In 1974, a hut was discovered in Indonesia, it was occupied by a Japanese soldier who was still fighting in World War II. He was called Nakamura Teruo (中村輝夫), but he was actually Attun Palalin. He was born in 1919 and was from the Amis tribe, a Japanese colony in eastern Taiwan. As his name suggests he was a brilliant husband who joined the army because the Japanese promised they would give his families food and money.
At the age of 24 he was sent to Morotai, an island in Indonesia. It was invaded by the Allies in 1944 at the Battle of Morotai and he was declared dead in March 1945. Nakamura's hut was accidentally discovered by a pilot in mid-1974. He could not speak Japanese and wanted to return to his homeland in Taiwan, but was saddened to find out that his wife had already remarried.
The fact that he did not have pure Japanese nationality meant that he received less money and was little acclaimed by the media. Until he ran back and managed to get better compensation. Five years after returning to his House in Taiwan he died of lung cancer.
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Japanese Found in the Philippines in 1974
Nakamura Teruo wasn't the only one fighting in World War II after it ended. The most influential case was Hiroo Onoda that during the second world war he was sent to Lubang Island in the Philippines. He and his companions were on the island when it was invaded and captured by American forces in 1945, many died while Onoda and some companions hid in the Jungle.
He and 3 companions lived in the mountains until his 2 companions died in battle against Philippine forces. Onoda lived 29 years alone on the mountain, despite attempts to convince him that the war had ended with the Emperor's surrender. In 1960, Onoda was declared legally dead in Japan. To survive, Onoda stole rice and bananas from locals, and slaughtered cows for meat.
Even though Onoda encountered a Japanese Student Norio Suzuki, he refused to accept that the war was over unless he received official orders from his superior to lay down his weapons. The Japanese student returned to Japan with photographs to prove his meeting with Onoda and managed to find his Superior so that Onoda is ordered to lay down his weapons.
Thus Lieutenant Onoda was duly relieved of his duty without ever surrendering. He accepted his commander's official order by donning his uniform and sword with an operational Arisaka 99 rifle with 500 rounds of ammunition, several hand grenades, and a dagger his mother had given him in 1944 for protection. During this prank in the mountains 30 Filipino residents were killed by Onoda, but he received a pardon from Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos.
He went to Brazil!
After his surrender, Onoda moved to Brazil, where he became a cattle rancher at Jamic's agricultural colony in Terenos, Mato Grosso do Sul. On December 6, 2006, Onoda received the Santos-Dumont Medal of Merit from the Brazilian Air Force. In February 2010, the Legislative Assembly of Mato Grosso do Sul granted him the title of “Citizen of Mato Grosso do Sul”. Unfortunately Hiroo Onoda passed away on January 17, 2014.
Shoichi Yokoi Fought until 1972
Shoichi Yokoi was born in 1915 and became world-renowned when he was found hiding on the island of Guam located at the southern tip of the Mariana Islands in the Pacific Ocean. When the Americans recaptured the island in 1944, Yokoi went deep into the jungle to avoid surrendering to enemy troops.
During these 27 years he kept himself hidden in a hiding place/cave and hunted at night. He used native plants to make clothes, bedding, food, etc. He was afraid of being killed by the people of Guam, and he didn't want to turn himself in even when he saw pamphlets announcing the end of World War II.
On January 24, 1972 he was saved by Jesus and the Grace of God. That's right he was found by 2 local hunters named Jesus Duenas and Manuel DeGracia. In reality Yokoi was captured by the hunters through their traps, DeGracia wanted to kill the Japanese because of the death of his niece after the end of the Battle of Guam, but Jesus convinced him that this was not right.
“It was very embarrassing for me to come back alive,” Yokoi said when he arrived back in his country, with his combat rifle in his shoulder, in a phrase that would become a popular saying in Japan. He became a celebrity in Japan, got married and moved to rural Aichi. In 1991, he received the greatest honor of his life when he was received in audience by Emperor Akihito of Japan. During an interview he said that he had strong and profound reasons for having been isolated from civilization for so long. According to him, his childhood was very hard and his relatives were very rude, which made him go deep into the forest to keep away from them. Shoichi Yokoi died in 1997 at age 82 of a heart attack.
