Making history the second world war forums

Like Mr Onoda, he had no idea that the war had ended. In 1972, Shoichi Yokoi was found on the island of Guam and returned to Japan, where he died in 1997. He returned to Japan the same year, but unable to adapt to life in his home country, emigrated to Brazil in 1975. Mr Onoda, now 83, wept uncontrollably as he agreed to lay down his rifle, unaware that Japanese forces had surrendered 29 years earlier. In 1974, Hiroo Onoda, a Japanese army intelligence officer, caused a sensation when he was persuaded to come out of hiding by a former comrade on the Philippine island of Lubang. If yesterday's reports are true, it would be the first time a Japanese soldier has been found alive for more than 30 years. They have done really well to stay alive this long.' 'If this turns out to be true it will be quite a surprise. 'If they are alive, we'd like to fulfill their wishes,' he said. Mr Koizumi told reporters that if the two were found to be Japanese soldiers, everything would be done to repatriate them if that was what they wanted. The revelation provoked an immediate response in Tokyo, with the prime minister, Junichiro Koizumi, dispatching a team of diplomats to try to verify the stories. The soldiers had remained in the jungle and mountains since then, possibly unaware that the war had ended 60 years ago, and afraid that they would be court-martialled for desertion if they showed their faces again.

The Kyodo news agency identified them as Yoshio Yamakawa, 87, and Tsuzuki Nakauchi, 85, and said they were former members of a division whose ranks were devastated in fierce battles with US forces towards the end of the war.

Making history the second world war forums