Survive as a World War II Soldier - Chapter 93



Only Noblemtl

#093

You must act appropriately to your class and position.

It was a story that was always ingrained in my ears from the time I first heard it until just before the end of World War I.

“How can you be digging when you’re a colonel!”

“Where on earth did the Chief of Staff fight in actual combat?”

“Where on earth did you lose your dignity as a regimental commander?”

“If you’re going to be a division commander, you should act more seriously…”

But I have never once changed my actions because of words like that.

I was me, anytime, anywhere.

Because doing what I do best was the best I could do.

And most of all, I hated how the authors, such as the expeditionary force headquarters staff like Drum, treated the soldiers like pawns, and judged the soldiers who were dying as mere numbers.

“I have always disliked the idea that people’s lives are nothing more than numbers, when it comes to the success or failure of something big, you shouldn’t be too concerned about small things. Each and every one of them is a living person, a precious being with their own history.”

“Yes, you must have been able to succeed by living with that kind of mindset. Of course. I guess so. But, Doug, who does that?”

“what?”

“Seeing people as numbers and moving them in a calculating manner? Yes, it’s inhumane. But you know very well that there are things that can’t be solved without doing that. Especially when it comes to war.”

Roosevelt was not wrong.

And it wasn’t wrong to say that someone had to do it.

“You pushed Anna in front of the tank when the Bonus Army incident happened.”

“that···.”

“It was an accident? Then what about the last riot? You were there with that little girl, Mary.”

“Even then···.”

“Why did you send Elliot to Spain this time?”

“···”

“You are the same kind of person as me. You are neither weak nor humane. You are a ruthless competitor who will throw away the most efficient means to achieve your goal, even if it means your family.”

I wanted to shout no to Roosevelt’s words, that’s not true.

But Roosevelt didn’t give me a chance and kept pressing me.

“You know, back in Europe, you went through thick and thin with your soldiers and cherished each and every one of them? That must have been the best way to do it. It was more important than anything else to win their hearts and minds for you to survive and become a hero, wasn’t it?”

And he was right.

“So don’t ignore Doug. You’re not in the same situation anymore.”

My mind suddenly opened.

If we prepare a little faster and more,

So if you have weapons and troops that are ahead of Germany or Japan,

Then, I think we can get better results than the original history.

I used to be so easily proud.

But life wasn’t that easy.

Roosevelt, who had been silently watching me for a long time while I let out a long sigh, opened his mouth.

“So you need a tank engine?”

“No. That worked.”

“If we make a new one now anyway, it will only put pressure on the Germans to make a better product. Why would we need to do that?”

It would have been better to leave things the way they are now.

If we couldn’t stop the butterfly effect that had already started, we had to minimize it.

If you think the Sherman with its 75mm gun is the best weapon the US military has, then Germany should stop at making something a little better than this.

‘At best, you’ll probably be able to pull out a tiger or something.’

If that was the case, I could have dealt with it in any way.

Didn’t we already elect Sherman three years early?

I also knew which direction to go in.

And if a Tiger and a Sherman fight 1 vs. 1, they will definitely lose, but human wave tactics were the most basic of basics for the US and Chinese forces.

I said that it would be worth a try if it was around 3 to 1.

So, rather than forcibly raising the tech tree here and running faster than the Germans and Japanese, it would be okay to take a break.

It would not have been too late to develop a perfect Pershing without heart disease that could survive a collision with a Tiger, even after the war began.

I could have prevented countless mistakes that would have been made in the history of Yuan, so we could have gotten to Yangsan quickly.

“Really? If that’s what you’re saying.”

I was a little annoyed at the sight of Roosevelt nodding his head with an indifferent expression, but the topic of conversation that followed was the opposite.

If I was indifferent, it was Roosevelt who would frown and complain.

“Why on earth did those authors go all the way there?”

“You’re a volunteer army.”

“No, what I’m saying is that the volunteer army is better than the regular Soviet army.”

I shrugged and replied.

“Just as you cannot stop them from doing business freely, how can I stop them?”

