Hidden in jungle from 1945 to 1974, former Japanese officer Hiroo Onodar dies at 91

Hiroo Onoda, who has died aged 91, was a wartime Japanese officer who surrendered only in 1974, having hunkered down in the jungles of the Philippines for nearly three decades in defiant honour of the Imperial Army.

His exile in northern Lubang Island, 93 miles south-west of Manila, was a rebellious response to the American invasion in February 1945. Onoda, who was a young Intelligence lieutenant at the time, had taken literally his final order to stay and fight. Most of the island’s Japanese troops either withdrew or surrendered, yet, along with other splinter groups, Onoda went into hiding in the mountains.

For the next 29 years he survived on a diet of rice, coconuts and meat (from cattle slaughtered during farm raids), and he tormented the Filipino forces on his trail. Onoda maintained his rifle, ammunition and sword in impeccable order and when finally discovered — still wearing his, now tattered, army uniform — stated that his mind had been on “nothing but accomplishing my duty”. As one of the last of the “Znryu nipponhei” (or “Japanese Holdouts”), he was greeted as a hero on his return to Japan — a country which he was shocked to find had changed beyond recognition.
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Snoods said:

Very interesting and strange. I'm no expert, but it seems as if he had some sort of mental illness going on. Hiding in the jungle for 30 years? Decapitating farmers and killing and eating their cattle?

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Linda7NJ said:

I disagree about the mental illness. That's some serious dedication! It's admirable and awe inspiring. It's the same sort of laser focus and dedication seen throughout history. Like getting on a boat to sail across the ocean...to settle the west...or the people committed to colonize mars. All IMO




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Richard said:

One has to consider how far to believe that he was simply a loyally dedicated soldier and at what point he should have been considered a serial killer or terrorist. His buddy was killed in 1972 in a firefight with Philippine villagers.

At some point during his 30 year reign of terror, he must have figured out that the war had ended.

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Richard said:

The Imperial Japanese Army soldier was certainly of a much different mindset and conditioning than soldiers of other armies. It was drilled into him that his job was to die for the emperor and his country and that surrender was the worst kind of dishonor he could bring upon his family and his emperor. This was seen by American and other allied armed forces when opposing Japanese forces. Very few Japanese were taken prisoner, preferring to commit suicide or participate in suicidal "banzai" charges while trying to kill as many Americans as possible.

This fanaticism and preference for suicide was even seen in civilians at various places in the Pacific theater and it was a big factor in the decision to use the Atomic Bombs to end the war. It was believed that there would be at least a million casualties if the US was to invade the Japanese homeland.

There were many, many Japanese "stragglers" or hold outs throughout the Pacific. These were soldiers and sailors who refused to surrender, but who did not want to die. So they simply stayed around as "ghosts" who could never return to their families in Japan because of the terrible shame (they believed) they would cause.

They continued to be found throughout the 1940's, 50's, and 60's. With the last known ones coming out in the 1970's (and possibly later). Most of these stragglers simply hid from Americans and survived like hermits or in small groups in caves and jungle hideouts, attempting to avoid any contact or confrontation. Some blended in with the native population.

While the war was still on, and in some places for a while afterward, armed groups of native islanders would hunt down evading stragglers, preferring to kill rather than capture them.

After the war, ongoing efforts were made by the US and Japan to reach these stragglers and to persuade them to give up and come home. Newspapers and Magazines showing postwar events were left where they could be found. Japanese speakers with bull horns went around trying to convince them that the war was actually over.

Lt. Onoda and his comrade, however, carried on an active war of aggression with Philippine civilians for over 30 years before he decided to return to Japan. He didn't have any love for the Philippine villagers and - probably safe to say that the feeling was mutual.

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