Solitary, Alone & living in FEAR for 28 years . . . In the Guam Jungle: the last Japanese Soldier
Solitary, Alone & living in FEAR for 28 years . . . In the Guam Jungle: the last Japanese Soldier January 24, 1972 A Japanese soldier was found in the jungles of Guam, having survived there for nearly three decades after the end of World War II. He was given a hero's welcome on his return to Japan - but never quite felt at home in modern society. When American forces captured the island in the 1944 Battle of Guam, Yokoi went into hiding with nine other Japanese soldiers. Seven of the original ten Soldiers who were left behind, eventually moved away and only three remained in the region. These men separated, but visited each other periodically until about 1964, when the other two died in a flood. For the last eight years, Yokoi lived alone. He survived by hunting, primarily at night. He also used native plants to make clothes, bedding, and storage implements, which he carefully hid in his cave. He hid in the jungle, fearing he might be captured by American soldiers occupying the...