Hiroo Onoda :The Japanese soldier who wouldn't surrender
As one of the final Japanese soldiers to surrender during World War II, Hiroo Onoda was a well-known Japanese army lieutenant. This is a synopsis of my life:
On March 19, 1922, Hiroo Onoda was born in Kainan, Wakayama, Japan. 1942 saw him enlist in the Imperial Japanese Army, where he received intelligence officer training. He was deployed with the Sugi Brigade to Lubang Island in the Philippines in 1944.
Onoda and three other men withdrew into the Lubang jungles to fight the enemy guerilla style when the Allies launched their battle to reclaim the Philippines. Onoda and his tiny force were not informed of the Japanese surrender when the war came to an end in 1945. They persisted in their insurgent work and managed to survive.
They were told of Japan's surrender through leaflets dropped over the years, but they disregarded them as propaganda from the Allies. They didn't come across a Japanese tourist named Norio Suzuki until 1974, when he persuaded Major Yoshimi Taniguchi, Onoda's superior officer, to go to Lubang and personally relieve Onoda of his responsibilities. After nearly 30 years in the woods, Onoda eventually gave up on March 9, 1974.
Because of his protracted hunger strike, Hiroo Onoda became a symbol of unwavering devotion and responsibility. He encountered conflicting responses upon his return to Japan; while some saw him as a hero, others condemned him for the devastation he had caused while he had been hiding. In the biography "No Surrender: My Thirty-Year War," Onoda goes into detail about his experiences.
For a number of reasons, chief among them being a mix of deficiency in knowledge, obedience to military commands, and a strong feeling of duty, Hiroo Onoda refused to surrender. The following are the main causes of his protracted resistance:
Why Hiroo Onoda didn't"t surrender?
1. Insufficient Data: Onoda and his tiny squad were deep in the Philippine forests of Lubang Island, shut off from outside communication. They were not aware that Japan had submitted in 1945 since they did not have access to news. Even after leaflets were dropped and efforts were made to inform them, they regarded these materials as propaganda from the Allies.
2. Complying with military orders: Onoda and his soldiers were taught to blindly obey military orders.
Their most recent directive instructed them to fight like guerrillas and to never give up. Taking this command seriously, Onoda felt it was his obligation to keep fighting until he got an instruction directly from a higher ranking officer.
3.Fear of Capture and Isolation: Over time, Onoda and his friends grew more and more alone, avoiding interactions with neighbors and law enforcement. They thought the war was still going on, so if they surrendered, they dreaded being taken prisoner and put to death.
4.Mistrust of Surrender pronouncements: Because of the false information and propaganda they had come across during the war, Onoda had misgivings about surrender pronouncements. Their skepticism and isolation played a part in their inability to accept that the battle was over.
Onoda didn't give up until 1974, which was over thirty years after the war ended. This occurred when a Japanese explorer by the name of Norio Suzuki went to Lubang Island and found Major Yoshimi Taniguchi, the former commanding officer of Onoda, who had gone to the Philippines to formally relieve Onoda of his responsibilities.
What type of soldier is Hiroo Onoda?
Many people view Hiroo Onoda's situation as an extreme illustration of duty, loyalty, and the psychological effects of war on people who are cut off from the larger backdrop of world events.
During World War II, Hiroo Onoda served as an intelligence officer in the Imperial Japanese Army. In particular, he was a Second Lieutenant. Onoda received training in intelligence collection and guerilla warfare.
In 1944, he was sent with the Sugi Brigade to Lubang Island in the Philippines. His task was to wage guerilla warfare against the Allied soldiers with a tiny detachment. Due to communication breakdowns, Onoda and his men were unaware of Japan's 1945 capitulation. They so carried out guerrilla warfare and survived in the woods for numerous decades while pursuing their goal.
After Onoda eventually turned himself in in 1974, his story gained widespread attention.
