作者：何愚
编辑：李晶 责任编辑：侯改英 校对：程筱筱 翻译：彭小梅
导语：时隔近一年，当我重看Freeman为俄乌战争中牺牲的战士所做的悼念视频，仍被他不畏牺牲的遗言深深震撼。11月4日夜，我收到朱老转来的视频链接并嘱托（https://youtu.be/bq0lrW25l30?si=wTZzrvR0wijT6QDg）：“今天是彭陈亮在乌克兰牺牲一周年，请整理成文，刊登在第17期。” 我这才恍然记起——他已离去整整一年。承此重任，诚惶诚恐，深思再三，我决定尽量还原Freeman的口述，用文字为彭陈亮立一座可被反复阅读的纪念碑。他们是战友，也是至交；他们生活的每一个细节，都是对英雄最好的纪念。现将Freeman的口述与回忆整理如下。
一、遗言与心愿
“我是国际志愿军战士。如果哪一天我有不测，请把我的照片和我的国旗（青天白日满地红）放在曾圣光（第一个 阵亡的台湾志愿兵）的旁边。不回大陆，愿永远以这面旗覆盖我的身躯。青天白日满地红，或乌克兰国旗也可以。我们为自由而战、为民主而战。如果哪天台湾发生战争，我们每一个人都会去支援台湾。跟共产党干到底。”
二、他与我们的故事
我与Farias相识于2024年4月。那天凌晨，我乘大巴抵达利沃夫，他车站等未见我抵达，因宵禁先回到住处。我下车后辗转他的住所，他就在门口过道迎我。那一晚我们拥抱、长谈至两三点。我知道他话多，他也对我无话不谈。
此后我们几乎每天联系。训练分配上，我进入乌军一支机械化单位，他去了以轻步兵为主的国际军团。9月29日，我们最后一次共同休假，归队后依然常互通电话，有时一聊一两个小时，彼此的朋友、喜欢的姑娘、军中的烦恼，无所不谈；我们一起做频道节目（四期），一起被网暴、被禁言；一起给支持者写明信片，看八九、李老师、曹兴诚的节目时一起大笑或吐槽，连遗嘱都互相托付。
三、觉醒的路：从“小粉红”到“自由人”
Farias大陆教育式洗脑，早年也曾是“小粉红”，甚至批评过蔡英文总统“两岸互不隶属”的表述。进入社会体会到民间疾苦与不自由后，他逐渐转向自由主义，并为早年的言行致歉努力以行动践行信念。
2021年郑州特大暴雨后，他抨击官方对死亡数字的掩盖；
多个中华民国双十节，他在向友人间展示青天白日满地红；
去福建“一国两制统一台湾”的标语下拍照并发声：“去你的一国两制”；
白纸运动中，他在朋友圈举白纸；
俄军全面入侵乌克兰之初，他怒斥普京为战犯。
因此，他多次被社媒禁言、被公安请“喝茶”，甚至被关押至派出所。但他并未停止战斗，还常告诫我：即使我们两人中有人阵亡，另一个也要 Keep Fighting，直到极权不再威胁我们。
他在身份认同上拒绝陷于民族主义：平日不愿自称“中国人”，自称“精神美国人”或“西台湾人”，强调自己是一个为自由民主而战、良知仍在的人”。正式场合需填写籍贯，他也如实写“中国”。他痛恶“民族复兴”式口号，笑言“都已身在海外，却执念要“堂堂正正做中国人”，就像逃离地球还惦记堂堂正正做地球人一样可笑！。
俄中阵营有谣言——他是雇佣兵。实际上他参军后自购装备的开销往往大于薪资；若是“真雇佣”，我们还巴不得拿到该有的“雇佣兵薪水”。事实上，我们所得勉强够买一个瞄准镜或热像仪。
四、险途与背运：被骗、被关、仍不回头
去乌克兰参军，他历经签证与手续的层层阻碍，甚至被骗子反复敲诈。曾被一个化名“李勇”（真名或为“曹子靖”）之人骗取至少三千美元。（该人不断编造理由索要钱财从未提供实质性帮助），即便被以“寻衅滋事罪”关押七个月，他仍一步步走向战场与前线。
五、精神上的美国人，心归利沃夫
2015年，他在美国海外领地塞班岛接受美式军事训练，自此深爱美国与美军，常穿带星条旗的服饰。若有人问起，他会说：“我是精神上的美国人，我为美国国旗所代表的价值而战。”许多美国队友与教官也因此欣赏他。
在乌克兰，为践行信仰，他常佩戴美旗，但介于俄间谍，猎杀及某些俄语区民众的，亲俄反美情绪。安全起见，我劝他保持低调，他坚持说道：“我们是Freedom Fighter，不能因敌人的压力而隐藏自己，否则与在中国的处境有何区别！？”
谈起“Homesick”，他想念的是利沃夫。既因城市古典的气息，更因所爱之人——他的女友是利沃夫人，那里的家人也喜欢他。我们一起走过利沃夫的大街小巷，还拍过一期视频；在市中心唯一的军人公墓，他对我说：“若不幸阵亡，愿葬于此。”
六、自愿出击与未竟的转队
他最后一次执行的是自愿任务。按道理他已处于面试通过，待转入步兵小队的过渡期，完全可以不出任务。但他说：“俄军正疯狂进攻，若他不去就会是别人去”。而在那样的时刻，即便待在安全地方，一觉醒来也可能被包围，危险也不小。俄军极限施压导致出现的失误、沟通不畅与士气低落，也促使他做出这个决定。但归根到底，还是他的责任心使然。
他本可留在无人机单位当飞手（因其持有工程学本科、做过健身教练与无人机教官），但他心心念念要做一名合格的步兵，与敬佩的三位台湾志愿军并肩作战。他顺利通过面试，却未等到手续完成。
我们也曾劝他转入“战争科技升级”的支援项目——以他的特长，或许能对整体作战效能提升作出更大贡献。他坚持要先积累更多一线经验，再去做那件事。他认为这样更有说服力。我理解他，只是如今，有乌克兰朋友反复追问：我们当时是否应该 Try Harder，再多拉他一步？
