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Tseng, Sheng-guang<br/>Jonathan Tseng

From EverybodyWiki Bios & Wiki

Tseng, Sheng-guang
Jonathan Tseng
File:曾聖光紀念圖.png曾聖光紀念圖.png 曾聖光紀念圖.png
Native name曾聖光
Born (1997-09-12) September 12, 1997 (age 26)
Ji'an, Hualien, Taiwan
💀Died(2022-11-02)November 2, 2022
Kreminna border, Sievierodonetsk, Luhansk Oblast, Ukraine[1](2022-11-02)November 2, 2022
Cause of deathK.I.A.
Other namesSingciang
Diway
曾煜閎
💼 Occupation
🥚 TwitterTwitter=
label65 = 👍 Facebook

Tseng, Sheng-guang (Amis: Singciang; Chinese: 曾聖光; also known as Jonathan Tseng; 12 September 1997 – 2 November 2022) was a Taiwanese army veteran who volunteered to join the International Legion of Territorial Defence of Ukraine and was the first soldier from East Asia to be killed in action during the Russo-Ukrainian War.[2][3]

Early life and education[edit]

Tseng was born in a Taiwanese indigenous family of the Sakizaya tribe in the Hualien County on the East Taiwan.[4] His parents immigrated to Belize but got divorced, and his mother brought him back to Taiwan, so he can speak English, Spanish, Amis and Taiwanese Mandarin, thus represented his high school team to participate an English competition and won the second place.[5]

Military career[edit]

Tseng joined the army in 2016 after the high school graduation, and serviced 5 years in the armour battalion and the Logistic II Department of the Huadong Defense Command toward the corporal rank, and received the honourable discharge in 2021.[6]

On 19 June 2022, Tseng joined the International Legion of Territorial Defence of Ukraine to fight against the Russian invasion, and in the beginning of September, entered the Carpathian Sich Battalion, an earlier Special Tasks Patrol Police company of the Ministry of Internal Affairs that had been reformed in May as the 49th Rifle Battalion in the Armed Forces of Ukraine.[7][8] The unit participated the counteroffensive operations of the Eastern Ukraine campaign and stood on the forefront to provide flanking support in the Battle of Donbas to recover the strategical points such as Izium and Lyman cities where massive graves were uncovered,[9][10] then secured more settlements and dams in the northern Donetsk Oblast on 3 October.[11]

On 23 October, Tseng's light infantry troop was assigned from the Terny town in the Lymansky direction toward the Kreminna town of the Luhansk Oblast, and took out three positions in the following days, then held the frontline awaiting the main force for nine days.[1] On 2 November, Tseng suffered from the head injury and the broken left leg by the mortar bombardment (some said the tank gun shot) then bled to death, after covering three colleagues to retreat under the Russian artillery and tank siege,[1][12][13] and became the first East Asian soldier killed in action in the war,[3][14] Tseng's teammate, Australian sniper Trevor Kjeldal (dubbed "Ninja"), also passed away by a mortar attack in the same battle.[15][16] Tseng's Japanese friend Dobure (ドブレ) posted all his pictures online in lament: "Be my friend in next life." also died in action on 9 November.[17][18]

Personal life[edit]

Tseng was born baptised with the Protestant Christian family and associated with the local Presbyterian Church in Taiwan all his life.[4] He is married with one child. His wife is working in Taoyuan.[6][1]

He pays attention to the ROC military reform issues, and shares the professional viewpoints of commentators, such as: the Han Kuang Exercises have become acting shows, not practical in line with the actual operations; the current four-month conscription service is too short and should be upgraded to one year; and the traditional Huangpu ideology, bayonet fighting technique, Vietnam War strategies, etc. are the causes hindering the Taiwanese reforms; and considers that "the Civil defense system, Reserve mobilization system, the Disaster response capability, and the Strategic material reserves are immature and some even non-existent..." During the Chinese military exercises around Taiwan in August, Tseng considered to return to defend Taiwan, and in response to the Little Pinks criticising to his Facebook account as a "damn Taiwanese independence supporter", he replied: "I am a Taiwanese, not a Chinese."[19][20]

