As is known to all, CCNU’s National Flag Guard is famous as the Top Class on Guizi Mountain. What impress people most are not only the military uniform, but also their willpower and persistence.
They have been used to getting up before dawn. “Since I joined the guard, I haven’t got up with my roommates at the same time for so long. And in most cases, they haven’t got up when I come back from morning training.” one of the team members said. “I thought in college I would have more time for sleep than in high school, I was completely wrong.” He said jokingly. Going out of the dorm before 6:00 a.m. and waking up the manager of the dorm to open the gate have become a part of their life. “It is cold and dark outside. I am a little afraid of walking alone along the street before dawn as there is nobody around.” a new member recalled. While for senior members, they have seen the sky before dawn over a year.
“We will wait for you regardless of wind or rain”, which truly reflects their daily training. Gao Xinwei, the captain of guard, recollected, “It was a freezing day in last December when the daily training still continued. It was so cold and windy that my both hands were almost chilled to the bone after standing for just a few minutes. It was the coldest day in Wuhan that I had ever met.”
Maybe the final performance is splendid, even perfect, but nobody else knows how hard they have trained for it, how bitter they have felt. Zhao Yongheng, another captain, shared a story. “When preparing for the performance of Cultural Celebration, we rehearsed for countless times. Tired, both physically and mentally, as our captain criticized us seriously. Fortunately, the final performance was unexpectedly great.” No pain, no gain. Persistence does really matter.
This is a team where only those who have enthusiasm can stay, not only because of the hard training, but also because it requires a sense of responsibility and belonging. For the team members, the guard is not so much a union as a home. They love the team, love everyone here. This kind of affection surpasses common friendship. They just like families. Love is perhaps the main reason why they keep holding on. Captain Du Yu recalled, “Once I went outside for a mission with my teammates, everything was fine except the serious carsickness. I felt so sick that I didn’t eat anything for a whole day. I returned to my dorm with the help of two captains. I was so touched to find that my teammates were concerned about me all the time, and one of them even came to my dorm, spending lots of time to find the way…” After a year of life here, it is the company we keep that can be remembered most.
One year is not that long, but not that short. May they enjoy the great journey in company with teammates. Captain Gao Xinwei wants to tell the new members: “From my point of view, the persistence, boldness and strive are the top three qualities of a guard member. Everyone should spare no effort to prove themselves. Do not let us down. I trust you.” Captain Zhao Yongheng said: “I hope you can be more patriotic and do your own things perfectly. During the following year, may you successfully learn how to act as an adult.”
National Flag Guard is an organization where seriousness and warmth are perfectly combined together. Here, everyone who holds on to the last is a hero. And sixteen heroes make up the guard.
