A Korean POW in Normandy, a hero in a new movie

[Kim Sung]

I know this has been the most hotly debated photo in this forum, so I’d like to give you correct information about this photo.

http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?t=28243

http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?t=15173

http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?t=30142

http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?t=48158

http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?t=76624

The name of the soldier in this photo is Kyoungjong Yang who was born in Shin Euijoo, Northwestern Korea on March 3, 1920. He was conscripted to the Kwantung army in 1938 and captured by the Soviets in Nomonhan and captured again by Germans in Ukraine in the summer of 1943, maybe in the battle of Kharkov, and captured finally by Americans in Utah beach, Normandy on June 6, 1944.

He was freed from a POW camp in Britain on May, 1945 and moved and settled in America in 1947. He lived near the Northwestern Univ. in Illinois until he died on April 7, 1992. He lived as an ordinary US citizen without telling his unbelievable life story even to his two sons and one daughter.

His story was revealed by an article of ‘Weekly Korea’ on Dec. 6th, 2002, which became a big topic in the Korean society here at the time. http://search.hankooki.com/weeks/weeks_ ... 061510.htm

His surprising story will be told in a new movie which is now being made in the United States. The title of this movie is ‘A POW in Normandy’ and will focus on the real story of a Korean POW(Kyoungjong Yang) and a US soldier who helps him. It is said that the budget for this movie will amount to more than 40 million dollars.

[Shc]

Wow, 40 million dollar?
Any links to this movie? I can't find it on IMDB...
It's excellent news


~Shc~

[Kim Sung]

Stephen Ambrose, an executive producer on the television mini-series that was based on his work, Band of Brothers, interviewed Robert Brewer(correct spelling?), who was a member of the first platoon of ‘Easy Company’ of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, which parachuted near Vierville on June 6, 1944. According to this interview, on June 7, his platoon attacked and occupied a German bunker near the beach and captured four Asians in German uniform who spoke a strange language. They told him that they are Koreans and was conscripted to the Japanese army in 1938 and captured by the red army in 1939 in Nomonhan and again captured by Germans in the defense of Moscow in the winter of 1941.

Later, Brewer participated in a patrol mission in Eindhoven and, shot on his neck by a sniper, he was sent to a military hospital. After recovering form his wound, he didn’t come back to the front. He appears in Band of Brothers.

On the interview, Brewer told Ambrose, “I don’t know what happened to those four Koreans. Perhaps they went back to their country. And when a war broke out there, they would have fought for or against America. Isn’t it a whim of the 20th century history?”

What you see below is the supposed photo of four Koreans that Brewer saw in Normandy. Because I’m Korean, I can discern Koreans. Definitely, they have Korean faces.

[Auseklis]

Notice that all except one have the final eastern foreign troops uniforms. I only have seen these on Cossacks so far. Does anyone know what legion crest they have on the right arm?

[Kim Sung]

Their legion crest is not so clear that I can't discern it.

The 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment fought against German the 709th infantry division which had three Ostbatallions.

* Ost-Btl.561-consisted of Russians
* Ost-Btl.649-consisted of Russians
* Ost-Btl.795-consisted of Georgians

Because the Georgian Ost-Btl.795 resisted the attack of the the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment for several days near Vierville-sur-mer, it's probable that the Koreans Ambrose mentioned belonged to Georgian batallion and was captured by Americans.

[Legion_Frontino]

Good day

What armshields have this korean soldiers???? in the last one picture. Is very interesting

[Kim Sung]

There have been rumors that soldiers in these photos are Koreans. But they have central Asian faces, maybe Uzbeks, Kyrgyz, Tajiks or Kalmyiks. There's no Korean in these photos.

[Armenische_Legionar]

Hi my friends!

This is not the Koreans, but Turkestani volunteers (ex-coviet sivilians) from Middle Asia.
I never heared about some formation in WH or W-SS which was formed by Koreans.

