Hiroo Onoda " The Last Japanese Soldier" Part_4_of_4_

Japan surrendered in 1945, ending World War II. But the war continued for another 29 years in the mind of Hiroo Onoda, a Japanese intelligence officer assigned to Lubang Island off Mindoro . When he finally emerged from the jungle in 1974 and returned to Japan , he was celebrated as a devoted soldier.

Howie Severino and his I-Witness team retrace some of Onoda's steps in the rugged forest of Lubang and imagine his life in the wild. But they also discover some ugly truths about what he did to survive and persist in his mission.

When the Allied Forces returned to Lubang Island in 1945, the Japanese military had no choice but to retreat. Hoping for a Japanese counterattack, Onoda and his men did everything to survive in the jungle and prepared themselves to fight till the end. Surrender was not an option.

For many years since World War II, Lt. Hiroo Onoda and his three Japanese soldiers lived off the resources of the jungle and of the residents of Lubang Island -- armed with warrior instincts of survival, force and intimidation. For 29 years, going to the jungle was no easy task for the residents because somewhere in that expanse was Lt. Onoda, the lone surviving Japanese guerrilla who continued to carryout his military orders. For 29 years, some Filipino lives were lost for a war that no longer existed.

Howie Severino and outdoorsman David Tajan enter the jungles of Lubang Island to retrace the trails of Lt. Onoda. How did this environment define the hero that Lt. Onoda now is? And where do the casualties of war, the Lubang residents, fit in a war that is only imagined?

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• Japanese
• Soldier
• Hiroo
• Onoda
• Last
• Samurai

[TheBushidoCode]

u r right but Mr. Nakamura was already surrendered...

His Psico was already down and Onoda was still fighting...

Domo...

[ccrest100]

He must have seen how payback was exacted to those trying to leave their garrisons during the last days of World War 2. Too many Japanese were killed during that period by the locals. He probably was traumatized.

[neohotch]

I speak English and Spanish and I'm impressed of the mixture language of the video, it puzzles me. Please somebody tell me what kind of Filipino language is that. I've heard Chabacano and is very similar to Spanish, but the language spoken by the narrator has only a few words I can recognize.

[Flamstop]

Lt Onoda's surrender was on or about March 9,1974.Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe the last Japanese soldier to come out of the jungle was Private Teruo Nakamura, who was captured by Indonesian Air Force personnel, on the island of Morotai, on December 18,1974.

[Uzzap19]

biktima rin lang si Onoda ng world war2 akala nya hindi pa tapos ang laban kaya sya nag tago ng mahabang panahon, mga lolo natin ang nakipag Patayan at nag sacrifice ng mga buhay nila para lang makamit ang kalayaang tinatamasa natin ngayon..enjoy nyo nalang! :D

[heavydutytech]

bumalik si onoda nong 1996 siguro respeto narin sa mga napatay nya at mahalaga din sa kanya ang gubat ng lubang 30 years din syang namuhay dyan.... nag donate din sya ng pera..ang tanong asan na yong pera na donation para sa mga tao sa lubang na binigay ni Onoda? Di kaya as usual binulsa na naman ng mga kurakot dyan!

[LisaArcelo101]

@VersusARCH hirap noon 30 years sa gubat ha ha ha

[MLandero86]

Dapat di pa to nag surrender tong gurang na sakang nato pra mapatay ko to.

[JazzKeyboardist1]

you mean he didn't even have a comfort woman?

[arivas713]

now that's patriotism.