Go back in time and be a chaebol

Chapter 1478 The Dignity a Soldier Should Have (Second Update, Please Subscribe)
When people reach middle age, they will definitely encounter a midlife crisis.

This crisis is inevitable, from high-ranking officials to ordinary people.

Even though he was a colonel with a good monthly income and a wife and seven children, Cheng Wanli still had his midlife crisis.

For example, most of the officers of his generation are now brigadier generals or even major generals.

And he, at the age of 43, was transferred here and sat on the bench. Now, he is just a clerical staff officer.

Maybe I should consider retiring!

Once again, this thought emerged in Cheng Wanli's mind. He was from the Allied Forces and flew to India 20 years ago, and then went to North Africa.

Twenty years of military career.

It seems too long.

What to do after retirement?

Go to the beach, drink beer, and enjoy the sun and sand?

While thinking this, he received a report on the return of the body of Sergeant Roger, who was killed in the terrorist attack on the representative in Tokyo.

When Cheng Wanli saw Roger's information in the report, his brows furrowed. When he saw his ancestral home, he became even more silent. That night, he couldn't sleep all night.

The next morning, he walked into the general's office.

"Requesting that Sergeant Roger's body be escorted home."

The general looked at his troops and reminded them:
"Colonel Cheng, you are a senior officer. Usually, this kind of thing is handled by ordinary officers."

Cheng Wanli said:
"This child, like me, is from Lu Province. I hope to do this for him."

Faced with such a request, the general thought for a moment and said:

"Okay, but you know, there's a protocol for this kind of thing, and you need some training,"

There is a special process for escorting the bodies of the fallen officers and soldiers back home. Every step is carefully arranged, fully reflecting the respect for the fallen officers and soldiers.

The next morning, Cheng Wanli arrived at the base. As per regulations, he wore a formal suit. After receiving Roger's body from the morgue, the body was placed in a coffin, then in a cardboard box, and then loaded onto the hearse.

After the handover is completed, when the hearse passes by the base, there will always be soldiers who stop, stand at attention and salute, watching their comrades leave.

The soldiers watched their comrades leave.

Soon, the hearse drove into the airport, and people and the car were separated here. Cheng Wanli entered the airport through the waiting hall, while the body was directly taken to the airport by the hearse.

A few dozen minutes later, the plane took off from Chang'an Airport.

As a member of the escort team, Cheng Wanli finally embarked on the journey home with his comrades.

Come back home!

The way home is long. Some people go home by walking, while others are sent back.

The way of going home is different, and the circumstances are also different.

"Would you like anything to drink, sir?"

The female flight attendant pushing the beverage cart was a typical Asian mixed-race girl, with three-dimensional and delicate features and a pretty face. She squatted in the aisle and asked the passenger sitting next to Cheng Wanli without waiting for him to speak.

"Any beer?"

"Then give me a beer, cold one! Thank you!"

"What about you, sir?"

"Cold water! Thank you!"

After the female flight attendant poured him a cup of water, Cheng Wanli thanked her again.

"It's free, sir. It's a waste not to eat the food on the plane. These things are included in our tickets, don't save them. What! Sir, are you still performing official duties, or is there something else?"

The passenger next to him turned around and said to Cheng Wanli:

"Yes, on official business!"

Cheng Wanli smiled politely.

"Sir, is this your expedition commemorative medal?"

From the moment Cheng Wanli walked into the cabin, he was the focus of everyone's attention. However, he never paid attention to anyone. The expedition commemorative medal and the loyal service medal on his chest always made people want to talk to him.

As we all know, the Expedition Medal is only awarded to veterans of the Allied Task Force to commemorate their expedition to Europe. If the veterans participated in the Battle of Bastogne, they will also receive a Bastogne Medal.

"Yes!"

Two words came out of Cheng Wanli's lips.

The man, who originally wanted to continue the conversation along this topic, didn't know how to continue facing a person who was so frugal with words.

In this way, they were silent all the way, and Cheng Wanli always maintained a standard sitting posture without any relaxation. More than an hour later, the gentle voice of the flight attendant sounded in the cabin again, reminding everyone that the plane was about to arrive in Yongning.

Then a flight attendant came over.

"Excuse me, sir."

"Ok!"

Cheng Wanli, who was thinking about something, turned his head and took a look. It was the female flight attendant from before, who was half squatting there with her back bent.

"We'll be in Yongning in ten minutes. I hope you can accept this!"

As she spoke, the female flight attendant handed a silver cross to Cheng Wanli. Looking at the cross in his hand, Cheng Wanli noticed that there were tears in the eyes of the female flight attendant. When he was about to ask something, the female flight attendant got up and left.

"Haha! Girls are so bold nowadays!"

The man next to him looked at the leaving female flight attendant with envy, and then looked at the officer next to him. He couldn't understand why the female flight attendant would give a gift to this middle-aged man?

