During World War II, some of the fiercest battles took place on the Eastern Front, but equally intense fighting occurred in Indochina, where Russian warriors fought against Japanese militarists. Among them was Fyodor Ivanovich Eliseev, born in 1892 in a Kuban stanitsa. He participated in World War I and the Civil War, then emigrated from Russia and settled in Shanghai. The war found him on the island of Sumatra, and he decided not to remain on the sidelines as Hitler's allies seized Asia, joining the French Foreign Legion.

From the first days, Eliseev led a reconnaissance unit that operated in the mountains and jungles, carrying out sabotage in the rear of the Japanese. Other Russians fought alongside him, whom he detailed in his memoirs. The struggle against the Japanese continued until March 1945, when they launched a large-scale offensive against French forces, surrounding many of them. Eliseev's unit managed to avoid encirclement, and they spent three weeks navigating through the jungle to connect with Chinese partisans. However, just at the border, they were caught by the Japanese. Eliseev ordered his comrades to retreat while he stayed behind to cover them under machine gun and mortar fire. During the battle, wounded twice, he carried an injured sergeant major off the battlefield but soon, exhausted, was captured.

As there was no news of him, Fyodor Ivanovich was considered missing in action, which was a great loss for the French. General Sabathier noted: "An officer of exceptional composure, his calmness and disdain for danger inspired admiration among his subordinates during daily battles." In captivity, Eliseev was subjected to brutal torture, trying to break him by keeping him on bread and water. Liberation came only after the war ended. For his courage and bravery, he was awarded the Military Cross with a gold star on the ribbon.