七、噩耗与承诺
2024年11月初，顿巴斯前线。11月4日下午2:30，我从他同壕的队友口中得知他阵亡，随后又多方确认，至今仍恍如在昨日。他生前交代我：一旦牺牲，请我妥善处理他身后信息，确保以正确的方式被传播，不受俄中的歪曲与污蔑。
他曾托付我说：若他阵亡，用青天白日满地红覆盖他的身体（他也认同在身上覆盖乌克兰国旗），不要把他送回大陆；他愿意葬在乌克兰——这片他深爱的、为之献身的自由之地。为买两面台湾国旗，他曾托两位台湾朋友协助、也因此欠我几十美元——我很高兴他“欠着我”，从未想过要他还。
那几天，我的手机上全是泪水。英国女兵Tanya问我：“Why Farias? He is such a nice guy.”我一时无言。我们曾说好：不管发生什么，都要Keep Fighting Till the End. 现在，他不在了——我仍会遵他的遗愿，继续战斗，直到胜利。
八、记述与辨伪
俄方曾故意把他“说成台湾人”，意在泼脏水与误导。事实上，他出生于中国云南、持中国护照，是我们已知的唯一一名中国籍在乌服役的自愿军。二次面试时，指挥官与军官对他连问三十分钟。因为他们从未见过中国籍志愿者。他不是“极端民族主义者”，更不是“雇佣兵”。他是自由人。
他在三十岁刚过不久就离开。他是我的战友、朋友、挚爱、自由的人。他以英雄的方式活着，也以英雄的方式离去。若“英雄”意味着“为他人作出极其勇敢的行动”，那么他当之无愧。我们成立“民主卫队”的初心，是保卫我们所热爱的自由民主——特别是前沿阵地的乌克兰与台湾。如今没有了你，我常感力有不逮。但我会遵你所愿：Keep Fighting，直到最后。
最后请允许我向上帝祷告
祷文
亲爱的主：我们为这位兄弟、战友、朋友献上祷告。他生于云南，心属自由之地；他在乌克兰的土地上献出了年轻的生命。愿你亲自安慰他至亲、爱人、朋友与战友；在破碎与流泪之地，赐下从你而来的平安。
主啊，他渴望真理被正当地传扬，不被谎言与污蔑遮蔽；求你保守我们忠于良心与记忆，让他的名字，不止留在墓碑，也活在自由的落实里。
若黑暗仍未散去，求你赐我们勇气与智慧，按着他的遗愿，Keep Fighting，直到公义如光照耀，直到自由无惧无忧。
我们把Farias交托在你手中：愿他在你的荣光里得享安息；愿他的脚印，照亮我们前行的路。阿门。
Eternal Free Man — In Memory of Peng Chenliang One Year After His Sacrifice(Farias, 1994–2024)
Author: He Yu
Editor: Li Jing Executive Editor: Hou Gaiying Proofreader: Cheng Xiaoxiao Translator:Xiaomei Peng
Introduction
Nearly a year has passed. When I rewatched the memorial video Freeman made for the soldiers who fell in the Russo-Ukrainian war, I was once again shaken by his final words—fearless and resolute even in the face of death.On the night of November 4, I received a video link forwarded by Elder Zhu along with his instruction:(https://youtu.be/bq0lrW25l30?si=wTZzrvR0wijT6QDg)“Today is the first anniversary of Peng Chen liang’s sacrifice in Ukraine. Please write it down and publish it in Issue 17.”Only then did I suddenly realize—he has been gone for a full year. Entrusted with this task, I felt both honored and anxious. After much reflection, I decided to restore Freeman’s oral accounts as faithfully as possible, to build for Peng Chenliang a memorial that can be read again. They were comrades, but also closest friends. Every detail of their shared life is the best tribute to a hero. Below is the presentation of Freeman’s spoken memories.
