A man comes into this world there is no place
and leaves it to nowhere
(Proverb)

The order of the fleet commander on the formation of two virgin companies entered the naval base on the eve of May Day holidays. For all the charges and readiness of the mouth, the commander set up fifteen days, and, as always, he had to do what could have been done quietly yesterday, with sin in half, with senseless running around and winding his nerves into a fist. As it was previously reported that all the machines for dispatch are ready, although for this no one put a finger to prepare in advance.

- All of jail! All the blood comin! - thundered the base commander, berating the staff officers who had missed the timely planning of the training of people and equipment.

“We don’t have motorists for the position of commanders of companies,” the chief of staff said, but the commander of the base snatched a sheet of candidates from his hands, put it on the table.

“To designate the fourth company commander,” he said, without looking, and jabbed a finger at the sheet, where he got the last name of Zuev, “this ...”

- Zueva? - I read the chief of staff.

- And what is not commander ?! According to the results for the past year, the first place in the database was received1 - the admiral thundered.

- But he's not the motorist, as a chemist, Comrade Admiral! - I did not give up the chief of staff.

- It's nothing. Coped with the provision of submarines, leaving the military service, and hence the virgin to cope. Assign !!!

- Yes, Comrade Admiral!

- That's it. And look at me, and then you shall appoint! - the admiral continued to rattle. And then a mad carousel of preparation for shipment to the virgin lands in the North-Kazakh region began to spin. And the miracle happened. The companies were formed at the appointed time, as the commander of the naval base personally reported to the fleet commander. He instructed General Lemushok, the head of the fleet armored service, to personally verify the readiness of the company. But how could this man with a seven-year education get general shoulder straps, everyone marveled. Some of the most ingenious, thought it ironic. And only meticulous personnel officers knew, but kept this secret sealed, And he knew that no one would contradict the general, especially the chief motorist of the fleet, who could powder any part commander, arresting his vehicle fleet. But with the high command of the fleet, he was ingratiatingly polite and tried to please because of all his abilities.In order not to lose face in front of this tyrant general, Zuev found his friend, who last year commanded the same company and meticulously attempted it, prepared beforehand.

“And how are you going to organize the fulfillment of safety requirements when going to the destination and when harvesting,” the general raised his evil eyes at Zuev, hoping that by this he had already set the company commander at the very bottom of his hindsight.

- I personally conducted a briefing with each driver and all categories of commanders ...

- And where is it reflected?

- Here! - He laid out on the table in front of the general a weighty notebook, in which each person in his company was reflected in surnames and there was a painting under the text of each instruction ..

- Good morning! - the general nodded quite, realizing that he was facing a responsible person. Zuev smiled triumphantly, not yet knowing what service this notebook on virgin soil would serve him, saving him from prosecution.

- With the desire to go to the virgin lands? - the general did not give up and gave a sly wink at the officer’s serious look.

- To tell you honestly? - asked Zuev.

- Honestly we must always say, especially to the generals! - frowned Lemushok.

- It's a pity to leave a part, comrade general ...

- What is it?

- In the autumn fleet inspection. It will be difficult to mine ...

- And who is in the service easy? Is that lazy - retorted the general.

Zuev sneaked a smile, covering his smile with his hand, as he remembered how his friend, the lieutenant commander in the personnel department of the rear headquarters, told him how Lemushok became a general. And it was like that. Having received the rank of colonel and the post of chief of the fleet armored service, Lemushok climbed out of his skin to become a general. He “plowed in the service day and night, forcing everyone to carp, but as soon as the presentation on the colonel with a seven-year education fell into the personnel management of the Navy, they immediately threw him into the trash can, pronouncing the fleet rear chief that this would be the only one in the Navy. But the fate of a turkey somehow smiled at a car colonel on one of his business trips to Kazakhstan, where the local Communist leader Kunaev became the First Secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU of Kazakhstan.

At the final meeting in Alma-Ata, where the harvesting of a good grain harvest in the republic was summed up and government awards were distributed to especially distinguished officers of virgin formations, Kunaev suddenly drew attention to a gray-haired colonel in a naval uniform who was simply forgotten to be encouraged.

- And what is this sailor in the first row, which we did not mention? - bent Kunaev to one of the deputies.

“This is the head of the Pacific Seamen Task Force, Colonel Lemushok,” he replied, peering at the list.

- Interesting. The only sailor and not marked. Did he have an emergency or other reasons?

- Not. Just overlooked, Comrade Kunaev.

- Now we will correct your oversight. Comrade Colonel, come to me after the meeting ends, - the First Secretary of the Central Committee said firmly ...

Lemushok, with a heart sinking in his chest, approached the head of the republic.

“Then my comrades forgot to encourage you to a Pacific sailor.” What would you like to receive from us as a keepsake?

“Thank you, Comrade First Secretary, but I don’t need anything,” the officer shifted from one foot to the other, blushing. - We arrived here not for awards, but to fulfill our duty to the virgin lands and the state ...

“Hm ... Well, let's go to the office of the head of the palace of culture,” answered Kuana, making a hand gesture ... There, sitting the colonel in an easy chair and sitting down at the table, Kunaev continued:

- Tell me more about yourself. Where did you fight, how long have you been in your position?

- The command of the fleet car service for seven years. In the fleet, we are among the advanced. And I fought on the Malaya Zemlya near Novorossiysk together with Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev ..., - the colonel looked down.

- Position you have a general?

- Yes sir! - jumped Colonel.

“Why go to the colonels?”

“I don’t know, Apparently there is more visible,” Lemushok pointed to the sky.

- But still? - did not lag behind Kunaev.

- I have a seven-year education, there was no time to study, the war began, and then the fleet had to be washed from the war and put on wheels ...

- Not. Just look at this modest one! ”Kunaev smiled,“ go, Colonel, and sew yourself pants with stripes, and epaulets follow me. In a week I will be giving ...

And Kunaev kept his word. At a farewell dinner at the house of the officers of the republic, he handed over to the colonel, radiant with happiness, general shoulder straps. During the break, Lemushok approached Kunaev and asked:

- Sorry, Comrade First Secretary, but how did you manage it?

“I just called Leonid Ilyich personally, told you briefly your story, and here is his answer,” he handed a telegram to the newly-made general, telling Colonel Lemushok of another military rank.

- You shouldn't have told me before. Leonid Ilyich greatly appreciates his fellow soldiers with whom he fought on the “Lesser Land”. - smiled Kunaev, firmly shaking the hand of an embarrassed general ...

In the fleet they did not know anything about this incident, and when they saw the general's shoulder straps on the shoulders of the former colonel, they immediately reported to the fleet commander, and Lemushok asked the Commander just to present the same telegram, and everyone calmed down. Only Lemushok did not calm down, he began to fulfill the orders of his superiors with such zeal, as if he was working out his official duty before him that some were whispering: "And our general, an eagle" ... If only he didn’t overdo it, otherwise he would , that's enough ...

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