Yes, they will be impressed if they can get to one of these ceremonies in Tokyo, with the new, Post-war Democratic Japanese military, alive and well, heads hung no longer in shame and defeat.
"Army! Air Force! Navy! Marines!"
Posted on 05/26/2005 8:12:52 AM PDT by AmericanInTokyo
Edited on 05/27/2005 12:51:25 AM PDT by Sidebar Moderator. [history]
Just only a quick blurb in the top news segement today, but Mainichi News reports that two elderly Japanese men in their 80s have turned themselves into or otherwise presented themselves to Japanese authorities in the southern Philippines in Mindanao, apparantly "surrendering" or at least talking to them, after holding our for nearly 60 years in the Philippines following Japan's WWII defeat.
A remarkable story if true.
Japanese-language Mainichi news story is linked. It is unclear what their Imperial Army unit was, if they knew the war had ended, and other details. They were said to be talking now with Japanese officials in a hotel on the island of "General Santos".
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UPDATE!
The latest from what I can tell (3:00 a.m. Eastern Time Friday, May 27, 2005). And by the way, thank you for your kind comment.
A veteran of the Pacific War living in Saitama Prefecture in Japan, a "Teraishi san", who works with the War Survivor's Group, collects the remains of fallen Japanese soldiers. He is in his mid 80s.
He received a call from another man who is married to a woman in the Philipines, who was working to collect word in a forested area in Southern Mindanao. It was only yesterday that Terauchi received this international call from the Philippines which was rather frantic.
The woman had apparantly crossed into or had been in Muslim extremist controlled territory and had heard throught Moro fighters of the existence of "two elderly men from the Japanese army". Further, she got the information that they wanted to get out and passed it on to Japan, where it got to Terauchi.
Terauchi of course worked with the Japanese government who, through the Embassy in Philippines, to get the information.
There are still some survivors around from those days (much as WWII survivors are in the States), and they still look out for their own. Terauchi was in tears in the interview, saying the men were afraid of "Japanese Military Court Martial" if they returned to Japan, but of course he urges them to get back to Japan. This is from Yomiuri news. It is in Yomiuri, Mainichi, Fuji, NHK, Asahi, you name it.
I'll try to post any links to Japanese TV about this. The Moderate might also put (UPDATE) after this thread title if they could do so. Done.
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Families of the men in Japan are reported as amazed, shocked and ecstatic.
In the case of (Sgt?) Nakauchi, his sister thought he was dead all these years. She stated that even before the WWII ended, they received a report he was killed, and they even "received his remains" after wards (ikotsu, literally, 'bones') and had buried him and it was all behind them.
They even had a funeral service when the 'body' was returned to the town, but since it was not recognizable I suppose they would have no way of knowing. At any rate, they want the men home ASAP.
Yamakawa's brother said "he sure hung in there," and expressed the same thoughts.
Nakauchi's mother died some 23 years ago. The Japanese authorities had given notice to the family in June 1945 that Nakauchi had been killed. Nakauchi's relative said that if the mother were alive she would be very happy.
Nakauchi's 'gravesite' can even be visited in Kochi Prefecture. It just says his name and rank, and "June 15, 1944, Killed in the War, 28 years old" on it. By the way, I'm getting that the men apparantly are not both (83), but one I believe is 87 and the other 85--so the age might have been an inaccuracy.
War buddies of the two men, a few still around, such as one fellow in Hiroshima, a "Nagai" (84) only had reflective thoughts of how bloody their battles were and "well, that's amazing. 60 years. I want to say "yoku yatta" when he returns ('you really hung in there').
Another relative expressed some trepidation about returning after all these years, and the fact there may be Philippine families effected because (one or both, not sure) the men married locally there.
BTT
Incredible.
--The straggling, two former soldiers have been living on a remote mountainous area in the Southern Philippines since their Imperial Japanese Army and Japan was defeated at the end of World War II
--They express a STRONG desire to go back to Japan
--They were in a unit that could not get from wherever they were to the groups surrendering to the Allies at the War's conclusion, or were otherwise cut off and left behind, therefore they missed repatriation to Japan.
--There are others that are still alive as well and want to be 'brought in'.
