Japanese Trying to Contact WWII Soldiers

[Guest]

[color=#000000]This story brings tears to my eyes. General MacArthur in his brief eloquent speech on the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay at Japan's surrender spoke how 'we as solders more than any other....hate war'. The General always had tremendous respect for his foe, the Japanese Imperial forces in the Philippines. My Dad (now 84) was in the 503rd regimental combat team - MacArthur's crack paratrooper unit in the Pacific, they parachuted low re-taking Corregidor in Manilla Bay (only 300 ft in this, his last 'battle jump', being Swiss, he did not become an American citizen till he was discharged honorably in early 1946 in California- what is now Beale AFB). In their own way, like MacArthur, the Japanese too believed in duty, honor, country (and their Emperor) too. I hope they too will be found and find peace in the twilight of these solders lives. They too will find some comfort knowing they will be buried on their own home soil....... like my father will one day. Duty bound and honorable men all, trapped in a dilemma that is the wasteful stupidity of war. If this story turns out to be true.....it has been a very long time.

Steve Reichmuth


Japanese Trying to Contact WWII Soldiers
May 28, 2005 5]



Edited By Dolphin on 1117326736

[gerwalk]

I remember a good documentary

[color=#000000]I remember a good documentary film about those guys who surrended in the 70s. They even had a radio and listened to the Olympic Games in Tokyo but they thought that it was just american propaganda!! One of them was killed by the Fillipine army (they thought he was guerrilla)

The scene when the former commander met one of the survivors was shocking!!

In any case I think these guys have or had a serious mental condition]

[anonymous]

They would have to be

They would have to be the ultimate 'survivalists'. If they hide in the Jungles....that is incredibly rugged. Can anyone in those conditions (rot, malaria, other diseases, sanitation, predators) live into their mid-80's? No doubt they get plenty of exercise. I could somehow understand how they not abandoning they're posts till relieved, but does this mean they are still fighting? Then whom? The Americans have left. Filipino troops? Moslem gorilla/terrorists? There are hundreds of small islands. It must be more complicated than first impression, assuming again this could somehow be true.

Steve Reichmuth