Looking at the cross necklace in his hand, Cheng Wanli was a little confused. He just looked at it quietly. Soon the plane landed. After the plane landed, the captain's voice sounded in the cabin.

"Hello, passengers! First of all, I would like to thank you for a very smooth landing. On behalf of all the crew members, I would like to extend my most sincere greetings and heartfelt thanks to you. Secondly, I would like to ask everyone to stay in their seats for a while..."

After hearing the voice on the radio, the passengers in the cabin were stunned, and someone immediately complained in dissatisfaction.

"What's going on? Why aren't you letting me get off the plane?"

"We are honored to be able to transport the remains of the fallen soldiers on this flight. It may cause you a moment of inconvenience. The escort team must first escort the remains of the fallen martyrs."

The man who was listening to the radio turned his head and looked at the officer next to him. The man who originally seemed a little impatient, the impatience on his face disappeared, leaving only a face full of guilt.

Even when he apologized, he stuttered. "I don't know, I'm sorry! Sir!"

At this time, all the passengers in the cabin turned their eyes to Cheng Wanli. Several ladies even covered their mouths and noses with their hands, and tears flowed from their eyes.

In response to the apology from the man sitting next to him, Cheng Wanli said.

"It's ok!"

Feeling a little restless, Cheng Wanli stood up, left his seat with his briefcase and walked towards the cabin door.

Although the cabin door was open, no passenger got off the plane. After getting off the plane, he saw the captain and crew members standing at the cargo elevator.

"salute!"

When the coffin was lifted from the cargo hold by the loaders, Cheng Wanli shouted a command and slowly raised his right hand to salute. The captain and crew members stood behind him, watching the workers lift the coffin onto the cart.

They are paying tribute to the fallen martyrs in their own way.
At this time, the passengers who had arrived at their destination had already got off the plane, and the passengers who had got off the escalator were standing by the runway. They were looking at the coffin that was being carried onto the cart. People took off their hats and put their right hands in front of their hearts to pay tribute to the martyr.

"The ceremony is over!"

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After the coffin was placed steadily on the cart, Cheng Wanli slowly put down his right hand again and followed the cart to the airport warehouse, where the cardboard box outside the coffin was removed and the coffin was covered with a double-star flag.

Cheng Wanli just sat in front of the coffin, waiting there and accompanying his comrade-in-arms, even though they had never met before and even though their military ranks were very different, he just kept guarding him.

Almost ten minutes later, a hearse arrived. The driver got off the hearse, walked to the coffin, observed a moment of silence, and then, with the help of the workers, loaded the coffin onto the hearse.

While loading the truck, Cheng Wanli slowly raised his arm, saluted, and then slowly lowered it, while the workers in the warehouse stood by in silence.

During the whole process, everyone's expression was serious and solemn.

Just as the hearse was about to come out, an airport police car drove over and the officers in the car took the initiative to clear the way for it.

This is a silent wait, no one arranges it, everything comes from the spontaneity of the heart.

When leaving the airport, there was only a police car leading the way. The flashing police lights, the black hearse, and the double-star flag visible through the hearse reminded people that the martyrs had returned home.

Soon a car on the road noticed them, and a car followed them, and the driver of the car took the initiative to turn on the headlights.

Along the way, more and more vehicles followed the hearse. They turned on the headlights during the day to illuminate the way home for the heroic spirits in the cars. A convoy was spontaneously formed on the road.

No one tried to overtake the car, and everyone just followed quietly behind the hearse.

On the road, more police cars joined in, including local police and military police. In front, more than a dozen police motorcycles were flashing lights, and patrol officers spontaneously cleared the way for the hearse.

The plantation where Roger's family lived was about 100 kilometers away from Yongning. Along the way, some people dropped out and some joined, and patrolmen and passers-by continued to join the team.

Among these people are not only ordinary people, but also TV reporters. In the past few days, the TV has been broadcasting news about Roger, showing his heroic feat of rushing forward to cover the grenade with his body during a terrorist attack to save the brothers around him.

When the convoy drove into the town, Cheng Wanli saw that every household here had flown the double-star flag.

The blue double-star flag was hanging low, and people came to the roadside early. They stood there to welcome Roger's return. The children in the school wore Boy Scout uniforms and held the double-star flag. When the convoy passed by, people threw flowers on the road to welcome the children's return.

The convoy stopped at the elementary school with police lights flashing. According to the procedure, they would hold the memorial service here.

When the coffin was lifted from the hearse, Penny immediately threw herself on the bed crying, and several children also started crying.

They lost their husbands and fathers, and a gray-haired man watched it all silently, his red and swollen eyes revealing his inner pain.

"Thank you, sir, for bringing Roger back!"

The white-haired old man held Cheng Wanli's hand tightly, his eyes full of tears as he looked at the coffin. He never thought that he would have to wait for his son to come home in this way.

