1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:01,960 Speaker 1: This Day in History Class is a production of I 2 00:00:02,040 --> 00:00:15,120 Speaker 1: Heart Radio, Hello and Welcome to This Day in History Class, 3 00:00:15,480 --> 00:00:18,439 Speaker 1: a show that believes there's no time like the present 4 00:00:18,800 --> 00:00:22,720 Speaker 1: to learn about the past. I'm Gay Bluesier, and in 5 00:00:22,760 --> 00:00:27,160 Speaker 1: this episode, we're looking at the tragic tale of Shoichi Yukoi, 6 00:00:27,800 --> 00:00:32,440 Speaker 1: a Japanese soldier whose tour of duty lasted decades longer 7 00:00:32,520 --> 00:00:47,000 Speaker 1: than the war itself. The day was January seventy two. 8 00:00:47,840 --> 00:00:52,120 Speaker 1: A former soldier in the Japanese Imperial Army was discovered 9 00:00:52,200 --> 00:00:55,920 Speaker 1: hiding in the jungles of Guam, unaware that World War 10 00:00:56,000 --> 00:01:00,880 Speaker 1: Two had ended nearly three decades earlier. His name was 11 00:01:00,960 --> 00:01:05,520 Speaker 1: Shoichi Yukoi, a fifty seven year old lance corporal who 12 00:01:05,560 --> 00:01:09,480 Speaker 1: had survived in the wild without detection for twenty eight years. 13 00:01:10,520 --> 00:01:13,600 Speaker 1: He was finally found when a group of local hunters 14 00:01:13,800 --> 00:01:18,000 Speaker 1: stumbled upon his hiding spot by accident. Frightened by the 15 00:01:18,080 --> 00:01:22,520 Speaker 1: sight of other humans after years of isolation, Yukoi tried 16 00:01:22,560 --> 00:01:25,039 Speaker 1: to grab one of the hunter's rifles, but in his 17 00:01:25,120 --> 00:01:30,440 Speaker 1: weakened condition, he was easily overpowered. The most troubling aspect 18 00:01:30,480 --> 00:01:34,040 Speaker 1: of his capture was that Yukoi still believed his life 19 00:01:34,080 --> 00:01:37,160 Speaker 1: was in danger and that he was actually being taken 20 00:01:37,200 --> 00:01:40,720 Speaker 1: as a prisoner of war, of fate he considered shameful 21 00:01:41,000 --> 00:01:44,360 Speaker 1: and far worse than death. As he was led away 22 00:01:44,400 --> 00:01:48,200 Speaker 1: through the jungle, he reportedly begged his puzzled captors to 23 00:01:48,280 --> 00:01:52,320 Speaker 1: show mercy by killing him then and there. The two 24 00:01:52,400 --> 00:01:56,080 Speaker 1: hundred square mile island of Guam is located in the 25 00:01:56,120 --> 00:02:01,000 Speaker 1: western Pacific Ocean, about fifteen hundred miles south the Tokyo 26 00:02:01,280 --> 00:02:05,240 Speaker 1: It became a US territory in eighteen ninety eight. Following 27 00:02:05,240 --> 00:02:09,600 Speaker 1: the end of the Spanish American War. In nineteen forty one, 28 00:02:10,080 --> 00:02:14,840 Speaker 1: Japanese forces attacked and captured the island. After three years 29 00:02:14,919 --> 00:02:19,240 Speaker 1: of Japanese occupation, the US retook Guam in July of 30 00:02:19,400 --> 00:02:22,480 Speaker 1: nineteen forty four, and it was at that time that 31 00:02:22,639 --> 00:02:28,200 Speaker 1: Yokoi became separated from the retreating Japanese soldiers. Rather than 32 00:02:28,240 --> 00:02:32,720 Speaker 1: face the dishonor of surrendering to the Americans, Yokoi fled 33 00:02:32,760 --> 00:02:35,320 Speaker 1: into the jungle and went into hiding with a group 34 00:02:35,360 --> 00:02:39,480 Speaker 1: of his fellow soldiers. A year later, the war came 35 00:02:39,520 --> 00:02:42,519 Speaker 1: to an end, but getting the word out to Japanese 36 00:02:42,560 --> 00:02:47,560 Speaker 1: soldiers stationed in remote areas was no easy task. They 37 00:02:47,560 --> 00:02:50,840 Speaker 1: had been trained to be wary of propaganda that sought 38 00:02:50,840 --> 00:02:54,080 Speaker 1: to break their spirits, and as a result, those who 39 00:02:54,200 --> 00:02:57,480 Speaker 1: heard that the fighting was over weren't inclined to believe 40 00:02:57,560 --> 00:03:01,320 Speaker 1: the news. Within a few years years of hiding, the 41 00:03:01,440 --> 00:03:04,800 Speaker 1: number of Japanese holdouts on the island of Guam was 42 00:03:04,880 --> 00:03:09,239 Speaker 1: reduced to just a few dozen. During this time, Yokoi 43 00:03:09,440 --> 00:03:12,520 Speaker 1: and the others in his platoon took great care to 44 00:03:12,600 --> 00:03:16,880 Speaker 1: avoid detection. They swept away their footprints as they moved 45 00:03:16,919 --> 00:03:20,120 Speaker 1: through the brush, and survived by killing and eating the 46 00:03:20,160 --> 00:03:24,320 Speaker 1: locals cattle. In the early years, they remained convinced that 