Engineer Mendez leaned against a tree to catch his breath. The seven or eight people next to him were also panting. Engineer Mendez's son, Bannier, didn't even have the strength to lean against the tree to rest. He simply sat cross-legged on the ground to catch his breath.
"Se … Gentlemen! Two miles on and we'll come to a railway bridge. Blow up that railway bridge, and the Chinese people won't be able to take … take the train north. "Engineer Mendez caught his breath and immediately said to the people with him.
The others were exhausted and didn't respond to Engineer Mendez's words. This wasn't only because they were tired, but also because they didn't understand these things. After resting for a while, a federal soldier with Engineer Mendez finally said, "Mr. Lieutenant Colonel, will the federal government really give us the Congressional Medal?"
Engineer Mendez smiled bitterly in his heart. That federal soldier was too cute. He actually believed that a lieutenant colonel could actually persuade the Congressional Medal of Honor. However, this was also Engineer Mendez's trick to mobilize people. At this time, he was wearing a lieutenant colonel uniform that unexpectedly fit him. This uniform was taken off by the lieutenant colonel who acted with Engineer Mendez a few days ago. The Chinese army pursued the US troops in St. Paul City in the dark, and the US troops were completely defeated. The lieutenant colonel, who was almost at the end of his rope, suddenly forced engineer Mendez, who was hiding behind a house with him, to change his clothes. He wore engineer Mendez's clothes and escaped in the dark.
As a local tyrant, Engineer Mendez didn't just sit and wait for death. He took his son, Bannier, who was quite frightened, along the small road and escaped from St. Paul City. Outside the city, he met a few federal soldiers who had also barely escaped. This was a time of war, and various troops ran to places they had never been to before. The troops and officers weren't familiar with each other. Therefore, "Lieutenant Colonel" Mendez led the small team of federal soldiers north in an attempt to reach the city in the north.
As a railway engineer, "Lieutenant Colonel" Mendez obviously knew the storage mode of the railway system along the way. They opened the secret storage compartment at the station in the middle of the railway and armed the team with guns, ammunition, and explosives. After obtaining some rations, "Lieutenant Colonel" Mendez led the team north.
There were no more trains on the railway, so they walked north for a few days. Just when Mendez thought that he was out of the Chinese's attack range, the train traveling from the south to the north alerted them. "Lieutenant Colonel" Mendez didn't foolishly try to stop the train. He led his confused subordinates to hide far away. As soon as they hid, they saw trains passing by one after another. The trains were all filled with Chinese troops.
All of the soldiers looked at Mendez with admiration amidst their panic. The Lieutenant Colonel's judgment was too accurate. If they tried to stop the train, they would be attacked by the Chinese. However, at this time, the soldiers were afraid of being discovered by the ferocious Chinese army, so they did not dare to make a sound. Engineer Mendez was also speechless. The Chinese army was not only on the train, they were also on guard on both sides of the railway. The troops rode on strange equipment and ran as if they were flying on the bumpy road. Looking at the equipment, Engineer Mendez's son, Barnil, stuttered and whispered to his father, "Sir, the Chinese are using this equipment to transport cannons in the city."
When the small army saw the train heading north, they knew that their plan to go north had failed. The Chinese were obviously not going to travel north. They were going to attack the cities in the north. The soldiers of the Federation knew that the United States was very, very big. Looking at the train full of Chinese troops, these American soldiers actually felt like they had nowhere to go. Chinese people were everywhere. Chinese people were everywhere! In the south, in the north, in the city, in the forest, these soldiers could see Chinese people everywhere.
They didn't know where to go either. They just planned to hide for a while. In the afternoon, Engineer Mendez found that there were trains traveling from north to south on the railway. There were no soldiers on the trains. As a railway engineer, Mendez immediately understood what was going on. The Chinese were sending the empty trains to the south to continue to support the troops going north.
After explaining the matter to the depressed Federation soldiers, 'Lieutenant Colonel' Mendez continued, "We will continue to go north and blow up the railway bridge so that the Chinese can't transport troops."
The soldiers were dizzy and followed Lieutenant Colonel Mendez. They were not locals, so they instinctively followed the person with the highest military rank. Moreover, Lieutenant Colonel Mendez was also very capable. He easily found weapons, ammunition, and food from the empty train station. These soldiers were defeated in the east of the city. In order to escape, they had even thrown away their weapons.
Even so, when they understood Engineer Mendez's words, the soldiers immediately raised objections. "Lieutenant Colonel, there are only a few of us. We definitely can't complete this mission."
"We can definitely complete this mission. After completing this mission, all of you can get medals! "'Lieutenant Colonel' Mendez said in a confident tone.
The soldiers had no interest in medals. No medals were worth more than their lives. Seeing the cowardly looks of this group of people, 'Lieutenant Colonel' Mendez quickly recalled all the medals he knew. After a moment, he said loudly, "Follow me. I guarantee that everyone will get the Congressional Medal!"
This time, the soldiers were stunned. The Congressional Medal was a medal created in 1862. In the Civil War, many soldiers with outstanding performance received such medals. Those who received such medals, without exception, were promoted to nobility and became well-known figures.
