Chapter 2989 We Are Crew No. 177
After a series of intensive preparations and rehearsals, Malashenko, who was almost exhausted and busy, finally got the long-awaited good news as he wished.
The first Red Square military parade after the victory of the Great Patriotic War will be held on time as scheduled, and the time is set on April 27, nearly two months earlier than the existing history.
In the last two days before the parade, Pravda, TASS and other mainstream media simultaneously published the order from the leader Comrade Stalin, and the parade headed by Zhukov will be held as scheduled two days later.
The time on the schedule was finally finalized, and Malashenko's heart was finally relieved.
After all, after the last local military action of the Great Patriotic War, he will be busy with things in Berlin, and then he can welcome the arrival of more exciting events. It must be false to say that Malashenko does not look forward to it.
In addition, Malashenko has also received news from Berlin these days.
Lavrinenko is in charge of overall command, and Valosha and the chief of staff are assisting as deputies. The parade-related work, which is led by the leadership of the leadership, has been almost ready.
Montgomery and Patton, two British and American leaders, have also visited the leadership's headquarters in Berlin recently.
According to official language, the two came for a friendly visit and friendly exchanges, and also congratulated the leadership for the greatest achievement of the Berlin Campaign under the outstanding command of General Malashenko.
But if we follow Malashenko's words, then it is not polite to say that Comrade Lao Ma thinks that these two guys are just here to get attention and traffic.
In major newspapers and radio broadcasts around the world, the hot reports on "the Nazis are dead" are still ongoing, and it is natural that the progress and end of the Battle of Berlin must be mentioned.
When talking about the Battle of Berlin, we must mention the Soviet Red Army. When talking about the Soviet Red Army, we have to talk about a certain man named Ma, what he and his comrades did in this ultimate battle, and how they beat the Nazis so hard that they didn't even recognize their mothers.
What if Montgomery and Patton took advantage of this critical moment to check in at the headquarters of the Leader's Army, take photos, and do interviews.
Then would it be natural and not so abrupt to publish reports related to the Leader's Army and Malashenko, and even continue to expand and brag about it?
After reading British and American newspapers in recent days, Malashenko can only say that you Patton and Montgomery know how to "take advantage of the popularity and increase traffic."
Malashenko even had some doubts. Who taught these two people this lousy but useful job? It seems that these two people have never done this lousy job in history?
After thinking about it, Malashenko, who was leaning on the sofa thinking about this matter, finally locked his target on one person.
"Could it be that Mai Paopao taught these two guys?"
After all, the most proficient and favorite thing for you Philippine runners is to use various channels and public opinions to package yourself and build a war god persona for yourself. You know more about news than the editor-in-chief of a newspaper.
The title of "US military actor" is well-deserved. If he claims to be the second best actor outside the battlefield, I'm afraid no one in the US military dares to claim to be the first.
Thinking of the special relationship between Patton and Mai Paopao's old subordinate, Malashenko, who felt as if he had figured out something, suddenly realized.
If you say that Philippine runners can do this kind of punching in and riding on the popularity, Malashenko not only doesn't feel surprised, but even thinks it is reasonable.
I just didn't expect that Patton, with his thick eyebrows and big eyes, would also start to imitate the "actor-level operation". Is it time to put on big sunglasses and hold a big pipe in his mouth next?
On second thought, I thought of Patton. If he still follows the existing historical timeline, he should be almost dead now.
Malashenko has saved many "deserving people". Whether intentionally or unintentionally, they are all alive because of Malashenko.
These people were originally buried in the existing history, but now no matter how they live, they are still alive and well, including Malashenko himself who was supposed to die in 1941.
As for Patton's life or death.
Malashenko does not want to and does not think he needs to interfere. Whether he lives or dies depends on your own luck. If you are not strong enough, you will die anyway. It's up to you.
That's all for the time being in Berlin. Malashenko, who is far away in Moscow, has to deal with some daily summary telegrams sent to him from time to time by Lavrinenko. This makes Malashenko always feel that what he is doing now seems to contain a hint of "remote control battlefield".
Is it time to say "Niang Xipi" to suit the situation? Send another telegram to ask Lavrinenko to move the last tank in the equipment formation of the parade rehearsal to the right by five meters?
Malashenko, who was full of bad taste, laughed at this and finally shook his head with a smile, and began to work on a huge amount of paperwork.
Busy and orderly, with some small episodes and happiness from time to time.
Time finally passed in this way, and it came to April 27, which Malashenko could not wait for.
Although he was in Moscow, Malashenko did not want to run back and forth between home and the suburban training ground all day. Considering that he often worked overtime until late at night, he was afraid of disturbing his wife's rest. After all, she also had to go to bed and get up early and go to work normally. It was inconvenient and not good to make special arrangements because of her status as a man.
He simply told Natalia and stayed in the barracks with his troops.
So the first person Malashenko saw when he woke up in the morning was not the beautiful wife he had been thinking about day and night.
Instead, it was Iushkin, who was squatting outside his door with a basin of water, a towel on his shoulders, and even a toothbrush cup, grinning like a fool.
"Why are you squatting at my door instead of brushing your teeth, washing your face and having breakfast so early in the morning?"
"Hey, isn't there a military parade today? I thought you must have slept late or didn't sleep last night. If you get up late and can't make it in time, I will fetch you some water."
""
Although he is a bit rude, sometimes you have to admit that Iushkin is very smart when he needs to be on the right track.
"Then I have to say thank you, comrade gunner, come in, just put it on the table."
After saying that, Malashenko, who was standing by the door in the room, opened the door sideways, and Iushkin, who was standing outside the door with a towel, water for washing his face and a cup for brushing his teeth, hurried in with a smile.