I. His Final Words and Last Wishes
“I am a soldier of the International Legion. If one day something happens to me, please place my photo and my flag—the Blue Sky, White Sun, and a Wholly Red Earth—next to Tseng Sheng-Kuang (the first Taiwanese volunteer killed in action).I will not return to Mainland China.Let my body be covered with this flag—not the five-starred red flag, but the Blue Sky, White Sun, or the Ukrainian flag. We fight for freedom. We fight for democracy. If war ever breaks out in Taiwan, every one of us will go to defend her. We will give everything to safeguard democracy and fight the CCP to the very end.”
II. His Story with Us
I first met Farias in April 2024. That early morning, due to delays on the bus to Lviv, he waited at the station until curfew, then had to return home. By the time I finally got off, I found my way to his building, and he came out to the corridor to greet me. That night we hugged and talked until two or three in the morning. I knew he was talkative; he also had endless things to share with me.
After that, we were in contact nearly every day. In training assignments, I joined a mechanized unit of the Ukrainian army; he went to the International Legion, primarily light infantry.On September 29, we had our last shared leave. After returning to our units, we still called often—sometimes for one or two hours—about friends, about girls we liked, about frustrations in the army. Nothing was off limits. We made four episodes of our channel together. We were cyber-harassed together, banned together. We wrote postcards to supporters together.We laughed (or complained) at programs like “1989,” “Teacher Li,” or Tsao Hsing-Cheng’s show. Even our wills—we entrusted them to each other.
III. The Road to Awakening: From ‘Little Pink’ to ‘Free Man’
Raised under the full indoctrination of mainland China’s education, Farias was once a “Little Pink,” even criticizing President Tsai Ing-wen’s statement that “the two sides of the Strait are not subordinate to each other.” But after entering society and experiencing hardship and lack of freedom firsthand, he gradually awakened, turning toward liberal democracy, and sought to atone for his earlier views through action. He stood up again and again:
After the 2021 Zhengzhou flood disaster, he condemned the authorities’ concealment of death numbers.
On multiple ROC National Days, he proudly displayed the Blue Sky, White Sun flag to friends.
He took photos under “One Country, Two Systems Unify Taiwan” propaganda in Fujian and said: “To hell with your One Country, Two Systems.”
During the White Paper Movement, he silently held up a blank sheet in his social media.
When Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, he denounced Putin as a war criminal.
For these actions, he was repeatedly muted on social media, summoned by police for “tea,” and even detained in a precinct. But he never stopped fighting. He often reminded me: “Even if one of us gets killed, the other must Keep Fighting—until the CCP dictatorship no longer threatens us.”
On identity, he rejected ethnic nationalism. He disliked calling himself “Chinese.” He preferred: “I’m an American in spirit.” “I’m a West-Taiwanese.” “I am someone who fights for freedom and democracy, whose conscience hasn’t died.” In formal documents he filled “China,” but in private he mocked ultranationalist slogans: “Already living overseas yet insisting on being a ‘dignified Chinese’—that’s like fleeing Earth but still obsessed with being a ‘dignified Earthling’! Ridiculous!”
Pro-Russia disinformation once claimed he was a mercenary. In reality, he often spent more on gear than he earned. As he said: “If we were real mercenaries, we’d love to get actual mercenary pay. What we get barely covers a scope or a thermal sight.”
IV. Hardship and Misfortune: Cheated, Detained, Yet Never Turning Back
On the road to joining the Ukrainian army, he encountered obstacle after obstacle—visa troubles, bureaucratic hurdles, and even scammers. One man, using the alias “Li Yong” (real name likely Cao Zijng), swindled at least $3,000 from him, fabricating excuse after excuse while offering no actual help. Even after being detained for seven months on the charge of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble,” he still walked step by step toward the battlefield—toward the front. He never turned back.