"Follow me to blow up the railway bridge, and we can stop the Chinese army from going north. If we continue to retreat east, we can definitely get rid of the Chinese. Everyone has made such a great contribution. You will definitely be rewarded by the president. You can even get the Congressional Medal! "Mendez said resolutely.
It was unknown whether it was because they wanted to change their fate through the Congressional Medal, or because Lieutenant Colonel Mendez wanted to act personally, but the soldiers did not know where to go after leaving the team. In the end, the soldiers still followed Lieutenant Colonel Mendez and set off north.
This time, the army was not so lucky. In order to avoid the Chinese, the troops could not travel along the railway. Everyone could only trek in the mountains. Trekking in the wilderness was extremely exhausting. Even Lieutenant Colonel Mendez, a local, was so tired that he could barely walk. At this time, when he heard his subordinate mention the medal again, Mendez could only say loudly, "Don't worry, as long as we complete this mission, we will definitely get the Congressional Medal!"
As soon as his voice fell, the team led by "Lieutenant Colonel" Mendez heard English coming from the steep slope beside them. "Which department are you from? Were they sent by Hua Shengdun?
This voice scared Mendez and the others. In order to avoid the Chinese, these people specially chose a remote road. Who would have thought that there were other Americans here.
And the questioning troops did not continue to hide. With the sound of leaves and grass, four or five cavalrymen led horses out from the slope. The leader was a dignified major. Seeing the rank insignia on Mendez's shoulder, the major immediately saluted. "Lieutenant Colonel, I am Cavalry Major Pershing from South Dakota."
Mendez wanted to step forward and shake hands, but he remembered that in the army, there was a salute. After thinking for a while, 'Lieutenant Colonel' Mendez casually returned the salute to this major. "I am Lieutenant Colonel Mendez from the Washington Special District. Now we are going to blow up the railway. Major, how many troops do you have? Come with us. "
Hearing Lieutenant Colonel Mendez's question, Major Pershing smiled bitterly. "My cavalry regiment was defeated by the Chinese. Only a few of us escaped. But, Lieutenant Colonel, I really admire you. I am willing to follow you to blow up the railway. "
After listening to the first half of Major Pershing's words, Lieutenant Colonel Mendez was extremely disappointed. He thought that the few defeated troops that escaped probably did not have the courage to launch an attack. He did not expect that the major would not hesitate to follow him to complete an even more dangerous battle. This courage was extraordinary.
Before he could think of what to say, he saw the major opposite him ask with a bitter smile, "Lieutenant Colonel, do you have food? We have been out of food for more than a day. "
Lieutenant Colonel Mendez took away a lot of potatoes from the station's storage room, so he took them out. The soldiers quickly took out the military hanging pot and made a meal of mashed potatoes. They sprinkled the mashed potatoes with salt that Lieutenant Colonel Mendez brought out, and with a little cheese, the group of people began to eat.
Major Pershing wolfed down the food, even his beard was stained with mashed potatoes. Although he ate quickly, his mouth was not idle. "Lieutenant Colonel, where do you want to blow up the railway?"
"There is a railway bridge two miles ahead. After blowing up that railway bridge, there is another railway bridge five miles ahead. I want to blow up these two bridges. "Engineer Mendez said as he ate.
"The Chinese will definitely send people to guard the bridge. Can we succeed?" Major Pershing stuffed another two spoonfuls of mashed potatoes into his mouth and asked in a muffled voice.
Lieutenant Colonel Mendez really did not expect that the Chinese would send people to guard the bridge. After being reminded by Major Pershing, he was a little confused. If the Chinese really did send troops to guard the bridge ….
"I have an idea. Once we get there, we will be able to accomplish our goal. "Lieutenant Colonel Mendez replied.
"Really?" Major Pershing's eyes flashed. It was not a look of doubt, but excitement.
"Really!" Lieutenant Colonel Mendez replied with certainty. As an engineer, Mendez was very clear about everything on this railway. There were quite a few hidden dangers during the construction of the railway bridges. As long as explosives were used at the parts that had been troubling the engineers, the bridges would definitely collapse. Thinking about how the construction problems that he hated so much had become the last straw to stop the Chinese army, Mendez only felt that it was extremely comical.
Major Pershing had already finished his mashed potatoes. He glanced at the unfinished mashed potatoes with the greedy eyes of a hungry person. He immediately asked, "When do we move?"
"Let's rest for a while. Everyone is tired. "Lieutenant Colonel Mendez replied.
During the break, Major Pershing provided the sleeping tools and blankets for the cavalry. Everyone huddled together to sleep for a while before continuing their journey in the afternoon. They finally arrived at their destination before the sky turned dark.
Just as Major Pershing said, the Chinese had set up sentries at both ends of the railway bridge. Those sturdy looking bags formed a bunker, and the heavy machine guns were clamped on top of the bunker. Even if it was just a fake lieutenant colonel, Mendez knew that they would be courting death if they went forward.
However, Engineer Mendez had already considered this point. He led this small unit along a rugged path that only people familiar with them would know, bypassing the Chinese army's security perimeter. The railway bridge was built on a river, and the place where Lieutenant Colonel Mendez arrived happened to be the shallow river upstream. They first crossed this narrow river by wading through the shallow river, and then used the small path to make a big circle downstream.
