Chae Hwa-young
Chae Hwa-young | |
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| Nickname(s) | 'Hwa-chan' (by Edward Samegawa in their relationsip) |
| Born | 5 May 1914 Jihabeu, Joyonghea |
| Died | 19 November 2012 (aged 98) Sydney, New South Niflheim, Zanarkand |
| Buried | Enclosed in a refrigerated tomb inside Edward and Hwa-young Mausoleum at Sydney Third Joyonghean-Quenminese War Memorial |
| Allegiance |  Joyonghea Zanarkand and the Besaid Islands (merged with the 5th ZIF under Samegawa) |
| Service/ | Joyonghean Sovereign Army |
| Rank | Grand General (1943-1945) |
| Commands held | 5th Area Division (1936-1940) 1st Zanarkian-Joyonghean Army Group
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| Battles/wars | Second Europan War |
| Awards | Order of His Sovereign Highness Order of the Taegeuk Cordon for Distinguished Service Joyonghean Army Honor Medal Victory Over Quenmin Medal Order of the Army (1st Class) Order of the Army (2nd Class) Respectful Conduct Medal |
| Relations | Edward Samegawa (husband) Wook-yun Samegawa (son) Junichi Samegawa (grandson) |
Chae Hwa-young (5 May 1914 – 19 November 2012) was a female Joyonghean officer who served in the Joyonghean Sovereign Army. She was the only female ever to have attained the rank of Grand General, as well as being the youngest to ever achieve the rank. During the Third Joyonghean-Quenminese War, she became one of Joyonghea’s best officers in facing the opposition of the Quenminese, even in the most dire of situations.
Early Life
Born to a prosperous family who owned a fish company in Yeolcheon, she obtained a habit of fishing. When Hwa-young was just six years old, her father had taught her the skill at the Geonhwa River. She had grew used to getting trouts in the morning and everytime she caught even a single fish, her father would give her 50 won each day to fill up her allowance. She even fished in the morning of the days when she had school.
She never got into her childhood habit in her adolescent and teenage years, as busy school work kept her at her desk for a huge amount of time. Her years of education were overall great, as she had been a student decorated with honors for almost four years in a row. Deciding on a career, one had already took dominance in her mind: a military officer.
Her father would not agree with the decision; he always envisioned her as his successor to his company who would make tons of money, more than he ever did before. Hwa-young, however, wanted to do something for the country significantly, not by business, but military service. She and her father had an argument and her father later left her sight, frustrated in talking to her. Eventually, her father let her be on her future.
Education in Goyewi Military Academy
Goyewi is one of the prestigious military academies within the country; over 2,000 students have applied to the academy every year. Thanks to her hard effort, Hwa-young was able to get in. By the time she was 21 years of age in 1935, she graduated from the 50th Class of the Goyewi Military Academy and ranked 5th out of the 200 cadets that applied.
Even then, when she was out with her friends on campus or at a beautiful location near the Academy, she would sometimes bring a homemade fishing rod and relive her childhood habit amidst relaxing under the cozy fields of nature. One of her friends, Namgung Wook-yun, who would become a prominent officer during the Third Joyonghean-Quenminese War observed deeply about her behaviors. He said that:
"she's a girl who gets her strategies during break time. I really don't know how she can get those ideas, since we're talking all the time, but it's quite brilliant of her able to do that."
Personal Life
During her time in the Goyewi Military Academy, She was close friends with fellow officer and future fiancee, Namgung Wook-yun. At the start of the Third Quenminese-Joyonghean War, The two worked with each other and were soon attracted. Wook-yun didn't tell his feelings until the 1940s, When they met one of the best Zanarkian officers, Edward Samegawa. Edward and Her would soon merge their forces to form one of the largest Allied formations of the war. Soon, Edward developed an attraction for her which was too late at that time as Hwa-young had agreed to marry Wook-yun and Wook-yun told Edward to back off.
Then She told Edward that she will stay with Wook-yun but will also love Edward to which he replied that she can do whatever she wants and that He will never be in their way. But Edward soon agreed to be the best man for the wedding. Their story was cut short when Wook-yun was killed in action during the Battle of Mushroom Hill and Wook-yun left a favor to Edward to love Her more than He did before breathing his last. When she had found out, She sobbed but did not blame Edward for his death but she was filled with vengeance, which Edward had tried to stop.
During the middle of the November Offensive of 1943, Edward learned that her line was about to fall and He immediately set off. When he arrived, Edward saw that She ordered her men to escape and leave her to buy them time, sacrificing herself in the process but Edward ran to her side and began to speak words of heartfelt admission of love that dissuaded her from doing her task. It was also that during this battle, Edward proposed to her with a handmade flower ring which She accepted happily. They shared a night in a small farmhouse before the Zanarkian vanguard arrived to relieve them.
On December 31, X869 at New Year's Eve, They were married at the stroke of 12 midnight when the 1st of January entered. She would soon gave birth to a baby boy and the two named him Wook-yun after their friend.
