Hello everyone
Today let’s talk a little about
Taiwanese who fought as soldiers in the name of Empire of Japan
Ahem
Here we go
In 1937
Because of Lugouqiao Incident
China and Japan went head-to-head
Japan began the Army Special Volunteers Act in the next year
enlisting Koreans to join Armed Forces of the Empire of Janpan
But, Japan hesitated on performing the same act on those Taiwanese
who belong to the same ethnic group as Chinese
So Japan only enlisted some servicemen in Taiwan at the beginning
who were banned from serving in the military
they only served as farmers to grow food in Shanghai
Under the impact of Japanese rule for decades and Kominka Movement
many Taiwanese had craved for the opportunity to prove that
they were not second-class citizens
that even though Taiwanese and Japanese don't share the same ethnicity
Taiwanese were still loyal to Japan
and thus can devote their heart and soul for the Empire
Therefore Taiwanese were demanding to join the military
You can go back to episode four to see more details about this phenomenon
Until 1942
Japan finally began the Army Special Volunteers Act in Taiwan
Taiwanese therefore can be soldiers of the Imperial Japanese Army
Beating other countries up with Japan
Or be beaten
There were four hundred twenty thousand people
fighting for one thousand posts in the military at that time which was quite amazing
But before launching the Army Special Volunteers Act
Japanese already knew how good Taiwan Indigenous Peoples are
They were more physically capable of operating in the tropical and sub-tropical regions
and coming from a hunter-gatherer culture, would be able to operate with minimal logistics support
So there came The Takasago Volunteer Army
Attun Palalin was a Taiwanese Imperial Japan Serviceman
He was enlisted into the Takasago Volunteer Army and sent to Indonesia at the age of 23
Also, he changed his name into Teruo Nakamura due to Kominka Movement
After losing contact with the army
he hid himself in the jungle and led a life like Robinson Crusoe
Not until 1974 did the local villagers found him
The whole world was shocked by the fact that Nakamura not only survived
But also lived alone in the jungle of Indonesia for thirty years
Nakamura didn’t even know that WWII was over
Since a lost Japanese Imperial soldier for so many years was found
Japanese Government should have been proud and happy for him
and publish a Japanese version of Robinson Crusoe of Nakamura’s survival in Indonesia
A series for 20 books and publish a Japanese version of Robinson Crusoe of Nakamura’s survival in Indonesia
A series for 20 books
and DVD for free
However, Japanese Government was quite behind the eight ball
Cause even though Nakamura was a Japanese Imperial soldier, he is not a Japanese
but a Taiwan indigenous people
The young man who was enlisted into the Takasago Volunteer Army
Should he be sent back to his birthplace Taiwan, but is no longer under Japanese rule
Or, should he be sent back to Japan, the country he fought for but not his birthplace
Where should he be
In 1975
Attun Palalin decided to go back to his own homeland, Taiwan
He received nationwide welcoming for his returning
but his wife was remarried and his child had already become a parent
And the R.O.C. government of Taiwan
gave another name for him, which is
Lee Guang-Hui
After the chatty talk
those veterans who had sacrificed themselves for the Empire of Japan
were put to face a brand new R.O.C. government
The place once under Japanese rule no longer existed
They once fought against the R.O.C.
but now they are part of the R.O.C.
Switching identity is difficult for them
Just like Attun Palalin
who once survived in a jungle alone for thirty years
who had overcame all sort of injures and diseases
After he was sent back to Taiwan
he was not happy at all
Attun Palalin, Teruo Nakamura or Lee Guang-Hui
he had no idea what one was his true self
Shortly in four years
he dead in the land where he was born but not familiar with anymore
Taiwanese Imperial Japan veterans
Abandoned in the gray zone
Are they capable of letting go the past
And are they capable of accepting the new identity?
Okay, the story for today ends here
bye Okay, the story for today ends here
bye