Shortly after Tseng's death news revealed, a document was posted online showing the unpaid credit card debts and bills summed up to NT$ 1,000,000 dollars, and sparked the doubt on his actual motive to go to Ukraine, which his church chaplain, clergies and the Ukrainian officials clarified that his true intention is based on the sense of justice with no desire of heroism, but hearing the call to protect the innocent civilians from brutality and life danger, and telling Taiwan: "the war was never too far from us", but "let justice roll on like a river, and righteousness like a never-failing stream!" (Amos 5:24)[4][21][22] Parliamentarian Inna Sovsun saw Tseng as a Ukrainian soldier, who "had a sense of duty for freedom. For four years, he prepared to defend his motherland from Chinese invaders, but he went to defend a foreign country, which faced the same threat as his."[23]

Legacy[edit]

On 11 November 2022, an amateur Taiwanese "Fun Chi Band" (放志樂團) of 6 members released a MV song to commemorate Tseng's spirit fighting for the democracy and freedom in Ukraine.[24]

In the farewell ceremony held in Lviv on 15 November, Tseng's family received the honour of a Ukrainian National Flag with a medal, his battalion emblem and wearing Ukraine-Taiwan-united armband, along with a Russian bayonet in recognition of his sacrifice.[1]

Notes[edit]

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Chen, Yan-ting (15 November 2022). "烏克蘭現場／「他是我兒子，我驕傲」台灣志願兵曾聖光的告別式" [Live in Ukraine / "I am proud that he is my son" Farewell to the Taiwanese volunteer Tseng] (in 中文). Lviv: United Daily News. Retrieved 15 November 2022.
  2. ↑ Hema, Mikhail (2022-11-07). "В войне за Украину погиб шестой гражданин США и доброволец из Тайваня" [The sixth US citizen and a volunteer from Taiwan died in the war for Ukraine]. 24 Kanal (in русский). Kyiv. Retrieved 2022-11-12.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Lau, Stuart (8 November 2022). "Death of Taiwanese soldier exposes Kyiv's China dilemma". Brussels: Politico Europe. Retrieved 9 November 2022.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Lin, Zhi-wen (8 November 2022). "阿美青年成烏國志願兵，戰死沙場引熱議—所屬教會牧者與媒體人觀點" [An Ami youth volunteered as an Ukrainian soldier and died in action - from the viewpoints of the church chaplain and media] (in 中文). Taipei: Christian Daily.
  5. ↑ Zhou, Jia-ru (5 November 2022). "曾奪全縣英文賽亞軍！曾聖光戰死烏克蘭　高中帥氣照成追憶" [Tseng's high school picture winning the English competition in the second place in the County tournament remains in memory] (in 中文). Taipei: TVBS.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Central News Agency (Taiwan) (4 November 2022). "台灣志願兵曾聖光戰死烏克蘭 太太：他很有正義感" [Tseng's wife comments on his death in action: He got the sense of justice] (in 中文). Taoyuan: Liberty Times. Retrieved 13 November 2022.
  7. ↑ "Доброволець із Тайваню загинув, воюючи на боці України – ЗМІ" [Mass Media: A volunteer from Taiwan died fighting on the side of Ukraine]. Radio Svoboda (in українська). Praque. 5 November 2022. Retrieved 13 November 2022.
  8. ↑ "У Львові попрощаються з тайванцем, який загинув у боях за Україну" [In Lviv they will say goodbye to a Taiwanese who died fighting for Ukraine] (in українська). Lviv. 12 November 2022. Retrieved 13 November 2022.
  9. ↑ Lamb, William (15 September 2022). "A mass grave site with 440 bodies was found in Izium, a police official said". The New York Times. New York City. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 15 November 2022.