All the Best,
Eduard

[Genghis]

Killcholla, thank you very much for that information. I am Korean too and am very happy to hear about the information which you have given us.
Can you explain to us
1)Any more info on the Korean soldier's life? You said that he didnt tell his children, but how will they make the movie?
2)When will the movie come out?
3)How was this news about the Korean soldier recieved in South Korea?
4)Do you know of other former Korean soldiers who fought for Germany and are living in America? If so, I would love to meet them and hear their stories, before they die. This would be another moment for us like Tae guk gi.

For Eduard, you say that the photos are not of Koreans. I am confused? Which photos are you talking about?
The first or second photo, or the last 3 photos?

Thanks

You can always email me...

[Kim Sung]

Killcholla, thank you very much for that information. I am Korean too and am very happy to hear about the information which you have given us.
Can you explain to us
1)Any more info on the Korean soldier's life? You said that he didnt tell his children, but how will they make the movie?
2)When will the movie come out?
3)How was this news about the Korean soldier recieved in South Korea?
4)Do you know of other former Korean soldiers who fought for Germany and are living in America? If so, I would love to meet them and hear their stories, before they die. This would be another moment for us like Tae guk gi.

Sorry, that's all I know about him. As far as I know, after Ambrose first mentioned about the Korean POW in Normandy, a Korean reporter went to the US to trace back his whereabout using related official documents. But, he was already dead, so the reporter asked his wife about her husband's past.

Regarding the moie making schedule, go to this site. http://news.naver.com/news/read.php?mod ... enu_id=106

A lot of Korean mass media including TV reported his story in this April, and it was surprising and sad story for us because his Odyssey was symbolizing Korea's sad past.

And I don't know any other living Koreans who fought for Germany. But we have to notice that Mr. Yang was very lucky guy because almost all Ostbatallion members were deported to Gulags in the Sovet Union. I believe Mr. Yang is the only Korean man who luckily didn't fall into the Soviet hands.

제 얘기가 도움이 되었나요? 궁금한 게 있으면 또 글 올려주세요.

[The Desert Fox]

Sounds like a fantastic subject for a movie. Please keep us posted of the progress of the filming of this feature. I will certainly watch it if and when it gets released in Australia.

regards
the Desert fox

[Genghis]

KillCholla thanks for the info. I too look forward to watching this movie, as I did the powerful Korean Korean war movie that came out last year.

[Kim Sung]

Hi, forum friends~! Tomorrow evening, Korean SBS(Seoul Broadcasting System, the largest broadcasting company in Korea) is going to broadcast a Special Documentary on Korean POWs in Normandy.

According to a preview of this documentary, a group of Korean reporters took a long route(20,000 km ) from Japan through Mongolia, Russia, Germany and France, to USA to trace him. And it is said that the reporters found the list of more than 500 Koreans(who were captured in the battle of Nomonhan) that were captured in the western Europe by Americans and Brits.

After I'll watch it, I'll tell you about it with some film clips! All about the most hotly debated photo in a lot of military sites for more than 5 years will be revealed at last! Wait~!

[Sturmannlee]

Hello killchola,

Would you be able to prehaps obtain a copy of the documentary? Sometime ago, a few editors from SBS emailed me that they wanted to do a documentary like this. I provided them some pictures of Asiatic / Koreans soldats but they did not reply to me there after.

Please do post some clips or pictures here is possible at all! =-p

I have been dong research on this subject for some years and would like to know of more important information.

In fact, I am the owner of Alvin's Whermacht Homepage at http://www.geocities.com/alvinlee_81/WarPics1.html I believe that some of the pictures posted in this thread were from my site.

Regards

Alvin Lee
from Singapore

[Kim Sung]

Would you be able to prehaps obtain a copy of the documentary? Sometime ago, a few editors from SBS emailed me that they wanted to do a documentary like this. I provided them some pictures of Asiatic / Koreans soldats but they did not reply to me there after.

Please do post some clips or pictures here is possible at all! =-p

OK, I see. After I see the documentary tonight, I'll tell you. But, I can't assure you that I can get the copy of the documentary. The homepage of SBS provides the reviews of some programs, not all of them.

Regards