Taiwanese national Naive Wang (???) has been documenting his experience on the frontline of the ongoing military conflict between Ukraine and Russia since joining Ukraine's International Legion of Territorial Defense on April 7 to remind himself to never forget he is "fighting for his adopted home in the name of Taiwan."
Speaking in a recent interview with CNA, Wang recounted how after working in Ukraine for a decade, he passed on four job offers after evacuating to Poland to become a volunteer at a refugee camp in the Polish town of Medyka.
There, he used his fluent Ukrainian and English to help the Ukrainian refugees pouring into Poland.
The New Taipei native later enlisted with the International Legion of Territorial Defense to fight for his adopted home, after putting down roots in the Ukrainian city of Kharkiv.
His decision soon received expedited approval after he demonstrated his linguistic talents by submitting an enlistment application in Ukrainian.
With his multilingual ability as his main tool, Wang now serves on the frontline of the conflict.
CNA recently caught up with Wang, who said communication has been getting increasingly difficult due to military regulations on using communication devices, as well as the fact that his unit is mobile.
Wang said he is prepared for the worst.
"Rather than saying that I won't back down out of fear, it is more like I have prepared for the worst before coming here," he told CNA. "The worst case scenario means getting shot, losing limbs, dying in the line of duty or even the torture I might endure as a prisoner of war should I get captured."
Wang added that he also has to consider the possibility of having to survive in a warzone by himself if he gets separated from his unit, with no supplies or maps, and having to avoid the Russian military.
"The military is very different from summer camp." Wang said. "So many people enlisted half thinking that they'd take the opportunity to sight-see. Then the closer we got to the frontline the more people started to come face to face with their own mortality and began to leave."
Wang said over half of those whom entered the program with him have left since their service began.
Thinking back on the first days after April 7 when he and his fellow recruits joined the foreign legion, Wang spoke about the harsh reality of real war, even for someone like him who experienced the tunnels of Matsu as a part of his mandatory military service in Taiwan.
"When I arrived at the border," Wang said, "I had to change vehicles four times before arriving at the volunteer service camp. They then interviewed me twice before I was officially allowed to enlist, and I started my first shift standing sentry from 2 a.m. to 4 a.m. the same day."
He also recalled April 15, as halfway through packing up his gear, they were forced to take shelter twice after hearing air raid sirens.
Wang said his unit was then suddenly told to pick up ammunition for themselves at 1:30 a.m., which only gave them a brief reprieve before they were shipped out to a different location by 5:30 a.m., issued with one bun as nourishment and a bottle of water.
Once there, he said it was painful to see sights he once admired turned to rubble. "You hear bombing everyday, and see fire everywhere," he said. "The smell of gunpowder also fills the air while water became scarce even as rain continues to fall."
His firearms have since remained loaded at all times, Wang said.
While most of what he related was bleak, Wang also retold heartwarming experiences such as Easter Sunday on April 17 and the bonds he forged with volunteers from other countries.
As a Christian, Wang said he and his fellow believers conducted a simple Easter vigil sharing a cracker and a cup of water as symbols of their devotion.
He added that volunteers of all nations display small versions of the flags from their respective nations in their base to remind themselves where they come from.
Wang said during his time in the service, he has listened to the stories of others and told his own.
Most significant to him, however, are the discussions with his fellow volunteers about how their countries can help Ukraine rebuild after the war.
Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel