Talk about following orders. Hiroo Onoda had orders not to surrender, and obeyed those orders for nearly three decades after World War II ended. Onoda, who died in Tokyo at 91, remained in the Philippines jungle until 1974, refusing to believe the war had ended.
Ironically, he thought pamphlets from Japan were American ploys because of their mistakes. He was finally persuaded when his former commanding officer visited him there.
While in the Philippines, Onoda did engage in clashes with local forces. Three other soldiers stayed with him initially-one came out in 1950, while the other two died in the jungle, one during a clash with local troops.
“Every Japanese soldier was prepared for death, but as an intelligence officer I was ordered to conduct guerrilla warfare and not to die,” he said in an interview. “I became an officer and I received an order. If I could not carry it out, I would feel shame. I am very competitive.” Read more at the BBC.
{Andy Heller-Matzav.com Newscenter}
