Hiroo Onoda: The World War 2 Japanese Soldier Who Refused to Surrender for 29 Years | March 1974

March 1974,

Footage of the return to Japan of Hiroo Onada, an intelligence officer in the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) who refused to surrender in August 1945 when Japan capitulated. He reached the rank of full Lieutenant at the time that the war ended.

Onoda hid in the jungle on Lubang Island near Luzon, in the Philippines. With 3 junior ranking soldiers, he carried out guerrilla activities and was involved in gunfights with local police. He was also responsible for the deaths of at least 30 Filipino civilians on Lubang Island while he was part of the Japanese army of occupation and after the war when he was foraging for food or otherwise keeping his distance from people who might see him.

He came out of hiding in 1974 after his war-time commanding officer returned to inform him that the war had long been over and asked him to surrender. He then returned to Japan and then went on to Brazil where he managed a ranch. Later, back in Japan, he opened a nature camp for children.

NB.

In the crowd at Tokyo airport were his parents.

Source of newsreel: Reuters News Archive.

[kunglee]

He was a coward. Killed alot of innocent farmers just to survive.

[andrefalksmen]

He asked an important question for post-war Japan. It is said that after being shown around the new japan, risen From the Ashes of World War ii, by his nephew, he asked the question "what happens if all the resources stop coming". Japan fought the Pacific War in order to secure resources denied to it by the west, and hopes of strangling its growth and Power. Japan is a have not nation and without access to Natural Resources would wither and die. This is the same situation China finds itself and now, but China has taken other actions to secure its access to resources. Still, the constraint Remains the same, without access to Natural Resources a nation cannot maintain its Industrial base.