Red Moscow

  Chapter 110 Maria's Choice

   Found a missing team flag, which is a great event, so Sokov and Belkin discussed: "Comrade deputy battalion commander, do you think we should report this matter to the superior immediately?"

"Comrade battalion commander, please wait a little longer." Belkin calmed down and said solemnly: "This matter is of great importance. I need to ask Maria for some more details. It’s not too late to report to your superiors.”

  Sokov understands very well that for the Soviet army, which valued honor, what the loss and recovery of this team flag means is self-evident. So he did not speak any more, but sat aside and listened quietly to Belkin questioning Maria.

   After figuring out everything that should be clarified, Belkin directly contacted Lobachev, the military commissar of the group army, through the telephony machine, and gave him a detailed report on this major event.

After listening to Belkin's report, Lobachev did not express his position immediately, but was silent for a long time before asking solemnly: "Comrade Belkin, are you sure that the flag you found is the flag of the 24th Rifleman? The team the teacher belongs to?"

"That's right, Comrade Military Commissar." Belkin said in an affirmative tone: "As you know, I used to be the political commissar of the 70th Infantry Regiment, and I am very familiar with several flags in the division. I have also repeatedly identified it, and it is absolutely correct.”

   "Comrade Military Commissar, what happened?" Rokossovsky's voice suddenly came from the headset: "Is it the number from the Istria Battalion?"

"Yes, Comrade Commander, it's a call from the Istria Battalion." Lobachev hastily reported to Rokossovsky: "Political Deputy Battalion Commander Belgin reported that he found a missing side. The team flag, after repeated identification by him, can be confirmed to be the flag of the 71st Regiment of the 24th Infantry Division. Look, how should we deal with it?"

Seeing that Lobachev had handed over the decision-making power to himself, Rokossovsky frowned and began to think. After weighing the power, he said to Lobachev: "Comrade military commissar, please pass on your farewell." Erjin, let them keep the flag, and tomorrow I will send people from the Political Department of the Army Group and the Secret Service to retrieve the flag."

Sokov waited until the call between Belkin and his superiors was over, and specifically asked for Maria's opinion: "Maria, people from the Political Department and Secret Service will come to us tomorrow to take this military flag. I want to ask Let me ask you, what do you think, do you need me to send someone to **** you to Moscow?"

"I'm not going to Moscow." Maria shook her head and said, "My parents were killed in the German bombing shortly after the war broke out. I want to avenge them. Comrade commander, please let me Join the army, I can do anything, please, keep me!"

  Sokov didn't expect Maria to want to stay in the army. He felt very embarrassed for a while. His troops were all male soldiers, and a female soldier suddenly appeared. What's the matter? When he was in a dilemma, Belkin said: "Comrade battalion commander, isn't the women's anti-aircraft machine gun company in our defense zone now? I think it's better to let Maria become an anti-aircraft machine gunner?"

"Comrade battalion commanders," Assia interrupted without waiting for Sokov to express his opinion, "I think it's better to let Maria stay in the camp and become a health worker. If she doesn't understand anything, I can teach her." she."

"Okay, then let Maria be a hygienist." Sokov thought that Maria was just an ordinary citizen, and now she was asked to be an anti-aircraft machine gunner. It is estimated that she would not get used to it for a while, so he agreed to Assi. Ya's proposal: "Asiya, you should teach him basic nursing knowledge as soon as possible."

  ...

  Early the next morning, a jeep arrived from Susinich. Besides the driver, there were three passengers in the car. One is Vladimir, deputy director of the Political Department and deputy battalion political commissar, and the other two are members of the Secret Service.

  Vladimir came to Sokov's battalion command post with two members of Secret Service. After identifying himself, he asked bluntly, "Where is that flag?"

  Belkin stood up, walked to the wall, took out a square-folded flag from a shoulder bag hanging on the wall, grabbed two corners, shook it vigorously, and unfolded the flag. Facing Vladimir, he said: "Comrade Deputy Chief, this is the missing flag of the 71st Infantry Regiment."

  Vladimir walked over, lifted a corner of the flag, and carefully looked at such a bright flag with the help of the lighting in the house. After observing for a long time, he let go of the flag he was holding, and said with a smile on his face: "That's right, Comrade Political Deputy Battalion Commander, it is indeed the team flag of the 71st Infantry Regiment."

  He turned to face Sokov and asked, "Comrade Battalion Commander, where is the girl who sent the flag back now? I want to see her, can I?"

   "Of course, Comrade Deputy Director." Sokov said hastily: "I'll call him right away, please wait here!"

  Sokov left the command post and walked along the traffic trench towards the shelter where Asya and Maria lived. When he reached the door, he was about to open the curtain and go in when he heard Asiya's voice from inside, so he stopped in his tracks, wanting to hear what she was saying.

I only heard Asiya in it say: "...When treating the wounded on the battlefield, because our medicines are limited, when treating the wounded, we must decide who should be treated first in the shortest possible time. For example, for minor injuries Even if he is unconscious, he should be rescued first; while the seriously injured, even if he is awake, even if he begs you to save him, he should give up decisively..."

  Sokov, who was standing outside the bunker, couldn't help being a little surprised when he heard Assia's theory. He didn't expect that there was such a profound knowledge in rescuing the wounded. And Maria, who was confused by what she heard, also asked curiously: "Assia, I want to ask, why do you give priority to rescuing the lightly wounded?"

"It's very simple," Assia explained to Maria: "They can rejoin the battle after simple treatment of their injuries. As for the seriously wounded, even if you treat them meticulously, they will not be able to recover their fighting power in a short time. On the contrary , you may also use up the medicine that can treat more lightly wounded people because of rescuing the seriously wounded..."

  Sokov originally wanted to stand at the door and listen to Assia's common sense of battlefield rescue, but he was worried that Vladimir would wait too long in the battalion command post, so he coughed heavily. Assia, who was talking inside, heard the coughing sound from outside, and quickly stopped imparting experience to Maria, and asked loudly at the door: "Who is outside?"

"It's me!" Sokov said, opened the curtain and walked in, and said to Asiya who looked surprised: "A chief from the Political Department of the Army Group came to see Maria. I came here specifically to find Maria. Ya's."

  Hearing Sokov say that he came to find Maria, Assia showed a disappointed expression on his face. But she still tried to calm down and said: "Since the chief wants to see Maria, you should take her there quickly."

  After Maria followed Sokov to the battalion command post, Vladimir immediately questioned her repeatedly: How did you get the flag? How did you hide the flag for two months from the eyes of the enemy? Why did you send this flag to the army? …

   Facing a series of questions from Vladimir, Maria seemed extremely nervous, but she still answered them stutteringly. After getting a satisfactory answer, Vladimir showed a smile on his face, and he specifically asked for Maria's opinion: "Girl, in order to thank you for everything you have done for us, the Army Group Command specially asked me to ask for your opinion." Opinion. I wonder what your next plan is? Go back to the village or go to Moscow, let us arrange a satisfactory job for you?"

   "My family members are all dead, and there is no point in going back." Maria said with a wry smile: "As for Moscow, I don't want to go either."

  Maria's answer surprised Vladimir, and he asked, "Then what are your plans?"

Maria pointed to Sokov next to her, and said to Vladimir with a blushing face: "This commander has agreed that I stay in his army. I am now working hard to learn how to be a good health worker." .”

"So that's the case." Vladimir nodded slightly after listening to Maria's reply, "Since you have made a decision, I will follow your decision." Jin shook hands one by one to bid farewell, and then returned to Susinich with two members of the Secret Service, carrying the lost and recovered flag.

  (end of this chapter)