Two Acts of Kindness That Could Not Be Hidden Reveal the True Nature of Navy Soldiers

Recently, a certain naval brigade of the Northern Theater Command

received a banner

for the heroic act of First Class Sergeant Yang Wenke

who bravely rescued a drowning person during his vacation.

His deeds have finally "come to light."

▲ The rescued individual presented a banner to Yang Wenke's unit

On the afternoon of August 2,

Yang Wenke was enjoying a day out with his wife and children

at a seaside tourist area in Dalian, Liaoning Province,

when he suddenly heard tourists shouting, "Someone is drowning in the sea!"

Looking in the direction of the sound,

he saw a person in the water being swept away by the current,

and the situation was critical.

▲ Scene of Yang Wenke rescuing the person (photo source: on-site witnesses)

Without a moment to think,

Yang Wenke grabbed a nearby life ring and jumped into the sea.

As he got closer, the drowning person, driven by the instinct to survive,

struggled in panic,

causing both of them to go under the water.

Yang Wenke immediately put the life ring around the person's arm,

while he himself fought against the waves to pull them both.

After about ten minutes of struggle,

the tourist area’s rescue boat arrived at the scene.

Yang Wenke quickly lifted the man onto the boat,

and on the way back, he briefed the rescuers

on the situation and the rescue process.

▲ Yang Wenke resting after the rescue (photo source: on-site witnesses)

After resting on the shore for a moment,

Yang Wenke wrung out his soaked clothes

and quietly left with his family.

▲ Yang Wenke with the rescued individual

Days later,

after several twists and turns,

the rescued person managed to contact Yang Wenke's unit through the police

to present the banner.

He firmly shook Yang Wenke's hand and said,

"Thank goodness you were there; otherwise, I wouldn't have survived!"

▲ Sergeant Zhao Lei from the brigade

Coincidentally,

just a few days earlier,

Sergeant Zhao Lei's good deed

was discovered during an internal organization when a red donation slip was found.

▲ Thank-you letter and honor certificate from the Nanning Charity Association to Zhao Lei

It turns out that over a month ago,

the flood situation in Guangxi was severe,

and Zhao Lei quietly took some money from his personal savings

to donate to the disaster area.

Living a simple life,

he always remembers the principle of serving the people wholeheartedly.

After donating, he continued his training and life as usual, without mentioning it at all.

▲ Zhao Lei selected for the "Good People List of China" in the third quarter of 2024

In fact, this is not the first time Zhao Lei has done good deeds.

In April 2023,

while returning to the unit from vacation, he discovered

a car emitting thick smoke.

Without hesitation, he smashed the window to rescue people,

dragging three trapped individuals out and sending them to an ambulance before

quietly leaving.

In the third quarter of the following year,

Zhao Lei was recognized for this good deed

and was included in the "Good People List of China" released by the Central Office for Spiritual Civilization Construction.

Both times he was "discovered,"

were stories that Yang Wenke and Zhao Lei did not intend to share.

But whenever the people needed them,

they chose to act without a moment to think.

This is the image of the soldiers of the People's Navy in the new era.

Editor's Short Comment

Rescuing people and then "quietly leaving" is their "habit."

From Yang Wenke lifting lives from the waves to Zhao Lei donating to disaster areas and going against the flow in a fire, the scene of the People's Navy soldiers rescuing people and then "quietly leaving" has played out time and again.

"No time to think" is the most instinctive response in the face of danger; "quietly leaving" is the most ordinary turn after completing a task. On the training ground, they are sailors battling the waves, and back among the people, they remain the guardians at the forefront. A naval soul shirt and a body covered in white foam are never just worn—they are etched in every choice of "no time to think" and reflected in every "quietly leaving" silhouette.

Authors: Guan Xiangyu, Du Siqi, Fu Kang, Dai Siyuan, Sun Haochen, Jia Hao, Cao Hongyang, Qiao Chengkang