After the war, She stayed with Edward for a year in Joyonghea before finally moving to Zanarkand with him and their child. They settled in Kirribilli in the suburbs of Sydney in the state of New South Niflheim. Here, She would give birth to 2 more children.
Post War
After the War, She stayed with Edward in Joyonghea for a year before moving to Zanarkand. They settled in Kirribilli which was a few meters from the famous Zanarkand Harbour Bridge. She would soon work with him in his restaurant and give birth to two more children.
Hwa-young died on November 19, 2012. She is survived by their 4 children, their 9 grandchildren, and 5 great-grandchildren. In accordance with her last will, she was dressed in the modern Joyonghean Army Dress Uniform and reproduction of her medals pinned. Her body was to be enclosed beside Edward in an open tomb so that people can view them. The preservation of her body was done by the same people who preserved Edward's body, Dr. Kirito Asakawa and George Maltravers. When the Mausoleum was reopened and renovated, Zanarkian and Joyonghean flags are placed beside their tomb along with some of her memorabilias. Her memorabilias are now on displayed in Edward's ancestral home in Melbourne.
By the time that Flower Ring was released in 2015, the visitors viewing the tomb doubled.
Married Life
Her lover, Edward Samegawa proposed to her during a middle of a firefight in the Battle of Inje-Chuncheon Road. She was supposed to sacrifice herself in order to allow her troops to escape but Edward arrived at the scene and dissuaded her by his proposal.
Their wedding was considered to be the opening doors of the Commonwealth to Joyonghea. Joyonghean Family Traditions barred its child from marrying a commoner which Samegawa was. The wedding was considered also as a gift to the Joyongheans from the Commonwealth because it proved to many Joyongheans that people can love anyone as long as they have each others backs regardless of their status.
The two announced their wedding on the morning of the 25th. The guests, including troops wore in their best suits made by the Joyonghean locals. The two decided that Chuncheon would be the place to do the wedding once it was taken. They were relieved that Chuncheon Cathedral was still standing and was not bombed out. They requested the Bishop of Chuncheon to preside. Two flags, Joyonghea and Zanarkand would be displayed inside the church grounds
Their wedding was held in Chuncheon on the 31st of December when the snow had stopped falling. The audiences included numerous Commonwealth and Joyonghean troops including officers. At exactly the turn of the year, The two kissed at the turn of 12am of the January 1, X870. Their reception was held on the large ballroom hall in the Town's Hall.
Legacy
In Joyonghea, A city named Edyoung is named after the two's mixed name and is the seat of the Chuncheon Region, the region where their wedding was held. A Joyonghean dish is named Chae Samegawa Bowl which is a typical beef bowl with spicy ingredients that Hwa-young used to make for Edward while the couple was still in Joyonghea for one year. It was first popularized in Zanarkand by Hwa-young in the couple's restaurant in Zanarkand. Today, The beef bowl is still a specialty.
In Zanarkand, A bridge in central Sydney is named Edyoung Bridge after the two, It was erected near the couple's residence in Kirribilli. It opened on October 2, 1964 and the couple was present during the opening ceremony. The bridge has been paraded numerous times during the couple's wedding anniversary by Zanarkians and Joyongheans. Today, A Zanarkian and Joyonghean Flag waves near the stage where the couple declared the bridge open.
Edward and Hwa-young's love story has been pointed as "The Greatest Sign of Friendship between the Commonwealth and Joyonghea" and the two are ranked together as one of the most important figures of the 20th Century. Their love story has been depicted in numerous films, books, manga and anime. Their wedding anniversary was marked ZANJO Day or Zanarkand-Joyonghea Friendship Day.
Their love story is depicted in the 2015 movie, Flower Ring directed by Darzana Magbaredge while Zanarkian commander Richard Philip Todd stars as Edward and his lover Joyonghean commander Seon Myung-dae as Hwa-young due to the two being look-a-likes of the couple. The movie received critical acclaim and was the 3rd highest grossing film of 2015 as well as topping the Zanarkian and Joyonghean theaters in the month of December. The two were married in Zanarkand on the same church where Edward and Hwa-young married in 1946. The movie's theme song, There You'll Be is themed after Edward's promise of loving Hwa-young and in return, Hwa-young's delight of having him in her life.
Honors and Awards
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Order of His Sovereign Highness | 30 June 1945 |
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Medal for the Victory Over Quenmin | 30 June 1945 |
| File:OrderoftheTaeguk.png | Order of the Taeguk | 20 August 1944 |
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Civil Service Medal | First awarding: 22 August 1934 Second awarding: 30 June 1941 Third awarding: 1 December 1942 Fourth awarding: 10 September 1944 |
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Joyonghean Army Honor Medal | 10 October 1943 |
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Order of the Army, 1st Class | 24 August 1942 |
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Order of the Army, 2nd Class | 15 April 1940 |
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Army Medal | 10 March 1938 |
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Respectful Conduct Medal | 3 September 1933 |