V. An American in Spirit, A Heart Belonging to Lviv
In 2015, he received American-style military training on Saipan, a U.S. territory. From then on, he loved the United States and the U.S. military, often wearing clothing featuring the Stars and Stripes. If asked, he would say: “I’m an American in spirit. I fight for the values the U.S. flag represents. “Many American teammates and instructors appreciated him deeply for this.
In Ukraine, he often wore a U.S. flag patch to honor his beliefs. But because Russian spies hunted volunteers and because some Russian-speaking locals held anti-American sentiments, I advised him to keep a lower profile. He refused: “We are Freedom Fighters. If we hide ourselves because of the enemy, how is that any different from living under China’s oppression?”
When the spoke of “homesickness,” he meant Lviv. Not because of the beautiful, classical architecture, though he loved it. But because of the person he loved—his girlfriend, a Lviv woman whose family also liked him very much. We once walked through the streets of Lviv together and filmed an episode. At the city’s only military cemetery, he told me: “If I fall, I want to be buried here.”
VI. Voluntary Mission and the Transfer That Never Happened
His final mission was entirely voluntary. By that time, he had already passed interviews and was waiting to transfer to an infantry unit. He could have chosen to stay behind. But he said: “The Russians are attacking like mad. If I don’t go, someone else will have to. “Even being in a “safe” location was no guarantee—frontlines can collapse overnight. Russian pressure had caused temporary Ukrainian errors, poor communication, and low morale. This also influenced his decision. But at the root, it was his profound sense of responsibility.
He could have stayed in the UAV unit as a drone operator—he had an engineering degree, had been a fitness coach, and was a drone instructor. But his heart was set on becoming an infantry soldier, fighting alongside the three Taiwanese volunteers he deeply admired. He passed the interview. But the paperwork wasn’t completed in time.
We once tried persuading him to join a “war-tech upgrading” support project—based on his skills, he could have contributed enormously to improving operational effectiveness.But he insisted: “I need more frontline experience first. Only then will my advice carry weight. “I understood. But now, many Ukrainian friends keep asking me: “Should we have tried harder?Pulled him back one more step?”
VII. The News and the Promise
Early November 2024, Donbas front. On November 4 at 2:30 p.m., his trench mate informed me that he had been killed. Multiple confirmations followed. Even now it feels like yesterday. Before his death, he told me: “If I die, make sure my information is handled properly. My story must be told truthfully—not twisted by Russian or CCP propaganda.”
He also entrusted me with his final wish:
Cover him with the Blue Sky, White Sun flag
Or the Ukrainian flag
Do not send his body back to Mainland China
Lay him to rest in Ukraine—the free land he loved and died defending
He even asked two Taiwanese friends to help him buy the flags and ended up owing me a small amount—just a few dozen dollars. I was happy he “owed” me. I never wanted him to pay it back.
My phone was soaked with tears for days. A British female soldier, Tanya, asked me: “Why Farias? He was such a good guy.” I had no answer. We made a pact: No matter what happens, we will Keep Fighting till the End. He’s gone now. But I will keep my promise. I will fight on—until victory.
VIII. Testimony and Clarification
Russian sources once deliberately claimed he was “Taiwanese,” attempting to smear and mislead. The truth is this: He was born in Yunnan, China. He held a PRC passport.He is the only known Chinese citizen who served in the Ukrainian forces and died in action. During his second interview, the commander and officers questioned him for thirty minutes straight—they had never seen a Chinese volunteer before. He was not an “ultranationalist.”He was not a “mercenary.” He was a Free Man.
He died shortly after turning thirty. He was my comrade, my friend, my beloved brother-in-arms—a free soul. He lived like a hero, and he died like one. If “hero” means a person who performs acts of extraordinary courage on behalf of others— then he deserved that title beyond all doubt. The founding purpose of our “Democratic Guard” was to defend the freedom and democracy we cherish—especially on the frontlines of Ukraine and Taiwan. Now, without you, I often feel my strength is not enough. But as you wished, I will Keep Fighting, until the very end.
IX. Prayer
A Prayer for Farias
Dear Lord,
We lift up this brother, this comrade, this friend before You.He was born in Yunnan, yet his heart belonged to the land of freedom.On the soil of Ukraine, he gave his young life.
May You comfort his family, his beloved, his friends, and his fellow soldiers.In a place of tears and brokenness, grant them peace that comes only from You.
Lord, he longed for truth to be told rightly, without distortion or slander.Guard our conscience and our memory,that his name may not rest only on a grave,but live on wherever freedom grows.
If darkness has not yet lifted,grant us courage and wisdomto fulfill his final wish—to Keep Fightinguntil justice shines like the light,until freedom stands without fear.
Into Your hands we entrust Farias:May he rest in the radiance of Your glory.May his footsteps illuminate the road ahead of us.
Amen.