“Doug.”

“Are the people in the volunteer army only Koreans? I heard that there are quite a few who came over from the mainland.”

“That’s true.”

As the Spanish Civil War broke out, Britain became very nervous and anxious that the war might spread outside Spain.

It was Britain that threatened France, which supported the Republican Party, and also urged neutrality on our country, the United States, which was watching the situation unfold.

On that topic, it was absurd that they were secretly pushing nationalism.

In any case, when everyone except the Soviet Union declared neutrality, the Republicans finally let the world know that they were in a precarious situation and asked for help.

As a result, there were those who gathered with burning passion, and they were none other than the volunteer army.

The ranks of the volunteers supporting the Republican Party were very impressive.

People from all backgrounds flocked to Spain, including communists, anarchists, and anti-fascists.

But not everyone risked their lives for their beliefs.

Some come to Spain simply for the thrill of adventure, while others come with a specific goal in mind.

And among those who came to achieve some goal, there were also Koreans.

##

“Armed struggle is important, but more important is making our country known.”

“That’s right. This time, with General MacArthur’s help, didn’t you build a house in New York and give it a name?”

There was a public housing complex in New York that was built with funds raised by Korean Americans.

In reality, most of the funds were General MacArthur’s money, and the Koreans merely lent their names.

Honestly, when he first asked me to lend him my name, I thought he was some kind of nonsense.

It was something I would have easily refused if it hadn’t been for General MacArthur’s request.

However, it was only after the building was built and the name was displayed in large letters that the Korean people realized the importance of ‘publicity’.

I realized the power of the ‘Korea’ sign that anyone passing by would see, especially in the heart of New York City, especially in a crowded area.

In particular, thanks to the fact that they were one step ahead of the Chinese and Japanese by providing funds and constructing buildings, the synonym for Asians in New York could be Korea, not Chinky or Japs.

“What does that have to do with this?”

Kim Koo and Ahn Chang-ho were perplexed by the uproar from the left-wing forces that the Soviets were suddenly creating an international volunteer army and that they should participate in it.

“Shouldn’t we make the existence of our Joseon known to Europe as well?”

“No matter what, I’m going to get involved in another country’s war…”

“Aren’t we still involved in someone else’s war?”

Some sighed at the mention of fighting between Chinese warlords.

“And Baekbeom, why did you and I gather young children and carry out various uprisings? Even the American soldiers trembled at the thought of it as an act of terrorism, but why did you persist in doing it until the very end? This is what I mean.”

“That means our Joseon’s will for independence is still alive···.”

“Yes. It’s to let people know that our Joseon has not given up. In the end, it’s just publicity. But how effective was that? It’s hard to raise our Joseon’s name in the international community with the methods we’re using now.”

Kim Won-bong, a weakling, raised his voice with reddened eyes.

“If we recruit volunteers, people will gather from all over the world, and when the war is over, they will disperse back to their own countries. Through those people, won’t our Joseon’s name spread throughout the world?”

“Look, Yaksan. But isn’t this wrong? The talents we are raising now will be in a position to fight against the Japanese in the future…”

However, there was no shortage of opposing opinions.

Although they managed to build up their power with the help of the American military, they were weak compared to the Chinese warlords and were nothing compared to the Japanese.

How much effort did it take to raise even just that handful?

They were the ones who would stand at the forefront when advancing into the Korean peninsula for Joseon’s independence.

But it was impossible to force such a valuable talent into a civil war in a foreign land where he had no idea what it was.

“Didn’t Chiang Kai-shek sign the Tangkou Agreement with Japan and sign a ceasefire? The Americans would never have taken the initiative unless Japan had started a war with them first. You know very well why they support us.”

“That’s it···.”

The only reason the US military supported China and the provisional government was to provide people to fight on their behalf in case of an emergency.

“If the Japanese are satisfied with Manchuria, then what will happen to us? Will America grant us independence then?”

Everyone gathered there sighed with dark faces at Kim Won-bong’s words.

