The Soldier Who Fought 29 Years Too Long
True, odd moments from history, told short and checked against at least two sources.
The story
In 1944, Japanese officer Hiroo Onoda was sent to an island in the Philippines. His orders: never surrender. When the war ended, leaflets said so. He figured they were a trick. He stayed in the jungle. For twenty-nine years. It wasn't harmless. By most accounts, he and his men killed about thirty people, including local villagers.
In 1974, a young Japanese adventurer, Norio Suzuki, went looking and found him in four days. Onoda still wouldn't quit without orders. So his old commander, Major Taniguchi, flew out and gave them. Onoda handed over his sword, and the Philippine president pardoned him. Japan welcomed him home as a hero. Many folks on Lubang never forgave him.
Sources
- theguardian.com/world/2014/jan/17/hiroo-onoda-japanese-soldier-dies
- bbc.com/news/world-asia-25772192
- nytimes.com/2014/01/18/world/asia/hiroo-onoda-imperial-japanese-army-officer-die
- nytimes.com/1974/03/12/archives/marcos-extols-japanese-straggler-returns-sword.h
- telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/10579800/Hiroo-Onoda-obituary.html
- cnn.com/2014/01/17/world/asia/japan-philippines-ww2-soldier-dies