Heartland

I was listening to the radio just the other day. And the radio host was saying that there are japaneese soldiers that still thinks it is world war 2. They are still out there, and are around 80 years old. They found soldiers before, some years ago. They thought it was still war, they still had their original uniform and so on. No one has told them the war is over. They learned that giving your self in was a mortal sin. And people have observed the soldiers and reported it. They are going to send out an search party for the soldiers.

Now if people saw the soldiers, the soldiers must have seen them. They must have seen how the towns and people have changed. And the people who saw the soldiers could have shouted to them or something. I think this sounds a bit too unbelievable.

This was not on the news, only in the radio show. he mentioned it like he would mention an ice cream sale or something. I'm thinking if this is true, it is big news. I searched the newspapers and such. But did not find anything about it. But then again I might not have looked hard enough.

I am actually serious about this. Its not a joke. But I might have misunderstood. It might have been a joke on his part, but he talked about this seriously. So I am now hoping some of you guys can clear this up for me. Is it true, or is it just bs?

There were some quite famous ones. The pig stealer from the 90's comes to mind. Guess there could still be, no reason why not

sorry i can't be more factual right now

Lynchfanatic wrote:I was listening to the radio just the other day. And the radio host was saying that there are japaneese soldiers that still thinks it is world war 2. They are still out there, and are around 80 years old. They found soldiers before, some years ago. They thought it was still war, they still had their original uniform and so on. No one has told them the war is over. They learned that giving your self in was a mortal sin. And people have observed the soldiers and reported it. They are going to send out an search party for the soldiers.

Now if people saw the soldiers, the soldiers must have seen them. They must have seen how the towns and people have changed. And the people who saw the soldiers could have shouted to them or something. I think this sounds a bit too unbelievable.

This was not on the news, only in the radio show. he mentioned it like he would mention an ice cream sale or something. I'm thinking if this is true, it is big news. I searched the newspapers and such. But did not find anything about it. But then again I might not have looked hard enough.

I am actually serious about this. Its not a joke. But I might have misunderstood. It might have been a joke on his part, but he talked about this seriously. So I am now hoping some of you guys can clear this up for me. Is it true, or is it just bs?

There's people in deepest Siberia who believe there is still a Tsar of Russia. So it's not impossible no!

No.it's quite true.I've heard very similar stories too.

If it was on a BBC Channel, I would give it some creed, otherwise... bogus.

regards
Blast
PS that is not say that the BBC don't push it sometimes.

Marianne

I think this could be it;
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0, ... 35,00.html

Steve303 wrote:Marianne

I think this could be it;
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0, ... 35,00.html

Hi Steve

Im not registered so I cant read it...

Steve303 wrote:Marianne

I think this could be it;
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0, ... 35,00.html

that's them Steve

that's the pig stealer

Edit

i saw a programme on telly a while back. The sent his dad ( maybe brother ) to search him out, but he wouldn't come out. Thought his dad had been captured etc........ there were 5-6 of them in total. 3 eventually surrendered but the other wouldn't believe the war was over.

/Edit

There you go.....

Jungle team seeks Japanese soldiers still fighting war
By Leo Lewis in Tokyo and Tim Johnston



JAPAN is sending a party of war veterans and negotiators to the Philippines to search for members of the Imperial Army thought to be hiding there almost 60 years after the Second World War.



Even though the youngest survivors would be well into their eighties, the Japanese Ministry of Health and Welfare fears that some veterans may not know that the war is over.

It has begun a m*****n to retrieve the hidden fighters after receiving tip-offs that several Japanese may still be on the Philippine island of Luzon. The team of three ministry negotiators and two former veterans of the war in the Philippines will spend a week looking for four survivors.

The ministry acknowledges that the search may have come too late, but says that it has a duty to do everything in its power to retrieve even the remains of fallen members of the Imperial Army.

Yoshihiko Terashima, 82, one of the veterans who will accompany the m*****n, remained under arms in the Philippines for five years after the surrender and is the president of a veterans’ organisation. “If they are there, then my father will bring them home,” his son, Kazuhiko, told the South China Morning Post.

The decision to send the m*****n was made on the basis of information from a Japanese soldier who voluntarily stayed in Manila after the war. Like many Japanese soldiers, he worked his way into local society and for years passed himself off as a local resident.

Before his death, in 1996, he is thought to have made contact with Japanese soldiers still hiding in the mountains near his home. Other corroborating evidence comes from Japanese voluntary groups, who make regular visits to the Philippines to look for the remains of those missing in action. These groups have forged strong links with local people, and have learnt to sift good information from bad.

