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]
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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