"What are you thanking me for? No need to thank me, it's all my duty."
After entering the room, he put all the things in his hands on the table, closed the door, and followed by Malashenko, who then raised his hand and pointed to the desk not far away.
"If you haven't eaten, there are still bread and cold coffee on the table over there. They are left over from my overtime work last night. Don't you mind, do you?"
"No, no, how can I? Hehe"
While Malashenko was washing his face and brushing his teeth, Iushkin was sitting on the "army commander's throne", chewing bread and drinking cold coffee from the previous night. Not only did he not mind, but he was also clenched by the bitter "American horse urine" one after another.
"This stuff is really hard to drink. I don't understand what's so good about it. It's so bitter."
"Life is bitter, my comrade gunner."
After brushing his teeth and washing his face, he put the toothbrush back on the table, picked up the razor and came to the mirror. While trimming the beard on his chin, he asked Iushkin, who was eating in the mirror.
"There is something. I think it's time to talk to you. I have to ask for your opinion."
"What is this?"
Malachenko's words were really unexpected. Iushkin was unprepared and unexpected. For a while, he really couldn't figure out why the commander wanted to ask for his opinion.
"It's about your future development. I want to hear your personal opinion."
""
Without waiting for Iushkin, who was a little surprised, to speak, Malachenko continued to trim his beard in front of the mirror and spoke while trimming.
"The Patriotic War was won, and our most difficult and dangerous years have finally passed."
"There are some things I wanted to say to you and everyone in the No. 177 crew a long time ago, but my identity at that time determined that I was not suitable to say such words, until the victory of the war brought changes."
"You, Seryosha, Artyom, and even Sergei"
"I kept each of you by my side, letting each of you do the same job day after day, fighting in the position closest to me and relatively safest. Frankly speaking, it is not because you are not suitable or cannot do other jobs, and go to other positions to better fulfill your mission."
"I cannot escape and must face myself. I admit that it is due to my fear and selfishness."
""
Iushkin, who stopped eating, seemed to realize something. The words of the commander had consciously or unconsciously evoked the common memories of the long-ago battlefield.
"I'm afraid of going through what happened to Nikolai and Kirill again. I'm afraid of losing any of you again. I don't want to have that heart-wrenching feeling again in my life."
"So I made these decisions without crossing the line and within my ability. I want to protect every one of you as much as I can. I don't want the No. 177 crew to lose any more crew members. I want all the comrades in the No. 177 crew to live to see the day of victory in the Great Patriotic War."
"Until now, I have done it. But I also understand that my excuses and reasons end here. I can't keep you tied to the place closest to me forever, just because of my own selfish desires."
Malashenko shook the razor in his hand, turned around, looked at his old comrade-in-arms who had been with him day and night, and finally said these words that he had been brewing for a long time.
"So, after all this, what are your plans? Iushkin. I want you to start from the grassroots level. If you want, you can command a platoon or a company. What will you choose?"
It is obviously not suitable to be a gunner for life. Malashenko even feels that he has let an elite veteran who has been fighting from 1941 to 1945 still sit in the gunner position unchanged, which has reached the level of irresponsibility for his personal future.
So Malashenko will try his best to make up for it and has started preparations a long time ago. Laying a good command foundation for Iushkin in advance, letting this kid learn from him, and teaching him hand in hand on the battlefield is proof.
Malashenko thinks it is time for Iushkin to "learn and become a master".
According to his own opinion, as long as Iushkin puts what he has learned from him into practice, with this kid's intelligence, he can easily become a company commander.
After getting familiar with it in time, he can quickly reach the position of battalion commander or even regiment commander.
In terms of the solidity of the foundation, I am afraid that few people can compare with Iushkin, who not only played the whole game from 1941 to 1945, but also had the general's personal teaching.
The only thing this kid lacks now is practical operation, combining practice to understand the knowledge he has learned and learn to apply the existing experience. The speed of his growth and progress after transferring to the command position is completely predictable.
Malashenko, who knows Iushkin's "weights and ounces" very well, also believes that he can do it, and he will help him to continue to experience and grow and continue to go all the way.
So the key to the problem is what the person himself thinks and what he plans to do.
Malashenko thinks that Iushkin should have no reason to refuse. After all, he had given him a "vaccination" a long time ago, and as smart as he is, he should be mentally prepared.
Unexpectedly, Iushkin not only did not answer directly, but sat on the table with his head down, as if he was looking at something in his hand. He didn't say a word for a long time, and just sat there quietly.
It was not until Malashenko, who was puzzled, took the initiative to step forward and looked up at the thing in Iushkin's hand that he realized that it was Kirill's harmonica that he had given to Iushkin for safekeeping.
"If I leave, leave the No. 177 crew, things like Kirill will never happen again, right?"
""
There was a clear and audible sadness in his voice. Malashenko could expect, but at the same time, he also knew unexpectedly that Iushkin was afraid of or cared about the same thing as himself.
"But the seedlings always have to leave the protection of the big tree to grow alone, and can't always rely on the big tree to shelter from the wind and rain. My mother told me so."
After stroking Kirill's harmonica, it seemed that he could still feel the warmth of the familiar face left on it. Iushkin, who had experienced too much and lost a lot, finally responded with firmness as before.
"I understand everything, everything."
"Then let me do it, I'm ready, I will definitely work hard to achieve something, and take him with me."
Putting away the harmonica, putting it back into the lining of the coat, wearing a new major tank soldier uniform, facing the commander comrade who was also wearing a uniform but with a lieutenant general on his shoulders, the solemn military salute still maintained the original intention at the beginning.
"We are the glorious and legendary No. 177 crew, and we will never be separated! No matter where we are in the future, we will transcend time and distance and never change."