When they arrived at their destination, Major Pershing lowered his voice and said with a tone of admiration, "Sir, your investigation is too detailed. If our regiment commander was as cautious as you, we wouldn't have suffered that kind of attack no matter what. "
Along the way, Mendez listened to Pershing explain what happened to the cavalry regiment. This experienced unit actually foolishly walked into the encirclement of the Chinese army. In the end, they were destroyed by the Chinese army. Major Pershing, on the other hand, led the investigation team and managed to escape the pursuit of the Chinese army with great difficulty. Major Pershing did not dare to take the main road, so he could only cross the mountains. Because he was not familiar with the geography, he led the team and almost got lost in the mountains.
"I was just lucky," Lieutenant Colonel Mendez could only reply like this. If he were to tell this major the truth, he would probably immediately flee with his soldiers.
At this time, the sky was already dark, and lanterns were lit outside the Chinese army's defensive position. Looking at the indistinct lights from a hidden place, Major Pershing gritted his teeth and said in a low voice, "Lieutenant Colonel, do you want me to lure the Chinese away?"
"Why?" Lieutenant Colonel Mendez was stunned.
Pershing pointed at the railway bridge that was immersed in the darkness of the night and said, "Look at their arrangement. There are no lights on their position at all. They only lit up some lights in other places in the distance. In this case, as long as any troops enter their security perimeter, they will be exposed to the firepower of the Chinese army. If we can't mobilize their troops, we won't be able to get on the railway bridge. "
"Why do we have to get on the railway bridge?" Mendez asked in return.
"Ah?" Major Pershing was stunned.
"Bring the troops and follow me," Mendez said.
Pershing tactfully followed Mendez. They walked very slowly in the darkness, but the path to the north did exist. While following behind Lieutenant Colonel Mendez, Pershing carefully walked by the side of the road and asked, "Why can't we go on the bridge? The explosives you brought might not be able to blow up the pillars. "
"You're right. Normally, we do have to go on the bridge. After blowing up a section of the bridge, this bridge can't be used anymore, "Mendez replied.
"Yes, you're right. Actually, I think we can just tear down the tracks. "Major Pershing quickly followed suit.
"If the tracks aren't destroyed, the Chinese will just have to reinstall them. There's no way we can damage the tracks to the point where they can't be repaired, "Mendez replied.
"Why don't we find a place near a river or a cliff and just throw the tracks down?" Pershing was still thinking from the perspective of a soldier.
Mendez was amused by this amateur's words. He first laughed, then Engineer Mendez explained, "Although we may not have considered the problem of large-scale war when building the railway, we have considered the problem of small scale railway tracks. Therefore, a certain amount of tracks will be left at the station. The bit of railway that we worked so hard to destroy can be easily repaired by dragging the tracks from the nearby station. "
"Really?" Major Pershing asked in surprise.
"Of course it's true. Not only are there spare tracks at the nearby station, but if it's in the mountains, there will also be steel tracks set up in many places that are not noticed by people. This is to prevent the tracks from being repaired immediately if something happens. "As an expert, Mendez explained the secrets of maintenance.
"I see!" It seemed like it was the first time Major Pershing came into contact with this kind of knowledge. His voice was filled with excitement.
At this time, they had already walked for a while. Mendez asked everyone to stop. He said to Pershing and the others, "The two of you don't need to ride a horse. Follow me to the river. The others wait for me here. "
"I'll go!" Before the others could say anything, Pershing immediately said.
Barnil also wanted to go with his father, but Mendez beat him to it and ordered, "You and the others stay here."
The soldier who asked if he could really get the Congressional Medal took this opportunity to say that he wanted to go with Mendez. The small team was quickly formed. The three of them did not ride a horse. They only carried the explosives and walked back on foot. When they reached the river, Mendez turned around and said, "Watch your step." Then he led the way into the river.
The riverbed of this river was not muddy, and it was not the time for the water plants to flourish. The three of them stepped on the stones and entered the cold river. In order to avoid being shelled, the Chinese army did not light up the bridge. This made it easier for the small team to approach the bridge in the dark.
After walking for about ten minutes, the three of them finally arrived at the bottom of the bridge. Mendez breathed a sigh of relief. The river was flowing. As long as one did not knock on the wood, the sound would be covered by the water.
With the help of Major Pershing and the soldiers, they climbed up a pillar. He touched it with his hand and found that there was still a gap there. After stuffing a bundle of explosives into the gap, Mendez carefully checked the installation of the fuse. Then, he coiled the guide cable on a horizontal piece of wood.
It took a lot of time to extend the guide cable. Mendez could clearly feel that the two people supporting him with their shoulders were shaking. However, they held on to the thick wooden pillar to support their bodies.
After completing the length he wanted, Mendez took a deep breath and forcefully drew the head of the guide cable on the ignition paper he carried. A faint phosphorescence flashed on the surface of the paper, but it did not burn. After calming his breath, Mendez repeated the action again. This time, the guide cable finally began to emit sparks and burn.
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