"Iron Army" solders recall rescue operations

The section of the army to which Zhang's company, later commended for its rescue and relief efforts, belongs is known as the "Iron Army".
Boasting a history of 85 years, it has been at the forefront of almost every war. Last year, too, the "Iron Army" played a central role at the quake's epicenter, a most unlikely battlefield.

Soldier-turned-emcee Zhang Xinluo has seen too many  families fall apart in the earthquake, and wants to  help more families in his new role. [Cai Ke/China Daily]

Zhang's battalion stayed in Yingxiu for three months. Their tasks ranged from rescuing survivors and searching for bodies to clearing the rubble and transporting people to safe zones. The men also took part in the search for a military helicopter that crashed into the deep mountains near Yingxiu.

Memories of digging and burying the dead have never faded for Zhang.

As more bodies were found with each passing day, Zhang and the other soldiers became used to not only digging and touching the bodies, but also rearranging them so as to show respect for the dead.

Zhang Jinghua, who worked with Xinluo in Yingxiu and is still serving in the army, says the trick was in putting himself into the shoes of the dead.