Wrestling Scholar Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 I saw on news today about the WW2 Japanese Soldier just died, who lived in a Phillipines Jungle for 30 years and continued to fight and never surrendered. He kept his patched uniform, gun, ammo and grenades ready the whole time. His name was Hiroo Onada and finally gave up once his retired commander searched him out in the jungle, and told him WW2 was over in 1974. I read a great quote from his book that made me think of wrestling, and if wrestlers had this mentality, they would be unbeatable. The quote was "Man should never give up. I never do. I would hate to lose". If a guy can live in the rain forest jungle eating insects, bananas and the occasioanal wild cow, and also survive through disease, foot rot, and coping with and all the other crazy jungle stuff while be hunted by the local police for 30 years, then a kid can fight for 6 minutes of a match giving every thing he has. http://news.msn.com/obits/japans-last-wwii-straggler-soldier-91-dies?ocid=ansnews11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattM Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 Second longest hold out from WWII. Teruo Nakamura who was apprehended in the jungles of Indonesia several months later was the longest. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teruo_Nakamura I can't recall which one, maybe both, mentioned at one point that seeing some of the ships and hearing some of the explosions connected with the Vietnam War made him assume that WWII fighting was still occurring. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wrestling Scholar Posted January 17, 2014 Author Share Posted January 17, 2014 It amazes me that they would continue to fight that long. I read there were multiple groups on different islands who never surrendered. I guess this group killed 30 Phillipinos over the 30 years. They said that they sent pamphlets into the jungle that the war was over but he thought it was an American propagandic ploy to get them to surrender. It reminds of the Gilligans Island episode where the Japanese Sailor in a mini-submarine, who still thought the war was going, took the whole Gilligans Island crew as prisoners of war. Of course he didnt rescue them. Coincidentallly, the actor who played the professor also died yesterday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattM Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 It reminds of the Gilligans Island episode where the Japanese Sailor in a mini-submarine, who still thought the war was going, took the whole Gilligans Island crew as prisoners of war. Of course he didnt rescue them. Coincidentallly, the actor who played the professor also died yesterday. More coincidentally, he was a WWII Army Air Force bomber pilot who at one point was shot down in the south pacific area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grecoref Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 And he could make a radio out of a coconut, but couldn't fix a hole in the boat. Of course if I was on an uncharted island with Ginger and Mary Ann I wouldn't worry too much about fixing the boat either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Y2CJ41 Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 And he could make a radio out of a coconut, but couldn't fix a hole in the boat. Of course if I was on an uncharted island with Ginger and Mary Ann I wouldn't worry too much about fixing the boat either. What if you were on an island with Russell, Barnett and the General? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grecoref Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 What if you were on an island with Russell, Barnett and the General? I'd be patching that boat in a hurry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hook and half Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 I encourage wrestlers, young adults and adults to understand the principles to which this solider was loyal. What was it that drove his extreme perseverance? Until 9/11, the Pearl Harbor attack was the largest terrorist action perpetrated on American soil. Imperial Japan stood for exterminating non-pure races and enslaving others to serve their purposes. Tens of thousands of pre-pubescent girls and teenagers were prostituted by the Japanese army as “comfort women” during WWII. Japanese cruelty was unparalleled. Wiki “Bataan Death March” and tell me what your impressions are. While you are at it, wiki “Japanese world war II” torture. Talk to your wrestlers about close examination of whom and what they follow. Hiroo Onoda was a fanatic “No Surrender” holdover from Imperial Japan. His unwavering dedication was to evil. I find it appalling that he is celebrated by the Japanese. Before you start telling me about his single-mindedness, resourcefulness, tenacity, etcetera, just remember: Adolph Hitler loved dogs. Anyone who loves dogs can’t be all bad…can they? In no way, shape or form was Onoda a hero, or should he be held up as any kind of role model. The tenor of the conversation concerning this man should be that the world is rid of a bad guy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aoberlin Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 Nut jobs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wrestling Scholar Posted January 17, 2014 Author Share Posted January 17, 2014 Good point Hook and a Half. Imperial Japan's intentions and actions in WW2 were evil and you could find many more examples of treachery done the human race if you look in the history books. They are probabably only second to the Nazi's in their level of destruction. I think the sad part of the whole story was that 30 Phillipinos were needlessly killed after war and hundreds more injured by this guys crew due to their extreme unguided fanatacism. I dont know if I would call this guy evil nor would I call him a hero. I think the story is amazing and unbelivable that somebody would live like that for so long without dying, being captured or to give up. Its kind of like really finding Sasquatch. On a side note, Pearl Harbor was a much bigger terrorist action than ever 9/11 was. Even though some might call both of these acts of war. The example of his quote not wanting to lose was cool in the context of tenacity, sacrifice and resoursefulness he endured. But if you look at the motiviation behind his country's purpose to put him in this situation, it arguably could be described as evil. I think its good to differntiate between the motivation of a "no surrender" Japanese Soldier and a high school wrestler. Both don't want to lose, but the reason for the high school wrestler is much more pure. On you're point of Japan considering this guy a hero, Onada moved from Japan to Brazil partly because of its culture change or passification if you would call it after the war. Probably a huge cultural shock to go back to Japan 30 year after the war. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
evemab Posted January 18, 2014 Share Posted January 18, 2014 It is absolutely ridiculous to say that Pearl Harbor was a "much bigger terrorist action than ever 9/11 was." One of the fundamental attributes of "terrorism" is that it deliberately targets non-combatants. Pearl Harbor was the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, a military target. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jgmotorfan Posted January 18, 2014 Share Posted January 18, 2014 Thank you evemab. Don't know much about it but IMo he was a soldier fighting for hiscountry not evil . Governments have been known to brainwash people happens every day. Just see U.S Government. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebestthatneverwas Posted January 19, 2014 Share Posted January 19, 2014 WA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thebestthatneverwas Posted January 19, 2014 Share Posted January 19, 2014 Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattM Posted January 19, 2014 Share Posted January 19, 2014 Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? Sadly, as a sign of the times this will be a reference many the the board will miss. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aoberlin Posted January 19, 2014 Share Posted January 19, 2014 Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? Nice!!!! Well played. +1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loki27 Posted January 19, 2014 Share Posted January 19, 2014 Forget it, he's rolling!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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