The Last Holdout Of WWII
Refusing To Surrender
An unexpected result of the Japanese loss in WWII was the men of the Imperial Japanese Army and Imperial Japanese Navy who continued to fight after Japan’s surrender. These Japanese holdouts refused to surrender for a variety of reasons, but mainly they didn’t believe Japan had surrendered or they felt duty-bound to keep fighting as surrendering was considered dishonorable. This is the story of the last Japanese holdout.
The End Of WWII
Hiroo Onoda was a second lieutenant in the Imperial Japanese Army. Believing WWII was still being fought, he carried out guerrilla warfare on the Philippines island of Lubang, on a few occasions engaging in shootouts with the locals and with Philippine authorities.
The End Of WWII
Initially, there were four Japanese holdouts on the island, having been stationed there in 1944. With the Japanese surrender, most Japanese troops were taken prisoner and sent back to Japan.
The End Of WWII
The relative isolation of Lubang ensured that Onoda and his three comrades were not immediately aware of Japan’s surrender in August 1945. Over the years, the other three were slain and Onoda was alone.
The Early Life Of Hiroo Onoda
Hiroo Onoda was born on March 19, 1922, in Kamekawa, Wakayama Prefecture, in the Empire of Japan. He worked for the Tajima Yoko trading company and was sent to a company branch in Wuhan, China.