It was good that with the support of the US military, they were able to build up a force that could not be shaken even by Chinese warlords.

But there is no such thing as a free lunch in this world.

Their support came at a price.

Although the Korean Patriotic Corps created by Kim Gu and the Uiyoldan of Kim Won-dong successfully carried out several uprisings, they had to disband due to strong opposition from the US military.

The United States condemned their actions as terrorism, just like the Japanese.

“No matter what the Chairman or Vice Chairman says, we have made up our mind.”

After a long, heavy silence, Ahn Chang-ho opened his mouth.

“Let’s think about it a little more carefully.”

“Vice Chairman.”

“I’m not against it. How can there be only one path to independence? Each person’s path will be different depending on their beliefs. But life is not the same. Even if you roll around in dog shit, it’s better to live in this world.”

Ahn Chang-ho said that if we are going to risk our lives and get involved in another country’s war, we should definitely prepare and gain at least a little more.

“You know very well how those who joined the Chinese warlords with the sole intention of fighting the Japanese were later thrown into the mud.”

Others added to Ahn Chang-ho’s words.

“Can you guarantee that the Soviets won’t do that?”

In fact, the Soviet Union was extremely wary of Koreans living in Siberia.

The recent increase in the number of Koreans joining the Philippines and the provisional government was due to those who came from Siberia.

In this tense atmosphere, many people left Siberia and migrated to the Philippines or southern China, where the provisional government was located.

“Don’t you think the atmosphere in Siberia these days is a bit strange?”

“That’s why we need to participate even more.”

Even Kim Gu and Ahn Chang-ho had no choice but to keep quiet when told that they had to cooperate with the Soviet Union for the safety of the Koreans there.

This was because there were a significant number of Koreans living in Siberia.

Having lost their homeland and living on foreign soil, isn’t it only natural that they have to be mindful of the landowner’s wishes?

“These people here, with the US military behind them, the Chinese can’t do whatever they want. But you know that the people there are different.”

“You say we have to use the Americans to achieve independence? Then why can’t we use the Soviet Union or other countries?”

“Then we have to make our presence known. And if we help them first, won’t we be helped later?”

In the end, there was no way to stop the leftists logically.

“Okay, okay. But who would want to go?”

The idea that there would be many people who would want to get involved in a civil war in a distant country they had never even heard of was immediately dismissed.

“I really know where you are and why you are going···.”

“Even if I am stupid, why would I volunteer for a position where I could die without even knowing what was going on?”

“I have heard the entire explanation.”

I interviewed them carefully just in case there were more people than I expected, but the results did not change.

When things turned out like this, the ones who were in trouble were pro-American figures, including Ahn Chang-ho.

“Wouldn’t the US military hate it if they found out?”

“I hate it. You saw it during the Bonus Army incident last time.”

“That’s right. To be honest, weren’t we also quite concerned about accepting left-wingers?”

“That’s right. You guys get really excited when you hear the word communist.”

But their worries were meaningless.

“You’re going to Spain? Really?”

Mitchell’s eyes sparkled as he heard their story.

“Then I guess we’ll definitely be able to see your skills and the level of Jerry’s guys.”

“But still, where those communists gather···.”

“Last time, you were a leftist, but you said that you are of the same race and that there is no better comrade to fight against Japan?”

Having lived in the Philippines for a long time and having a good grasp of the atmosphere of East Asia, Mitchell knew well that what ethnicity one belongs to may be more important than whether one is left or right.

To be exact,

“Those Tommy guys, like the punks, look down on those Jerry guys, but, well, I think the Jerry guys are scarier than the commies.”

Mitchell’s smirk as he said that this was a golden opportunity to properly understand the power of the Jerry guys was very different from what the provisional government officials had thought.

Elliot is there observing intently,

“Didn’t you say that it’s better to do something once than to see it a hundred times? This time, please bring me some real-world data.”

After a while, someone’s face turned dark when he heard the news that the Koreans had readily agreed to join the volunteer army. But no one paid much attention.

The beginning of the Korean legend