--If they return, this will be the first case of Japanese soldiers returing to Nippon since 31 years ago. If definite identification and identitites can be established, the government of Japan will clear the way for them to return to Japan.
--The two former Japanese Imperial Army soldiers are tentatively identified, as a) Third Division 30th Batallion, 3rd Company (or Division)'s Leader Yasuo Motonaka (83) from Osaka Nishi Ward, and b) Pvt. First Class Susuki Nakauchi (83) from Kochi Prefecture (actual spellings on these to be confirmed)
--The two Japanese men were living in the mountainous area conrolled for the MILF Islamic separatist anti-government guerillas, for 60 years. Recently they moved into an area controlled by the "Sultan" in General Santos City area, and therefore the Philippine Government NBI was able to more easily take them into custody (possession).
--In July of 1944, Motonaka's Third Division landed at Davao, Philippines.
-In April of 1945 they were blasted by American warships. They headed for for the Malabai Valley on the Central Island of Mindanao, and begin guerillas resistance activities.
--There was a small group of survivors. They could not get to the repatriation ships and procedures to surrender and return to Japan, so were left stranded. Recently they were able to move from the Islamic control area but they had feared they would be brought back to Japanese military control and court martialed. Because of their age they do wish to return to Japan.
There are also now rumours of a group of up to 40 Japanese former military on the island in the outback, but all desiring to get out--this remains to be confirmed!
Additional history: The Imperial Army's 30th Division was formed in Pyongyang, Korea in June 1943. They trained in anti-Soviet army activities, but in April 1944, was deployed to the Philippines to attempt to stop the advance of American troops there. The army division consisted of 16 units, and had forced marches whereby up-to 500 kilometers could be covered on foot in one year, until the end of the war. Japanese soldiers killed from that division exceeded 12,000.
This story appears to be, amazingly, TRUE.
Send them back to Japan and tell them they won the war.
Please note the update here.
You all might be interested, too, in the latest on the 2 Japanese found in the Philippines after 60 years.
This is absolutely amazing.
Like the previous poster said: Just think of the back pay!
And the movie deals!
Too bad they are too old to reap the money from it!
Note the latest reports. I'll see what else comes out. This is all translated from Japanese sources in Tokyo and on the scene.
Don't forget to show them all the Nissan,Toyota,Sony,Mitsubishi,Komatsu,etc. products first--that's the proof!
Huh. Not really all that weierd, as I usually think about forgotten Japanese WWII era soldiers who've subsisted on a diet of snake, qui, and various arachnid and vermiform creatures for 1/2 a century after cessation of hostilities, just shortly before they're discovered. I think its probably because I'm just plain gifted in that regard.
I guess this is big news in Japan?
No, the latter wouldn't be strictly true. On the other hand, we *should* tell them that Japan and the US are allies against North Korea and another Axis of Evil - and this time, the Japanese are definitely on the side of civilization versus the barbarian savages.
Yes, they will be impressed if they can get to one of these ceremonies in Tokyo, with the new, Post-war Democratic Japanese military, alive and well, heads hung no longer in shame and defeat.
"Army! Air Force! Navy! Marines!"
Future version...
July 2032 US Authorities detained a crazed Al Gore who having finally descended from a secret mountain hide-out in the Ozarks. Former Presidential Candidate Gore, now 82 years old, was in hysterics after finally realizing that he LOST the 2000 elections. "Darn, I really did lose that thing!" he wailed before being tasered by local authorities. Gore remains under close observation at City Hospital, where authorities hope to learn the whereabouts of former Presidential candidate John Kerry.
Holy Moly.
60 years is a long time.
wow.
I hope they can all get home, and live the remainder of their lives in honor, comfort, and peace.
Oh sure, CNN will scream it, with the "Breaking!" in about three or four hours or so when they become finally awakened. Then folks can come to this FR thread, at post 500 or so, and see all the fun they missed earlier in the day as FR brought the exposure to worldwide news in a much more timely and detailed fashion than anyone could even hope from the dead dinosaurs of New York City and Atlanta, and their brain-dead, charlatan-esque pretty boys and girls from J-school who are lost without their scripts and cannot even find Japan or the P.I on a map! Thanks for reading.
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