This Japanese Citizen Continued Fighting in World War II for Over 30 Years After the War Ended
World War II brought a great deal of devastation throughout the world. But Japan took one of the biggest hits of the 20th century when the United States dropped nuclear bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. But as horribly destructive as these explosions were, the war came to an end that same year. Unfortunately, one Japanese citizen never got the memo.
He Was Just a Teenager
According to his biography, “No Surrender: My Thirty Year War,” Hiroo Onoda was 17 years old when he started working for a trading company in 1939. His goal at the time was to save enough money to become independent from his parents and move to China. Eventually, he achieved what he wanted.
But then, the unimaginable occurred.
Japan Went to War with the U.S.
Onoda had been living in China for a year when Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, an American naval base on December 7, 1941. Soon, Japan found itself at war with the United States and the Japanese government started recruiting young men for the war.
And in May 1942, he was ordered to undergo an army physical, but there was a silver lining, or so he thought.
He Was a Party Animal
Onoda partied a lot and smoked over 50 cigarettes daily while he was in China, so he was convinced he would fail the physical. As luck would have it, he passed and was sent to join the 61st Infantry Brigade. But he didn’t complain.
He Was Honored to Serve
He considered himself a patriot and was proud to serve. In order to do that, he studied kendo, a form of martial arts, and swam in the ocean for several hours a day. Eventually, he was recruited into “The Devil’s Crew Men,” a training unit that taught him discipline and more.