Тонкое искусство пофигизма

           ThiswasarealproblemforrebuildingeasternAsiaafterthewar,andthegovernmentsagreedsomethingmustbedone.

           TheU.S.military,inconjunctionwiththeJapanesegovernment,droppedthousandsofleafletsthroughoutthePacificregion,announcingthatthewarwasoveranditwastimeforeveryonetogohome.Onodaandhismen,likemanyothers,foundandreadtheseleaflets,butunlikemostoftheothers,Onodadecidedthattheywerefake,atrapsetbytheAmericanforcestogettheguerrillafighterstoshowthemselves.Onodaburnedtheleaflets,andheandhismenstayedhiddenandcontinuedtofight.

           Fiveyearswentby.Theleafletshadstopped,andmostoftheAmericanforceshadlongsincegonehome.ThelocalpopulationonLubangattemptedtoreturntotheirnormallivesoffarmingandfishing.YettherewereHirooOnodaandhismerrymen,stillshootingatthefarmers,burningtheircrops,stealingtheirlivestock,andmurderinglocalswhowanderedtoofarintothejungle.ThePhilippinegovernmentthentooktodrawingupnewflyersandspreadingthemoutacrossthejungle.Comeout,theysaid.Thewarisover.Youlost.

           Butthese,too,wereignored.

           In1952,theJapanesegovernmentmadeonefinalefforttodrawthelastremainingsoldiersoutofhidingthroughoutthePacific.Thistime,lettersandpicturesfromthemissingsoldiers’familieswereair-dropped,alongwithapersonalnotefromtheemperorhimself.Onceagain,Onodarefusedtobelievethattheinformationwasreal.