30 years in the jungle

Interesting article on survival...

http://www.iprepare.org/GH_ShowArticle.asp?HID=63

"Knowledge of specific survival skills can make all the difference in such circumstances, until the normal of society can return. But can you imagine practicing your survival skills, completely living off the land, not for a summer, not for a year, but for 30 years? Two men did just that for 28 and 30 years. Both were World War II Japanese soldiers who steadfastly held to their orders to not surrender. Though most Japanese soldiers preferred death to surrender, there were pockets of men who managed to hide out and survive. Two of the more extreme cases were Shoichi Yokoi who was discovered in 1972, and Hiroo Onoda who finally came out in 1974. Both Yokoi and Onoda were on different islands with different circumstances, and neither would not surrender."

This will probably get deleted, but what the heck, I am feeling rowdy this morning. I am currently reading a book about surviving the Bataan Death March and three years in a prisoner of war camp. By comparison, these two had it easy...

A number of years ago, I had the privilege of meeting a gentleman who had survived the Bataan Death March. Out of respect, I never asked any questions, but could tell both by his actions and our general conversations, he was a troubled man.

I do not believe he is alive today; my prayers go out to him and the many others who suffered terribly, that they may have finally found some peace to rest their weary souls.

Pete

"War is Hell" does not come close to describing that event...

War is people. Hell can't come close to what people can create.

The Japanese continue (for example in their high school texts) to play down their actions in the Phillipines, China, and Korea, and their treatment of P.O.W.s and conquered peoples during WW2.

The Japanese paid dearly for their actions.

Enola Gay

In August 1945, a little boy and a fat man visited Japan. . . .

Amazing how those two fellas, from the projects of Manhattan, made the Emperor think twice about continuing his bad behavior.

H. Truman

Not as nearly as if we had to invade Japan. The first wave would 770,000 Allied troops with an expected 35% loss (270,000 casualties) in the first 30 days to take the Japanese Island of Kyushu. The expected casualties after 120 days would be around 395,000. The second wave "an invasion of Honshuand and the capture of Tokyo, projected for March 1946 - would require a force of 1 Million. And would exact hundreds of thousands of casualties" (taken from James Bradley’s Flags of Our Fathers) not to mention the casualties the Japanese would face.

Yes, one was somewhere in the Phillipines, and another was on Guam, Siapan, or one of the other Marianas, as I recall.

Come to think of it, -I'm sure there are, -or certainly have been, -various Undiscovered Others! (As with our own Greatest Generation, -Time Passage now makes the Latter much more likely). I'm sure that quite a few, -have Lived and Died out there so, -ever Totally Undiscovered! [color:"black"] [/color] [email]redflare[/email]

Both their Plight that they found themselves in, -and their Coping and Survival Responses thereof, -are *On* Topic here! As far as I'm concerned. [color:"black"] [/color] [email]OldBaldGuy[/email]

Oh, there is no doubt that they were good at survival. But, having such things as a pretty much unlimited water supply, as opposed to one of two teaspoons every other day, does make it a little easier...

Certainly and Indeed! [color:"black"] [/color] [email]OldBaldGuy[/email]