我：一定要确保长江大堤的安全，如果一旦分洪，几十万人要转移，几百亿的财产要损失，现在我们已是后退无路了，我们一定要背水一战。”接着，他用凝重而又慎重的语气说：“是否分洪的决定权在政治局，还要交政治局常委，这可是件大事啊！” 8月7日，温家宝副总理在监利、洪湖视察的指示传到省防汛抗旱指挥部： 一、中央强调立足于严防死守保大堤，要把确保大堤安全作为重中之重。1.省委、省政府要坚定信心，对防汛抗旱工作要进行再动员，再组织，再部署，确保大堤万无一失。2.县一级领导干部、机关干部、党员干部都要上堤抗洪，带领群众严防死守。3.险要地段要增派力量，重点险段要增派部队防守。4.要组织技术人员上堤进行技术指导，科学抗洪。 二、要牺牲局部保全局。沿江民垸要主动扒口行洪，什么时候扒口，由省里掌握，但要提前转移群众。 三、在严防死守的同时，要做好群众的转移工作，首先是老弱病残者的转移。要派部队、武警、公安干警，帮助转移群众，维护社会治安秩序。 四、荆江分洪令，要报中央批准下达。取决于三个条件：1.沙市争取水位超45米；2.水位继续上涨；3.上游有较大的洪水下泄。在这种情况下，上报中央批准，才能分洪。分洪下达后，还要转移群众，人不撤完，不能分洪。 荆江分洪区1954年以后，年年有分洪预案，但自1954年至今44年以来，没经过一次真正的分洪实践。现在荆江地区经济发展与1954年不一样，群众生产、生活不一样，国内影响也不一样。这是54万人的大转移，要充分估计到各种困难，需要周密思维，没有坚强的领导和组织保证是不行的。 总的方针是：做最坏的准备，尽最大的努力，争取最好的结果，这就是守住大堤，保证人民群众生命财产安全。 省委、省政府要坚定信心，采取得力措施，如果水雨情况不出大的问题，工作到位，长江干堤还是守得住的。 中央全力支持，要什么给什么，要多少给多少，什么时候要，什么时候给，有关物资问题，中央下最大决心支持：1.防汛抗洪款增拨2亿元；2.物资如账篷、救生衣由国家防总按需调拨，其他物资由地方政府负责。 现在看来，干部、群众精神状态好，这是守住大堤最重要的力量。要认真领会中央精神，为什么要保住大堤，因为大堤失守，事关全局，事关经济的发展和社会稳定。 温家宝副总理，在抗洪决战的关键时刻的指示，传到抗洪一线后，群情振奋，信心倍增，决心严防死守，夺取最后胜利！ 九江、公安相继溃口，引起中央高层高度关注。8月7日前夜，中共中央在北戴河召开政治局常委扩大会议。这次紧急会议，分析了当前长江抗洪防汛的严峻形势，并作出了中共中央关于长江抗洪抢险工作的决定。 后来，有人称这个会议是我们党的第二次“八七”会议。 开完“八七”会议，朱镕基总理一夜未眠，第二天一大早，他就驱车前往山海关机场。最近报告，沙市水位已涨至44.95米，离国务院规定开闸分洪的最后界限只差0.05米，他决定亲赴荆州实地查看。 8时10分，波音737飞机从山海关机场腾空而起，直向蓝天。10时30分，专机在沙市机场降落。 舱门一打开，朱镕基总理就快步走下舷梯，在迎接的一群人中，一位身着迷彩服、肩佩将星的军人格外引人注目。朱镕基总理径直走上前去，如见到久别重逢的亲人似的展开双臂，将将军一把抱在怀里。 将军先是一愣，随即也扬起手臂，紧紧抱住人民共和国总理，只听总理动情地说：“国家受灾，军人当前，谢谢你们啊！” 这是问候，不也是期待与重托吗？当总理动情地将头亲切地靠在将军宽阔的肩膀上，这位临危受命的将军，以受命的姿势，昂首挺立，有些黝黑的脸上，多了几分庄严。 随行的新闻记者将这感人的一抱抢入镜头，而历史将记住这一瞬：人民共和国总理，在人民生命财产面临危险之时，亲临抗洪抢险第一线，亲自指挥军民并肩战斗！ 这位将军是幸运的，总理一抱，使他成为众人瞩目的将军，他就是广州军区副司令员龚谷城中将，8月2日，他受广州军区司令员陶伯钧上将和政委史玉孝上将派遣，飞抵广州军区湖北抗洪前线指挥部，任前线指挥。为靠前指挥，8月4日，他将前指移师荆州。他的前指移师荆州，所属部队的军、师指挥，也向前移，直抵抗洪抢险前沿。而团以下指挥所，就设在所防守的堤段上。从8月2日前指成立，不过几天，他就调动5万多兵力布防在湖北长江两岸沿线，而他的前指虽移师荆州，但他则带着军区作战部长、通讯参谋等，驱车日日夜夜奔走在几百公里的江堤上，他们的坐骑实际上就是一个流动的指挥所。而今，人民共和国总理这亲切的一抱，更使他倍感使命光荣，责任重大。 就在龚谷城将军还沉浸在“总理一抱”的激动中，刚从九江赶回荆州的国务院副总理温家宝走上前去。昨日九江大堤溃口，他飞赴九江视察了溃口现场，听取了九江市委对抢险堵口情况的汇报，并就堵口抢险作了重要指示，他知道总理想知道九江溃口的详细情况。 车队匆匆驶离机场。 有人记下了时间：机舱打开舱门，朱镕基总理健步走下舷梯，径直走到龚谷城将军面前，亲切一抱，然后与温家宝副总理等一一握手后登上面包车驶离机场，前后只用了13分钟。 简洁、高效、共产党人的一贯作风，尤其在这抗洪抢险的非常时刻，展现得更加突出。 车出机场，直奔荆江大堤上的观水胜地——沙市观音码头。这个码头如一个巨大的等腰三角形突入江流，每临汛期，码头就将汹涌而来的主流逼向江心，使堤岸有效