Despite the US Marines declaring the island of Iwo Jima secure, many Japanese troops remain hidden in caves, tunnels and bunkers across the island. Many will need to be flushed out by force. The last Japanese holdouts will finally surrender 4 years later, in 1949.
I was in a hospital on Guam in 69. I heard stories of Anderson still taking sniper fire. I think around 72 or 73 a Jap was finally caught and surrendered. The story I recall is that he and another Jap lived in a cave all that time and did snipe at Anderson from time to time. The friend I think died and Guamanian fishermen one day saw and captured the remaining Jap. It seems they brought in his old commanding officer to keep him from commiting suicide. Seppuku, if the anonymous fool in here has a need to display his vast intellect to all. Me, I don't talk dink.
ReplyDeleteHere you go
Deletehttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-japanese-wwii-soldier-who-refused-to-surrender-for-27-years-180979431/
Al_in_Ottawa
Dad used to talk about having to stand guard over his buddy welding as they were building up for the invasion of Japan. Then they would switch places so he could weld while his buddy stood guard. He also said about once a week they would drive around in the jungle with a loudspeaker telling the Japanese if they surrendered, they would be fed and get medical care. Most weeks they would come back in with one or two of them.
DeleteThe left will have to be rooted out also...
ReplyDeleteI suggest flame throwers and napalm for the job. Light em up and let them burn
DeleteJD
yep.
DeleteAnd Nixon have the island back.
ReplyDeleteHiroo Onoda laughs at their lack of dedication.
ReplyDeleteNever give up. Never surrender.
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DeleteRead, "My Thirty-Year War" by Lieutenant Onoda. Amazing story of how he and a Stay-Behind Squad on a Philippine Island went for Years, until only Onoda remained. His Brother couldn't convince him to Surrender, he only 'gave up' after they found the Retired Battalion Commander who had given the Orders, to go in and actually Order him to Surrender.
Amazing levels of commitment... Onoda and the others never did give up.
ReplyDeleteI just read Killing the Rising Sun. Amazing book but sickening evils of war.
ReplyDeleteMy wife is Japanese and I lived in Japan for almost 10 years in the 80's. My Japanese was (just) good enough to get drunk with the old men and get them talking. The Japanese are funny in that they don't really have a sense of duty in the "I must do my duty" context. There was no questioning or thinking, or doubting authority. There was no consciousness of choice at all. There was nothing heroic about it. You just did it. I still, after all these years, see it in my wife sometimes. It's hard for us to understand. In my wife's village they had all the women and children marching with bamboo spears training for fighting the invasion. They would have too. Having said that, they love the Americans. One guy told me a story that he was a kid at the time of the surrender. They were told that the Americans would land at the local military air field. The village leaders had everyone gather all their food and bring it since everyone knew that the Americans would demand it. Instead when the Americans landed the first plane was full of soldiers -nothing happened so the second plane landed and it was a cargo plane full of food....for the people. When my wife's father visited the U.S, the one thing he HAD to see was the MacArthur museum. MacArthur was a God for him.
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