Chapter 1468 The choice between life and death (2)
Chapter 1468 Life and Death Decision (Part 2)
At that moment, Wendell, who was covering his face with his hands as he was deep in thinking and reminiscing, thought of too many things.
When I was very young, I was like this young electromechanical worker. I had the great cause and direction guided by the head of state in mind. I just wanted to do something big without thinking about anything all day long. It would be best to get a commendation from the head of state. If that's the case, then
I am truly lucky that I never dared to dream of in my life!
But after I got a little older, some things slowly began to change.
This kind of change is something that you usually can't notice or feel, but when you come back to your senses, calm down and think about it slowly, you will finally realize "Oh, this is already happening."
Wendell really wanted to say that he would die generously for the head of state at any time, but the letter from home stuffed in his breast pocket contained something that was really hard to let go of.
At the end of last year, when it was still very cold, Wendel took a half-month vacation and returned to his hometown in Munich.
In addition to visiting my father, an old tailor who has retired for many years, I also spent most of the holiday with my fiancée, who had been away for a long time. In the half-month holiday, apart from the time spent on the road back and forth, I did these two things and nothing else.
of.
A few days ago, before the Russians launched their massive attack on Cherkasy, Wendel received a letter from a distant place. In the letter, his fiancée surprisingly told Wendel that he was going to be a father. I hope Wendel can find time this year.
Come back again and hold a wedding before the child is born, a wedding that Wendell has already promised and promised to her.
Not long ago, Wendell tried to force himself to erase the traces in his heart and forget this letter from home and everything written on it, but Wendell finally found that he could not do it.
As long as your mind has a little time and opportunity to think, the familiar faces of your father and fiancée will instantly appear in front of your eyes and in your heart. As well as the unborn, I don’t know what they look like, but they have already placed their places in your heart.
Occupy, I have a child I miss, my own flesh and blood descendant.
A person like me who is not really married is still like this, and it is difficult to let go. What is the situation of a gunner who is already in his thirties and almost forty years old?
In the Wehrmacht, this guy who spoke out for justice and spoke ill of his brothers got into group fights and accidentally offended someone. He happened to be spotted by an SS officer who had a keen eye for talents, so he could settle the matter for him and let that guy
In exchange for no longer causing trouble for him, he asked him to leave the Wehrmacht and come to the SS to work under him.
Anyway, according to the regulations, he would be expelled from the National Defense Force, and he might even be put in small shoes, thrown into jail for a few years. So the veteran accepted the matter without much thought.
He jumped directly from the armored corps of the Wehrmacht to the armored corps of the SS.
At that time, the SS armored corps had just been built, and they were very picky and used all the tattered crotches replaced by the Wehrmacht, which was far from being comparable to the armored forces of the Wehrmacht.
That's right, the SS officer who originally brought the veteran in and settled the trouble for him was Wendel, who had not yet been promoted to SS First Class Assault Squadron Leader at that time.
Therefore, like many other armored personnel carriers, among the five crew members of Wendel's command-type King Tiger, the person with the best relationship with the commander is the gunner who has the closest communication and is also the closest.
Before he could answer, Wendell turned his head and glanced, and saw that the gunner, who was completely a friend to him and an old friend, was covering his face in tears.
Is he bemoaning his fate, weeping in fear of his impending death?
I'm afraid not, at least Wendell, who is familiar with him, doesn't think so.
Mostly, it was probably because his three children, two boys and one girl, aged 12, 9, and 8 respectively, were very cute. Wendell had personally visited his home many times with gifts for the children.
The veteran wife, who is just an ordinary female worker, is extremely grateful to this man who has solved her husband's career problems and helped him get a job in the SS, known as the "Fuhrer Guard".
A table full of sumptuous food was served to entertain this noble man.
The children were laughing and laughing around the table. On the table were inexpensive but mellow wines and a table of delicious food. They and the gunner could put their arms around each other's shoulders and shout wildly twice while holding up the wine glasses, and then clink glasses again.
I drank it all in one go. After I had had enough wine and food, I could go to the door of the hut and squat on the ground to smoke two cigarettes. I really wanted to have as much entertainment as I could in those days, and it was so exciting.
Even Wendell, who once shared the joy of this happy family of five, felt regretful. As a husband, his father’s client had no feelings at all in his heart. Wendell could only say, “Are you kidding me?
"
Wendell no longer knew what to say at this time, so Wendell took the initiative, put his arm on the gunner's shoulder and patted the shoulder gently. At this point in the matter, he could only say that everything was settled.
I don't know how many seconds passed in silence. From the emotional excitement that was almost on the verge of a quarrel at the beginning, to the crying voice now, the veteran gunner finally spoke indifferently.
"I really, I really have no way to die casually! Even if there is still a little hope, even if I have to work as a horse for the Russians and lick shit in the shit pit, I have to live strong and I must live.
Go home! My life does not only belong to me, nor does it belong only to the head of state. You can say whatever you want about me, but I must live!"
"..."
"...Hmph, fleas of the Wehrmacht..."
"The Flea of the Wehrmacht" was a nickname given to him by a young electromechanical officer who usually had trouble dealing with gunners. As the name suggests, it means a guy who jumped from the Wehrmacht to the SS and became a monk on the way. His will is not strong enough.
Their loyalty to the Führer is not 100%, and it is disgraceful that the Wehrmacht guys give up the fight so casually.
The veteran gunner is also very naughty and doesn't care about a nickname. Why do you care about a kid who has just turned 20 and hasn't even finished combing his hair? On weekdays, he just barks whatever he likes, so let him do whatever he wants.
It's just that this time, the young electromechanical man who was about to quarrel with the gunner just now, and even the young electromechanical man who was performing a full-scale martial arts show in the car, just uttered the nickname so quietly that he almost couldn't hear it, and then stopped.
There is no further text.
Regardless of the reason for all this, Wendell at least knew that the crew he led could still understand and respect each other at critical moments. From this point alone, he was very grateful to these four comrades.
"Where are the rest of you? What choice do you make? The Russians won't wait forever."