24th January 1972: Japanese soldier found hiding on Guam
Local farmers discover Shoichi Yokoi, a Japanese sergeant who, unaware that World War II was over, had been hiding the jungles of Guam for 28 years.
Guam, a US possession in the western Pacific, was attacked and captured by the Japanese in 1941. Three years later, American forces retook the island. It was at this time that Yokoi, left behind by the retreating Japanese, went into hiding rather than surrender to the enemy. He handcrafted survival tools and waited for his countrymen to return and hand him his next orders.
After his discovery in 1972, he was discharged and sent home to Japan, where he was hailed as a national hero. He subsequently married and returned to Guam for his honeymoon.
Guam, a US possession in the western Pacific, was attacked and captured by the Japanese in 1941. Three years later, American forces retook the island. It was at this time that Yokoi, left behind by the retreating Japanese, went into hiding rather than surrender to the enemy. He handcrafted survival tools and waited for his countrymen to return and hand him his next orders.
After his discovery in 1972, he was discharged and sent home to Japan, where he was hailed as a national hero. He subsequently married and returned to Guam for his honeymoon.
