Around August 15 1945 in one Korean family (6)

We knew the antecedent that Soviet soldiers would shoot the escaping prisoners immediately without any doubt. When our platoon was approaching Komusan, the Soviet commander suddenly changed the order. Our 202 platoon was ordered to change the destination and head to the city of Hungnam in Hamgyeongnamdo down south, then retreat to the city of Kilju, get captured there, and on the way back from the Lanam city to Komusan, again returning down to the south. We were all surprised at this order of repeatedly going back and forth.

But there were some hopes to head south. We were forced to march through the city of Chongjin and the city of Lanam, and more and more to the south. Not only we were exhausted but food had run out. We couldn't even have a decent meal, and in such condition, I saw one officer who was suffering from the pain by a stomach spasm, and a private E-1 and E-2 were looking after him. After 30 minutes, while we were thinking about how we should digest food, an offier dropped out of the line, and he and his two tending soldiers were shot together to death.

"Don't drop out of line, we are on a death march, remember that!", the announcement came about. The new word of "Death March" was created that time. Tragedies happened continuously since then, and surprising news occurred so frequently as we continued the death march.

There were over 10 dead bodies in group along the road, and almost all of them were stabbed by swords. They were Japanese civilian dead bodies. I supposed they were killed by Koreans. I've heard in North Korea near Manchu, guerillas which consisted of Korean independent army members had broken out and a lot of the family of the army had been shot by the Japanese devastating operations.

I judged that they were the vicarious sacrifice of it. But a moment when I found the lovely dead baby humped on his mother's back, I wept out crying and couldn't stop. Oh, humans are merely animals of a wicked heart! I lamented.

I wondered why we were going to Hungnam.
In Hungnam, Japan had built an excellent high frequency factory by Japanese engineers. Soviet maybe planed to carry the equipments of the factory after dismantling. I guess that they wanted to throw us into such heavy labor. When our head of platoon heared about my thoughts, he said, You, Hara!, you really can so anticipate, can't you?
And he laughed and teased me by saying that if Kei Hara who had been killed at the 2.26 incident, were named Keizou(means three Keis as mentioned before) instead of Kei, he might have had three chances to escape from his death.

September had passed and October came, and the lack of prisoner's food became so serious. We arrived at Sinpo of Hamgyeongnamdo. The port of Sinpo was famous for the entering port of myeongtae fish. At Sinpo, we were given one dried myeongtae and a cup of soybeans. It was our one day food and there was no rice at all.