Skip to content
Deacon Keith Fournier Hi readers, it seems you use Catholic Online a lot; that's great! It's a little awkward to ask, but we need your help. If you have already donated, we sincerely thank you. We're not salespeople, but we depend on donations averaging $14.76 and fewer than 1% of readers give. If you donate just $5.00, the price of your coffee, Catholic Online School could keep thriving. Thank you. Help Now >

No surrender, no suicide: Imperial Japanese soldier who survived 30 years in the jungle dies

Free World Class Education
FREE Catholic Classes
Hiroo Onoda was forbidden to surrender or commit suicide.

A Japanese soldier who held out for decades following the end of WWII, has died. Hiroo Onoda passed away in Tokyo at the age of 91. He gained notoriety for refusing to accept that Japan had surrendered at the end of WWII and had to be convinced to come out of the Philippine jungle almost 30 years after the war's end.

Highlights

By Catholic Online (NEWS CONSORTIUM)
Catholic Online (https://www.catholic.org)
1/17/2014 (1 decade ago)

Published in Asia Pacific

Keywords: Hiroo Onoda, Japan, Japanese, died, death, soldier, Philippines

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) -  Hiroo Onoda has died in Tokyo at the age of 91. The former Imperial Japanese soldier was the last man to surrender following the end of WWII. Onoda remained at his post in the Philippines for almost 30 years after the end of the war.

During the war, Onoda was sent to the island of Lubang in the western Philippines to spy on American forces there. His orders were to disrupt operations on the island. He was also forbidden to surrender or to take his own life.

As the Japanese retreated in 1944, he was cut off and ordered the few men remaining with him to head into the jungle and try to elude capture. Onoda, along with three other soldiers continued to conduct raids which killed at least 30 civilians.

One of the soldiers eventually deserted the band and surrendered, and the other two were later shot during raids staged to capture them, with Onoda's last companion being killed as late as 1972. Only Onoda managed to survive until 1974, eluding capture for  29 years.

Onoda survived by hunting and gathering in the jungle and stealing from local farmers. The killings stopped however and he came to be regarded more as a hated menace as opposed to a threat.

In February 1974, a young Japanese man, Norio Suzuki, on a personal adventure searched for Onoda managed to find the reclusive soldier and spoke to him at length. Suzuki explained that the war was over and he should come out of the jungle. Onoda refused saying that he would only quit his post upon the orders of a superior officer.

Suzuki took a picture of himself with Onoda as proof of their encounter and returned to Japan where it created a sensation. Onoda's former commanding officer was sent to recover him.

That officer was Maj. Yoshimi Taniguchi who had promised to return for him back in 1944. Now, 29 years later, the officer was able to keep his promise. He relieved Onoda of his duties and Onoda, forbidden to commit suicide, handed over his sword along with a substantial cache of weapons which his men had kept since the war.

Only one other Japanese soldier managed to hold out longer, Private Teruo Nakamura, who hid in Indonesia until December of 1974.

Onoda was welcomed as a hero in Japan and urged to run for government. Instead, he moved to Brazil where he founded a cattle ranch, returning to Japan each year to teach others survival skills he had learned in the Philippines.

Oonoda's fame has persisted, particularly in Brazil where he was awarded several accolades for his work in that country. He was also pardoned by the Philippine government for any crimes he committed after the war. The pardon was contriversial however, because he was never held to account for his participation in the postwar killings.

Onoda died Thursday in Tokyo from complications of pneumonia.

Pope Francis calls for your 'prayer and action'...

---


'Help Give every Student and Teacher FREE resources for a world-class Moral Catholic Education'


Copyright 2021 - Distributed by Catholic Online

Deacon Keith Fournier Hi readers, it seems you use Catholic Online a lot; that's great! It's a little awkward to ask, but we need your help. If you have already donated, we sincerely thank you. We're not salespeople, but we depend on donations averaging $14.76 and fewer than 1% of readers give. If you donate just $5.00, the price of your coffee, Catholic Online School could keep thriving. Thank you. Help Now >

Join the Movement
When you sign up below, you don't just join an email list - you're joining an entire movement for Free world class Catholic education.

Lent logo
Saint of the Day logo

We ask you, humbly: don't scroll away.

Hi readers, it seems you use Catholic Online a lot; that's great! It's a little awkward to ask, but we need your help. If you have already donated, we sincerely thank you. We're not salespeople, but we depend on donations averaging $14.76 and fewer than 1% of readers give. If you donate just $5.00, the price of your coffee, Catholic Online School could keep thriving. Thank you.

Help Now >

We ask you, humbly: don't scroll away.

Hi readers, it seems you use Catholic Online a lot; that's great! It's a little awkward to ask, but we need your help. If you have already donated, we sincerely thank you. We're not salespeople, but we depend on donations averaging $14.76 and fewer than 1% of readers give. If you donate just $5.00, the price of your coffee, Catholic Online School could keep thriving. Thank you.

Help Now >

Catholic Online Logo

Copyright 2024 Catholic Online. All materials contained on this site, whether written, audible or visual are the exclusive property of Catholic Online and are protected under U.S. and International copyright laws, © Copyright 2024 Catholic Online. Any unauthorized use, without prior written consent of Catholic Online is strictly forbidden and prohibited.

Catholic Online is a Project of Your Catholic Voice Foundation, a Not-for-Profit Corporation. Your Catholic Voice Foundation has been granted a recognition of tax exemption under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Federal Tax Identification Number: 81-0596847. Your gift is tax-deductible as allowed by law.