Hiroo Onoda waged a guerrilla campaign,
That lasted 30 years.
I think, quite frankly he was insane,
Or else paranoid about his fears.
He thought Japan was still at war,
When the war was already won,
But old Onoda was sure about what he was fighting for,
And he considered the battle just begun.
Casualties reduced his unit to four,
And he was begged repeatedly to desist,
They told him to do so till ’74,
But he thought the allies were forcing him to persist.
He continued until there was just him alone,
And his superior officer was found,
To tell him that he was one deluded drone,
And to run the idiot to ground.
Hiroo Onoda
18 Monday Nov 2013
Posted in poetry
ah yes, I read that there are those in the jungle that kept the war going for many years after it was over. Did he ever wonder why he was not getting paid. A nut case indeed.
Sounds like many of our politicians today.
…you are right Roy!
Gosh, this is very interesting & a subject that I knew little about!
He was a madman!
Yep!
Especially loved the last two lines. Have been fun trying to say his name. π
Haha!
Idiot indeed, Caro. Once again, you’ve managed to enlighten me with someone I have never heard of!
You are welcome!
I remember this story. Great poem
Thanks, carol
I wonder what goes on in such people’s minds. What is it they think?
I think he was so paranoid, he didn’t!
I know people who won’t buy a Volkswagon because it is made (or not) in Germany. How long ago was WWII? Yes, there were atrocities committed, but this refusal to buy a German car makes a crazy man fighting long after the war was over a little less of a crackpot, don’t you think?
I had heard about this vaguely. He sounds like he might have been schizophrenic. And yes, that means he might have been officially crazy.
He was so obsessed that he was being targeted by American propaganda he just kept fighting and fighting!