In 1949, four years after Onoda and the other three started living in the jungle, 1st Class Yuichi Akatsu went missing in action; he had hid himself three times before this. The last time he was discovered, the condition of his body was extremely dreadful. Originally, he was not an active duty soldier. His body strength was limited and he could not adapt to life in the jungle, these conditions prompted him to escape. He abandoned Onoda’s party, and half a year later, he finally surrendered.

According to Akatsu’s testimony, there were three soldiers of the Japanese Army, namely: Shimada Shoichi, Onoda Hiroo and Kozuka Kinishichi who were still operating in guerilla movements within the jungle.

Onoda’s group moved the hidden bullets to another location and also changed their scouting routes dynamically because the Philippine police might have discovered their military actions from the confessions of Akatsu’s testimony.

For the past four years, their guerilla activities were slow, but sure because they needed to　arrange their schedule according to Akatsu who did not have adequate stamina, this caused many of the residents to come into the jungle. However, the remaining three combatants were real soldiers. Fortuitously, they had a lot in common. They did not drink liquor and they had healthy bodies and teeth–all the health conditions were met for guerilla warfare.

Onoda revealed his secret operations to Shimada and Kozuka. They swore to occupy the island until Japan returned. They then launched their guerilla activities aggressively. The speed of their patrolling the mountains became intensely fast like a fish in water. They could not distinguish residents from police officers by their appearance, so whoever came into jungle, they immediately shot at them to force them out. Thus, they fought gun battles with police authority who accompanied the residents here and there.

A police force on Lubang Island formed a group to eliminate Onoda’s party. They tried to surround Onoda’s group with about 50-100 officers to kill them on every count. Onoda thought that their enemies had already known their patrolling routes from Akatsu’s testimony, so they appeared on the routes by their own choice to fight against punitive forces aggressively. Onoda’s group had enduring confidence to break a siege because they knew the mountains like a book.

In 1950, 10 months after Akatsu deserted, Onoda’s group saw many leaflets written by Akatsu saying, “The Lubang residents are friends. They are very kind”.

Akatsu was sent back to Japan and there he met Onoda’s elder brother. The brother begged the US military in Japan to rescue the survivors on Lubang Island at once because Japan was occupied and there was no diplomatic relations with the Philippines at that time. However, the US military in Japan did not have an authority to command the Philippines, so Onoda’s brother, Shimada and Kozukas’ family members sent letters and their photos to the police station in Looc Village on Lubang Island.

In 1951, after the rainy season, leaflets occationally dropped from a jet plane, they also heard commands from a loud speaker saying, “If you do not surrender within 72 hours, we will execute you thoroughly!” It was a recommendation of surrender, but Onoda’s group got agitated and reacted violently against them. From that point, they were cautious about poison attacks so they had kept a wet towel to cover their mouths for half a year.

In January 1952, Onoda’s group had a large-scale battle with the police authority. As a result, they killed two armored residents. Onoda’s group fought off the attack and the members thought they obtained a big achievement for their country. The news about the Philippine force’s punitive expedition of Onoda’s group reached Japan. Onoda’s elder brother asked the welfare ministry to send a telegram of suspension for the military operation in the Philippines. He also passed his letters to the person who had a direct relation with former President Manuel A. Roxas. At that time, Japanese soldiers were often executed for war crimes in Muntinlupa City.

Onoda’s elder brother begged the Japanese government to rescue the survivors. However, in that one and a half years, the Philippine government replied that they do not allow Japanese rescue teams to enter the country because they would not be able to ensure their safety. In 1951, during the San Francisco Peace Conference, the US requested victorious countries not to impose enormous economic burdens against Japan because the Cold War started, and Japan was needed as the great wall against communist countries. However, the Philippine government insisted on compensation and as a result, Japan had to negotiate the compensation for each country from in which Japan had caused damage to. The Filipinos still had a strong anti-Japan sentiment in the first half of the 1950s’. Thus, the Japanese government postponed the plan of going to the Philippines to rescue the survivors.

At that time, Onoda’s group did not know how concerned their family members were of them. These three remaining survivors had been reconnoitering military bases, posing menacingly for citizens around the jungle and fighting against the Police Authorities. Onoda hated losing and also did not want to die. So there was no way to stop the guerilla activities.

There was a state of tension between the citizens and Onoda’s group.

NEXT

Chapter 9. Death of Cpl. Shoichi Shimada and 2^nd death of Hiroo Onoda