What is hiroo onoda?

Hiroo Onoda

Hiroo Onoda (小野田 寛郎, Onoda Hirō, March 19, 1922 – January 16, 2014) was a Japanese army intelligence officer who fought in World War II. He became infamous for not surrendering at the end of the war in 1945.

• Early Life and Military Training: Born in Kainan, Wakayama Prefecture, Japan, Onoda was conscripted into the Imperial Japanese Army in 1942. He received guerrilla warfare training at Futamata Branch School. [https://www.wikiwhat.page/kavramlar/Futamata%20Branch%20School]

• Assignment to Lubang Island: In December 1944, he was sent to Lubang Island [https://www.wikiwhat.page/kavramlar/Lubang%20Island] in the Philippines. His orders were to destroy the island's airfield and pier to hinder American advances.

• Continued Resistance: After the Allied forces landed, Onoda and a small group of soldiers retreated into the jungle. Despite leaflets dropped by the Allies announcing the end of the war, Onoda and his men believed it was Allied propaganda. For nearly 30 years, they continued their guerrilla warfare [https://www.wikiwhat.page/kavramlar/guerrilla%20warfare], ambushing local farmers and police, believing the war was still ongoing.

• Years in Hiding: Onoda, along with his comrades Yuichi Akatsu, Shoichi Shimada and Kinshichi Kozuka, lived in the jungle, surviving on stolen crops and animals. Akatsu surrendered in 1949. Shimada was killed in a shootout with local police in 1954. Kozuka was killed in 1972.

• Surrender: In 1974, Norio Suzuki, a Japanese explorer, found Onoda. Suzuki showed him photographs and letters from Onoda's family. However, Onoda refused to surrender without direct orders from his former commanding officer. Suzuki located Onoda's former commander, Major Yoshimi Taniguchi, who travelled to Lubang Island and officially relieved Onoda of his duty on March 9, 1974. His surrender [https://www.wikiwhat.page/kavramlar/surrender] became a major news event.

• Return to Japan and Later Life: Onoda's return to Japan was met with mixed reactions. He was seen by some as a symbol of unwavering loyalty and dedication, while others criticized him for the violence he and his group had inflicted on the local population. He later moved to Brazil and became a cattle rancher. He also established a nature school in Japan.

• Death: Hiroo Onoda died of heart failure in Tokyo on January 16, 2014, at the age of 91.