The man who fought on three sides in WW2

[Penguin]

American paratroopers in Normandy in June 1944 thought they had captured a Japanese soldier in German uniform, but he turned out to be Korean. His name was Yang Kyoungjong.

In 1938, at the age of 18, Yang had been forcibly conscripted by the Japanese into their army in Manchuria. A year later, he was captured by the Red Army after the Battle of Khalkhin-Gol and sent to a labour camp. The Soviet military authorities, at a moment of crisis in 1942, drafted him, along with thousands of other prisoners, into their forces.

Then, early in 1943 he was taken prisoner at the Battle of Kharkov in Ukraine by the German army.

In 1944, now in German uniform, he was sent to France to serve with one of the Wehrmacht’s eastern battalions made up of Soviet prisoners to defend Normandy at the base of the Cotentin peninsula. After time in a prison camp in Britain, he went to the United States. Yang settled there and died in Illinois in 1992.
[...]

source

A quite interesting story. Yeah, it was published in the Daily Fail, but the author's name should ring some bells. It's pretty well written, as the author doesn't take the moral high ground and judges the guy, but tries to make the reader understand his situation. Later on, the article describes some other events in WW2 from the pov of the common people.

[fithah4]

I rented a dvd this past summer that played out this story. I fail to recall the name of film but thought it was good. Although subtitled it focused on the hatred between the Korean and Japaneese characters through the whole movie.

[fithah4]

My Way
http://www.redbox.com/movies/my-way

After emerging as bitter rivals and enemies as young marathon runners, Korean native Kim Jun-shik and Japanese aristocrat Tatsuo Hasegawa both find themselves in the Japanese army, fighting the Chinese and Soviets in a bloody battle. Jun-shik is there under duress, while Tatsuo is a powerful colonel. After both are taken prisoner by the Soviets, their mutual hatred and mistrust boils over into a violence that is only stopped by the continuing horror of the war. Forced to fight for the fithSoviets, the two eventually rely on each other for survival, making it to Germany, where they are in turn separated and forced to fight for the Nazis. They meet again at Normandy Beach, both unlikely survivors, bonded together by history as they struggle to survive one more terrible battle as the Allies arrive on D-Day.

Rated a 4.0 still thought it was good for the rental rate also!
fith

[Red October1984]

Originally Posted by fithah4

My Way
http://www.redbox.com/movies/my-way

After emerging as bitter rivals and enemies as young marathon runners, Korean native Kim Jun-shik and Japanese aristocrat Tatsuo Hasegawa both find themselves in the Japanese army, fighting the Chinese and Soviets in a bloody battle. Jun-shik is there under duress, while Tatsuo is a powerful colonel. After both are taken prisoner by the Soviets, their mutual hatred and mistrust boils over into a violence that is only stopped by the continuing horror of the war. Forced to fight for the fithSoviets, the two eventually rely on each other for survival, making it to Germany, where they are in turn separated and forced to fight for the Nazis. They meet again at Normandy Beach, both unlikely survivors, bonded together by history as they struggle to survive one more terrible battle as the Allies arrive on D-Day.

Rated a 4.0 still thought it was good for the rental rate also!
fith

That movie sounds good. I might just hunt that down...

[swamprat69er]

I just ordered it from amazon.

[Stealhead]

I'd tip my hat to Yang Kyoungjong if he where still living most people if they where faced with going through all that would have taken their own lives and given up.