Past events of surveying and mapping (Part 1)

What we are talking about here is the surveying and mapping platoon in a special agent company of an engineering force. The time is fixed from March 1973 to early March 1976. During this time, I was doing compulsory military service in the surveying and mapping platoon.

The surveying and mapping platoon is located in a wooden prefabricated room under a corner deep in the mountains in western Henan Province. Inside the room, two rows of conjoined plank beds are built opposite each other against the wall. There is an aisle in the middle of the bunk bed, with gun racks at both ends.

To make a one-piece plank bed, you must first make six or eight tripods. Two thick and straight wooden rods are fixed horizontally on the tripods. Then, the wooden planks are placed vertically. Lay on both ends of the stick. Each person's plank is about one meter wide and two meters long. Seamless connection between decking and decking. Therefore, people on the bunks had to sleep head to head. In the middle of the night, it was common to get into the neighbor's bed, especially for those who joined the army after marrying a bride, and the jokes they made were even more ugly.

When you are not sleeping, you can lift the bedding and the wooden bed becomes a multi-functional piece of furniture. When working, studying, or having meetings, it becomes a desk, school desk or conference table.

Outside the door of the prefabricated room, there is a row of small platforms made of wooden boards, where everyone's washbasins and dental tools are placed. On a wire above, everyone's multi-purpose towels are hung. Who pays attention to hygiene and who is sloppy, the color of the towel is the label. When they are first handed out, the towels are all white. As time goes by, more and more towels turn yellow or even gray.

Surveying and mapping work is a technical job. The quality of education at that time was very poor. Although those who were assigned to the surveying and mapping platoon carried the brand of high school graduates, when they came into contact with the specific work content, their academic qualifications were insufficient and they immediately showed their true colors.

Compass, theodolite, level, telescope, tower ruler, benchmark, steel tape measure, scale, etc., are commonly used tools.

When working, those who look at the instruments, look at the drawings, calculate the data for the last time, or check the calculation results are often people with relatively high actual educational levels, or they are the platoon leader, squad leader, or deputy squad leader , or the most beautiful among the veterans.

Tower rulers, benchmarks, etc., steel rulers, wooden piles, etc. are often used by new recruits or those with relatively low actual educational levels. In order to read or fix a set of data, they have to travel through mountains and rivers, cross mountains and ridges, climb high and low, use sharp machetes to open channels, expand their field of vision, remove obstacles, etc., and encounter poisonous snakes, birds, and pheasants. , squirrels and various small animals, etc. are common occurrences.

The person looking at the instrument can wait in a safe zone, leisurely and leisurely, waiting for the data to be read to appear.

This scene is the truest footnote that those who work hard govern others, and those who work hard govern others.

The most honorable thing for a member of the surveying and mapping platoon is to be temporarily transferred to work by the regiment engineering unit or even the base engineering office. Of course, this can only account for a very small minority.

For those who can’t go, they most like to go to the construction company to guide the construction. Once there, there is a surveying and mapping squad in the camp doing the specific work. The people in the surveying and mapping platoon only need to use their mouths and brains, but rarely use their hands. Although he is just an ordinary soldier in the surveying and mapping platoon, he can enjoy VIP treatment when he joins the construction company. When eating Ermi (rice and millet steamed together), you can pick out the millet and eat only the rice. When eating vegetables, you can eat more meat and don't have to queue up for food. There is no need to go out in the morning or stand guard at night. On Sundays, you can still sit in the cab of the construction truck and go shopping, etc.

Being unable to go to the regiment headquarters, base or construction company, and having to stay behind to look after the house, is actually not bad. There is no need to go out on drills or stand guard. When the entire company engages in emergency training, there is no need to panic and respond. You can continue to sleep peacefully and continue to dream of your own youthful dreams.

(To be continued)