Chapter 35 Depressed and dazed

Since the lone army retreated into Thailand, there have been dozens of battles of various sizes. We specifically cite Badang and Khao Yashan because they represent different meanings: the Badang battle laid the foundation for the lone army to survive in Thailand, from wandering to stability, From guerrilla to stronghold.The Battle of Khao Yashan illustrates the relationship and position of the lone army in Thailand and the hardships of survival.This group of outcasts from the motherland has traveled all over Guanshan for 30 years, and now wanders in the mountains of northern Thailand. They have become a military branch of the Thai government and are assigned by the 04 Command.This year (1982) in the Battle of the Stars, the Thai border police could not accept the credit and handed it over to the National Defense Forces. When the National Defense Forces were also not interested, the reason why the lone troops were afraid was because of this.In addition to the brotherly love of the compatriots, there is a greater fear that is difficult to express, that is, the combined forces of the three and five armies may not be able to stop the attack of the "Shan State Revolutionary Army", let alone defeat them.The reason why the Supreme Command has never issued an order to mobilize the lone army may have given too many considerations.However, in any case, from the Battle of Khao Yashan, we can perceive that the Thai Supreme Command has absolute control over the lone army.

The Battle of Khao Yashan ended, and for a whole year so far, the lone army has been in a state of peace. Although this state of peace was established on the beach and could be shattered by unexpected events at any time, peace is still peace.However, after a long time, the glorious days and the tragic past have become a thing of the past.The new generation, even those born in the 1940s during the war with the Burmese army in the Yunnan-Burma border area, are all thirty years old.The children I saw in Thailand's Beisi Le and other refugee villages, from babies in my arms to boys in their teens and twenties, belong to the third generation—the real lonely seedlings.

The generation gap is a serious hidden worry. This hidden worry broke out shortly after the Battle of Khao Yashan. The respected General Yang Weigang almost caused an armed bloody revolution in Maesle.General Yang Weigang is the second-generation general of the Solitary Army. He fought fiercely like a hungry tiger. During the Battle of Kaoyashan, he exchanged his life for victory, so he attracted attention.He is a reckless hero who has never read any books. Like Zhang Fei and Li Kui, he has a fiery temper and relies on intuition for everything.When the lone army first disarmed, he recklessly decided to hide his guns, and survived a dangerous situation by accident, which made General Duan Xiwen treat him differently.He was also loyal to General Duan Xiwen, and swore to the death.Because of his lack of education, he spoke and acted like a green forest hero with great loyalty. In front of General Duan Xiwen, he often made loud noises and contradicted him.Once, when he launched a prestige, he beat one of General Duan Xiwen's personal guards half to death.General Duan Xiwen tolerated him a lot, treating him as a disciple, scolding him, admonishing him, he was still being reused and promoted constantly.This rough and bloody man would gladly accept any punishment from General Duan Xiwen. His reckless character made him grateful, but it also made him offend many officers.As the chief of staff, General Lei Yutian, in the eyes of General Yang Weigang, is just a cowardly and incompetent old man, and he does not admire him a hundred times.When General Duan Xiwen passed away, General Lei Yutian succeeded him as the commander of the Fifth Army. Although he was still treated with the same courtesy as usual, in fact, he couldn't confide in him like General Duan Xiwen did in the past.In fact, the lone army has become a traditional "children's army" in Chinese history. In addition to the standard relationship between the chief and his subordinates, there is also a primitive emotion of the cottage style.Helplessly, there is already a gap between General Yang Weigang and General Lei Yutian.Especially after the Battle of Khao Yashan, this gap has increased. There may be unfair and unconvincing rewards for meritorious personnel, but it may be fair enough, but it is considered not fair enough.We don't judge right and wrong on this matter, that would require me to stay in northern Thailand for a longer period of time.As a result of grievances and resentments, General Lei Yutian could no longer tolerate General Yang Weigang's "domineering", and General Yang Weigang could no longer tolerate General Lei Yutian's "incompetent leadership".

In the end, the showdown between the two sides caused the biggest shock to the lone army in thirty years. Among the several legends, the more credible one is that General Lei Yutian acted first and dispatched an elite force to surround General Yang Weigang's camp.General Yang Weigang got the news and led his temporarily assembled troops to escape from Mesle. General Yang Weigang is now in a village called "Lai Lang" on the border of Myanmar, north of Chiang Mai. It is said that he could not maintain his force, so he had to run a small shop on the side of the street.But others say that he still leads a team.When I was in Chiang Mai, I hired a guide at a high price, but no one wanted to go.I thought that if I persisted in continuing to search for him, there might be dangers. When senior officials found out that I was persistently tracking down a "traitor", they might react with alarm.

This is a tragedy, not only the tragedy of General Yang Weigang, the hero of the Battle of Kaoya Mountain, but also the tragedy of the lone army. The old generation withered, and the new generation was at a loss. deadlock.Now Misso in western Thailand is serving as the young commander of the "My Soto Mountain People's Self-Defense Force", General Fan Mingren. Controlled by the Thai Supreme Command.General Chen Maoxiu, who served as the commander of the Khao Yashan Battle and was well-known in northern Thailand, told me repeatedly: "We have no successors, and young people are all far away. Who will pay three hundred baht a month (NT$600) ) to be a soldier? I am really worried, if there is another battle, how will we bear it.” Yes, the lone army has fallen into the heroine of the Beijing opera “Three Niangs Teaching Children”: “Old old, young and young, who do you rely on?” Tragic realm.