"It is my pleasure, sir! I am sorry for your misfortune!"

"Come on! Come in and sit down! You've worked hard on this journey."

"Sir, I want you to know that Sergeant Roger was treated with dignity, respect and honor throughout his journey. I have a letter from Marine Corps Commandant Chen Shanhe to you and your family. I want to tell you that you are not mourning alone today. The whole country is thinking of you and praying for you. You should know that Sergeant Roger touched many people."

In the living room, Li Cheng Wanli looked at Roger who was still immersed in grief and said, and when he stood up and left, he seemed to remember something.

"This is the last thing I want to give you. A flight attendant handed it to me on the plane, as if it had special meaning to her. I wanted to keep it as a souvenir of this mission, but I realized that she didn't want to give it to me, but to you."

Cheng Wanli took out the cross that the flight attendant had handed to him from his pocket and handed it to Roger's father. After receiving the cross, the old man's tears flowed again. He held it in his hand for a long time without saying a word. After a long time, he sighed and silently opened the letter.

"To the family of Sergeant Roger of the Marine Corps, Mr. and Mrs. Rodford, Mrs. Penny Rowe and the children, this is the first time I write to you. I believe that you have learned that Sergeant Roger's body has been sent back... I express my deepest condolences. You have lost a son, husband, and father, and we have lost an excellent comrade and brother... As a reward for Sergeant Roger's heroic dedication, I have requested that Your Excellency award him the Double Star Medal..."

A letter from the commander cannot comfort the sorrow of the living. In addition to Cheng Wanli, there were also officers from the local Veterans Affairs Office on the scene, who delivered the pensions as soon as possible.

When a SEA soldier is confirmed dead, the authorities will immediately activate the compensation mechanism to ensure that the families of the deceased soldier can receive a pension sufficient to continue living.

The pension is divided into insurance, government compensation, etc. The first pension received by the families of the fallen soldiers comes from the army, the amount is 2000 yuan, this cash will be put into an envelope and handed to the family by a special officer together with the death notice.

This is a long-standing tradition in the military, with the aim of diverting the attention of the families of fallen soldiers through cash and thus alleviating their grief.

The second pension comes from the government, which is 10000 yuan and will be deposited into the family's bank account a few days after the soldier's death. The third pension comes from the life insurance purchased by the soldier himself. They pay premiums every month. If they die in battle, the beneficiary on the contract will receive a maximum of 20000 yuan in compensation.

If the soldier is married, his widow will receive a monthly living allowance of 50 yuan, which will continue until he dies or remarries. If he has children, each of his minor children can receive a monthly allowance of 30 yuan until they reach adulthood. And this standard is adjusted every year based on the average annual income.

However, money alone may not be able to heal the psychological trauma of losing loved ones, so the government has also introduced many additional welfare policies for the families of fallen soldiers.

These families can apply for up to three years of free medical treatment, and can also receive an ID card of the fallen soldier himself. Just holding this card can enjoy preferential treatment in many stores.

If insurance and government pensions are added together, the family of a fallen soldier will receive a maximum of 3 yuan in pension compensation, which is enough for an ordinary family to have no worries for several years.

Although money cannot make up for the pain of losing their loved ones, it can prevent the families of fallen soldiers from falling into poverty. And this is what Li Yian repeatedly emphasized - it is a shame for the entire country to let the families of soldiers fall into poverty because of their sacrifice, so the country's responsibility is to do its best to take care of their families. Generally, soldiers are indispensable laborers in their families, so sufficient pensions are essential for their families.

It is for this reason that SEA soldiers are willing to risk their lives on the battlefield, because they know very well that even if they die, their families will be well taken care of.

Seeing the lieutenant from the Veterans Affairs Office, Cheng Wanli walked over and asked if the pension had been delivered to the family. The answer was yes. Then the two of them started chatting.
"We can give them money, but...how can we make up for the pain of losing our loved ones?"

Lieutenant Fang Aliang spoke in a low voice, even a little lost. He had been here for the past few days, offering all the help he could.

"Sir, this is the first time I deliver a death notice. I really don't know how to deal with this kind of thing... I'm not even prepared. Three days ago, on the way here, he had been thinking about how to tell his parents the news. You know, the old man dies the young man..."

Listening to the lieutenant's words, Cheng Wanli said:

"No one is prepared for this kind of thing... We can only do our best to take care of the family of our fallen comrade. This is our responsibility."

Who can prepare for something like this in advance?
The commander's words made Fang Aliang sigh. He looked at the coffin covered with the double-star flag. His deceased comrade was lying in the black coffin. After a long while, he said:

"Yes, sir, it's our responsibility!"

After a brief communication with Fang Aliang, Cheng Wanli, as a member of the escort team, originally thought that his mission would be completed here, but he still decided to attend Roger's funeral before leaving.

After all, they were from the same hometown, and he felt that he had to see Roger off to his final journey.

(End of this chapter)