A ministry spokesman said: “Even if the reports are accurate, it is very likely that the men made their decision to stay there and lead a normal life with local people.”

In 1974, acting on similar information, the Japanese government found Michio Onoda, a former second lieutenant, who had survived in the jungles. He was unaware that the war had ended. Despite pleas from his family and Japanese officials, Lieutenant Onoda refused to surrender until ordered to do so by his former commanding officer.

In 1972, Shoichi Yokota was found still standing guard on Guam. The former tailor’s apprentice was armed with a rusting machinegun and wearing clothes made from fibres from hibiscus plants. Two of his comrades had died of starvation eight years earlier.

Historians say that the emergence of Japanese soldiers decades after the end of war reflects how the island outposts were seen by both sides in the conflict. As American and Australian forces advanced, they avoided islands of little strategic value. Japanese soldiers manning those positions were left to starve or surrender when they eventually found out that the war was over.

At the same time, the Japanese military taught its soldiers that surrender was a terrible dishonour. soldiers were trained to live off the land wherever they were posted.

If any soldiers are found, they might be better off remaining where they are: many who have tried to return to Japan after extended periods in the jungle, such as Lieutenant Onoda, have had considerable difficulties returning to a country that has changed beyond recognition from the one they left more than 60 years ago.

No surrender...

Japanese fighters carried on the war effort for many years after 1945 in parts of the Philippines and Guam.

In 1972, Shoichi Yokota, who was found in Guam still with his original army rifle, said: “I am sorry I did not serve His Majesty to my satisfaction. We Japanese soldiers were told to prefer death to the disgrace of getting captured alive.”

In 1974, Michio Onoda, an intelligence officer, emerged from the jungle of Lubang Island in the Philippines with his rifle, 500 rounds of ammunition and several hand grenades. Japan had declared him legally dead 15 years before. When he learnt that the war was over, he wept openly. He was unable to adapt to modern life in Japan and retired to a ranch in Brazil.

Salomon Vides, 72, emerged in 2001 from the Honduras jungle, where he had hidden since 1969. He had fled his farm after border disputes with El Salvador escalated into war. Unaware that the conflict finished after just 100 hours, he hid for the next 32 years.

William Bonga, a guerrilla fighting for Zimbabwe’s independence, became separated from his unit in 1978 and hid in a cave. War ended in 1979 but he stayed there until 1986 because he heard gunfire.

Thank you so much Steve.

I cant belive I have not heard about this before. Im not a big news person, but lately I have started to get more interrested. Especially in things like this. Its amazing, or horrible is probably the right word.

But the thing is, in the radio show he mentioned this. And said there are still people out there. So I thought something like this is happening again. But I probably heard wrong. And he just repeated these news. And said it in a way that sounded like its new news. But he mentioned the guy with the old uniform as old news. But where I work its very noisy, even through my headphones

Thank you. Interresting reading too.

Blast!
I was gonna do that Steve

Big Si wrote: There's people in deepest Siberia who believe there is still a Tsar of Russia. So it's not impossible no!

There's people on here who still believe The Sisters are gonna release a new album ...

What is perhaps more interesting was Ross Perot's shot at the American Presidency - his first goal was to rescue American prisoners of war still extant in the Vietnam jungle...

Dont England still hold the world cup

ooohhhh.... i seeeeee...

Paddy

Padstar wrote:Dont England still hold the world cup


Paddy

You could easily be forgiven for believing that, they go on about it every chance they get.

M

Things like this have happened throughout history. Trauma and brainwashing are to blame.

I would have thought it unbelievable but i did read an article on it years back and it gave a good explanation for it.

Wouldn't surprise me if it's still happening in places like Vietnam right now

Johnny Boy wrote:

Big Si wrote: There's people in deepest Siberia who believe there is still a Tsar of Russia. So it's not impossible no!

There's people on here who still believe The Sisters are gonna release a new album ...

hehehe, now you're just being mean

Padstar wrote:Dont England still hold the world cup

ooohhhh.... i seeeeee...

Paddy

Did they ever?

Steve303 wrote:There you go.....

Jungle team seeks Japanese soldiers still fighting war
By Leo Lewis in Tokyo and Tim Johnston
...

Actually i have read about this before, but i thought it had ended in the 70's. To know there are still people living like this is truly horrible.

Someone tried to tell me the 80s were over....I was having none of it

Good onya Derek Man!