Taiwan Church News 3793 Edition November 4 ~ 10, 2024 Weekly Topical Wu Chung-da, an Audacious Fighter for Ukraine, Remembered by Combat Fellows and Taiwan Society Reported by Chiu Kuo-rong from Taipei Since Feb 2022, the unjust Russian invasion into Ukraine is still going on. On November 1, 2024, Soldier Wu Chong-da, a Taiwanese Voluntary Fighter for Ukraine and a veteran Marine, unfortunately died in combat while carrying out a mission around Adiivsk in the Donetsk region, eastern Ukraine. In the afternoon on Nov 4, Rev Huang Chun-shen, a PCT pastor of Chi-Nan Church of Chi-Hsin presbytery, held a press conference in the chapel of Chi-Nan Church. Mr Pan Wen-yang, Wu Chong-da’s comrade in the same combat squad, explained the Russian bombardments and assaults of that very day through on-line video and described the fierce engagement of Wu’s brave fighting but fatally wounded and killed. Pan reported that the tragical incident was happened only a few kilometers away from the engaging battle zone with the sound of shelling from time to time. But, overall it was relatively safe, he said. “On November 1, we received a mission of defense, and carry daily supplies weighing about 30 to 40 kilograms in-between five to seven days,” expressed Pan, who was assigned as a machine-gun shooter with extra ammunitions, while Wu was designated as a commando member and deployed in the front ofPan’s combat position. According to Pan, after an encounter with Russian army in the forest, the confronting fire swiftly emerged as the front and sides, and the engagement immediately turned into a fierce trade of weapons. The Russian army also promptly launched a heavy shelling. The first bombardment exploded only two meters away, he said, making his left ear deaf instantly. “The lips and face of my partner next to me was also seriously injured by shells,” he indicated. “During the battle, many of his partners were shot or injured. Another Taiwanese soldier, Achi (combat medic), quickly assisted in the retreat of the wounded. Under an agile cover actions, some of our squad members miraculously survived,” remarked Pan. Pan pointed out that the second shell exploded next to Wu Chong-da, causing a heavy blow to his waist with serious bleedings. Due to a continuous artillery shelling from Russian Army, they could not provide first aid to the wounded. In the end, they could only helplessly watch Wu collapsed and passed away. Sobbed in tears, Pan reported that they were forced to retreat to protect the rest of the squad members due to heavy casualties. He mentioned that the retreat process was also extremely dangerous, with gunfires and bullets continuously shot overhead, and may times his squad members were almost hit by bombing shelling. At last, he said, they were very lucky to escape the Russian assault and returned to the rear positions. At the press conference, Pan expressed his thanksgiving that God was so kind to save him in many times of bombardment. Retrieving the battlefield once they were engaged with the Russian Army, Pan said, Wu’s body could no longer be found. While this fact made the whole combat squad sad, yet the location of Wu’s death had been identified and marked. Pan also shared Wu’s kindness in daily lives, as he was always a “crowd pleaser” in the squad. He often cooked for the comrades, fed stray cats and dogs, and divided the foods and goods to the refugees. He praised Wu was very warm and generous, always played as their trustworthy partner in the battlefield. As to the question, whether he would return to Taiwan early, Pan replied that after Wu’s sacrifice on the front line in eastern Ukraine, he and his combat partners decided not to leave Ukraine before the subsequent procedures in their military contracts were properly dealt and complied. He stressed that Wu had sacrificed himself for the freedom Ukraine, and every member of the combat squad could not accept that he shall be “left alone in Ukraine.” Pan pointed out that he would stay in eastern Ukraine to ensure Wu’s posthumous arrangements, including pensions and compensations, could be smoothly transferred to his family in Taiwan. Before Wu’s legal treatments and compensations were fully complied, Pan does not not consider returning to Taiwan. As far as he knows, there are still three Taiwanese voluntary soldiers, including himself, still serving to defend Ukraine and its homeland, Pan said. Rev Huang Chun-shen expressed in the interview, due to his long-term participation in prayer meetings related to Ukraine war, he had an in-depth understanding of the front-line battle informations and gradually get to acquaint several Taiwanese voluntary soldiers. Although he and Wu Chong-da had never met, Rev Huang said, Pan directly informed him about the sad news of Wu’s unfortunate death. After learning that Wu’s family had not learned about the tragedy and it was not easy to explain the hard truth to them, Rev Huang Chun-shen immediately helped to contact Wu’s family through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and its Immigration Department, and quickly passed the informations to Kaohsiung City Government to assist in handling the subsequent posthumous matters. Connections between Rev Huang and Mr Pan was established long before the warfares in Ukraine. As the war moved on, they often kept in touch via the social media app LINE. Rev Huang said the motivation of his contact with Mr Pan is to care and pray for his safety and an early arrival of peace in Ukraine. Even though Mr Pan did not confess any specific religious faith, he still felt comforted amid Rev Huang’s communications and care. Rev Huang indicated that his pastoral care and support for the front-line Taiwanese voluntary soldiers in Ukraine was not only out of faith, but also out of God’s compassionate care and love. Translated by Peter Wolfe |