  10. ↑ Monaghan, Elaine; Gregorio, David (14 October 2022). "Ukraine completes exhumation of soldiers at Lyman mass grave". Reuters. Donetsk. Retrieved 14 October 2022.
  11. ↑ Gall, Carlotta; Prickett, Ivor (7 October 2022). ""They Are in a Panic": Ukraine's Troops Size Up the Enemy". The New York Times. New York City. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 13 November 2022.
  12. ↑ "台灣25歲志願兵戰死烏克蘭 家屬證實接獲噩耗" [The family of a 25-year-old Taiwanese volunteer killed in Ukraine confirmed that they had received bad news] (in 中文). Taipei. Liberty Times. 4 November 2022. Retrieved 4 November 2022.
  13. ↑ "Hualien man becomes 1st Taiwanese combatant to die in Ukraine war". Taipei. Central News Agency (Taiwan). 4 November 2022. Retrieved 4 November 2022.
  14. ↑ Hong, Fu-hwa; Liu, Ting-ting (5 November 2022). "首位台籍志願軍曾聖光戰死烏克蘭　友人：為救同袍！他擔心未來戰爭在台灣" [The first Taiwanese volunteer Tseng fought to death in Ukraine; his friend: It's for saving his colleagues! He worried about the future war in Taiwan.] (in 中文). Taipei. TVBS. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
  15. ↑ Gould, Courtney (5 November 2022). "'Unfathomable loss': Aussie man believed to be fighting in Ukraine killed". Surry Hills, New South Wales: The Australian. Retrieved 14 November 2022.
  16. ↑ Tapper, Michelle; Whiteman, Hilary; Rangiah, Lillian (6 November 2022). "Friend of Australian man killed in Ukraine says he died in Russian mortar attack". London, UK: Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 14 November 2022.
  17. ↑ "ウクライナで戦っていたとみられる日本人男性死亡 政府関係者" [Ukrainian Government officially confirms the death of Japanese man fought in Ukraine] (in 日本語). Tokyo: Japan Broadcasting Corp. 11 November 2022. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
  18. ↑ Lin, Kun-wei (11 November 2022). "才悼曾聖光「來世當好友」傳戰死 日首例志願軍援烏捐軀" [D.I.A. shortly after grieving Tseng "Be my friend in next life", claimed the first Japanese volunteer sacrifice in the military support to Ukraine] (in 中文). Taipei: Mirror News. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
  19. ↑ Wang, Jing-yi (5 November 2022). "帶著中華民國臂章上烏戰場 曾聖光一度想回台保衛國家" [Wearing the ROC armband to the Ukrainian battlefield, Tseng once wanted to return to defend Taiwan]. Liberty Times (in 中文). Hualian. Retrieved 9 November 2022.
  20. ↑ Shi, Zhi-ling (9 November 2022). "台灣勇士曾聖光戰死異鄉　王定宇哀悼「英雄永遠不會被遺忘」" [Taiwanese fighter fought to death overseas, Legislator Wang mourns "Heroes will never be forgotten"] (in 中文). Taipei. Next Apple News. Retrieved 5 November 2022.
  21. ↑ Nakonechna, Vasylyna (10 November 2022). "烏克蘭軍方譽曾聖光「無畏戰士」 將辦追悼儀式" [Ukrainian military will hold a memorial service to honor the "fearless warrior" Tseng] (in 中文). Kyiv: Liberty Times. Retrieved 13 November 2022 – via Central News Agency (Taiwan).
  22. ↑ Lin, Li-hao (13 November 2022). "發文哀悼曾聖光　烏軍官向台灣致敬：全國人民感激他" [Ukrainian officer issues a condolence for Tseng and salutes Taiwan] (in 中文). Taipei. China Times Weekly. Retrieved 9 November 2022.
  23. ↑ Chung, Yu-chen; Yeh, Joseph (15 November 2022). "Farewell ceremony held for fallen Taiwanese soldier in Ukraine". Taipei: Central News Agency (Taiwan). Retrieved 15 November 2022.
  24. ↑ Hong, Rei-chin (11 November 2022). "曾聖光壯烈陣亡 本土樂團寫歌紀念送一程" [A local band wrote a song to commemorate Tseng's sacrifice] (in 中文). Tainan: Liberty Times. Retrieved 13 November 2022.

External links[edit]


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