47 00:03:24,360 --> 00:03:27,840 Speaker 1: their comrades would eventually return for them, but as time 48 00:03:27,880 --> 00:03:31,800 Speaker 1: went on, they gradually lost hope and withdrew deeper into 49 00:03:31,800 --> 00:03:35,680 Speaker 1: the dense island interior to avoid being spotted by US 50 00:03:35,720 --> 00:03:40,840 Speaker 1: patrols and local hunters. Now completely cut off from civilization, 51 00:03:41,240 --> 00:03:45,920 Speaker 1: the men survived on a diet of rats, fruit, venomous toads, 52 00:03:45,920 --> 00:03:51,520 Speaker 1: and river eels. In nineteen sixty four, Yokoi's last two 53 00:03:51,560 --> 00:03:55,720 Speaker 1: surviving companions drowned in a flood, and he found himself 54 00:03:55,760 --> 00:03:59,360 Speaker 1: completely alone, the last holdout of a war that was 55 00:03:59,480 --> 00:04:03,560 Speaker 1: long its over. For his last eight years. In hiding, 56 00:04:03,960 --> 00:04:07,200 Speaker 1: Yolkoi drew upon the skills from his pre war life 57 00:04:07,280 --> 00:04:12,000 Speaker 1: as a tailor. He wove himself clothes made from burlap sacks, 58 00:04:12,080 --> 00:04:15,880 Speaker 1: plant fibers, and other materials he found scattered in the jungle. 59 00:04:16,560 --> 00:04:19,039 Speaker 1: He also made a trap from reads so that he 60 00:04:19,080 --> 00:04:22,280 Speaker 1: could catch eels, which he cooked over fires that he 61 00:04:22,360 --> 00:04:26,880 Speaker 1: made by rubbing sticks. For shelter, yokoy dug himself an 62 00:04:26,960 --> 00:04:31,360 Speaker 1: underground cave, which he fortified with bamboo canes and reads. 63 00:04:32,200 --> 00:04:37,560 Speaker 1: He routinely bathed in the tallow Foufo River to prevent infections, 64 00:04:37,560 --> 00:04:41,280 Speaker 1: but despite his best efforts, he eventually got desperately ill. 65 00:04:42,080 --> 00:04:45,440 Speaker 1: He kept memoirs during his hiding, and an entry during 66 00:04:45,480 --> 00:04:49,320 Speaker 1: his bout with sickness reveals the fear and desperation that 67 00:04:49,400 --> 00:04:54,320 Speaker 1: he grappled with on a daily basis. It reads quote, no, 68 00:04:54,960 --> 00:04:58,760 Speaker 1: I cannot die here, I cannot expose my corpse to 69 00:04:58,839 --> 00:05:02,160 Speaker 1: the enemy. I'm us go back to my hole to die. 70 00:05:02,440 --> 00:05:05,719 Speaker 1: I have so far managed to survive, but all is 71 00:05:05,800 --> 00:05:12,040 Speaker 1: coming to nothing now. Finally, on January nine, seventy two, 72 00:05:12,400 --> 00:05:15,960 Speaker 1: Yokoi was discovered by two local hunters who were out 73 00:05:16,040 --> 00:05:19,880 Speaker 1: checking their shrimp traps. Along the river near Yukoi's cave. 74 00:05:20,760 --> 00:05:23,880 Speaker 1: He was the final Japanese straggler to be found on 75 00:05:24,000 --> 00:05:27,000 Speaker 1: Guam and the third from last to be discovered in 76 00:05:27,000 --> 00:05:31,240 Speaker 1: the Pacific. Following his apprehension, he was taken to a 77 00:05:31,320 --> 00:05:35,479 Speaker 1: hospital in Guam and treated from malnourishment and minor injuries. 78 00:05:36,400 --> 00:05:39,719 Speaker 1: Officials from the Japanese government met him on the island, 79 00:05:40,040 --> 00:05:43,720 Speaker 1: and two weeks later, Yokoi returned to his homeland after 80 00:05:43,800 --> 00:05:48,320 Speaker 1: nearly thirty years. He arrived in Tokyo to a crowd 81 00:05:48,360 --> 00:05:52,400 Speaker 1: of five thousand people, all of whom applauded is loyalty 82 00:05:52,400 --> 00:05:57,440 Speaker 1: and unwillingness to surrender. He was interviewed on radio and television, 83 00:05:57,640 --> 00:06:00,520 Speaker 1: where he revealed that he'd actually know in the war 84 00:06:00,680 --> 00:06:03,960 Speaker 1: was over since nineteen fifty two, but it feared the 85 00:06:04,040 --> 00:06:07,600 Speaker 1: disgrace of surrendering, as well as the possibility of being 86 00:06:07,680 --> 00:06:13,120 Speaker 1: tortured by his captors. The former soldier had difficulty adjusting 87 00:06:13,160 --> 00:06:16,680 Speaker 1: to life and post war Japan, and didn't enjoy his 88 00:06:16,720 --> 00:06:22,039 Speaker 1: newfound media stardom either. He later remarked, through an interpreter, quote, 89 00:06:22,480 --> 00:06:25,520 Speaker 1: I wish I didn't cause so much trouble to everyone. 90 00:06:25,640 --> 00:06:28,440 Speaker 1: I should have just stayed in my cave until I died. 91 00:06:29,680 --> 00:06:33,359 Speaker 1: Over time, a strange sort of nostalgia set in for 92 00:06:33,520 --> 00:06:38,760 Speaker 1: Yokoi before he passed away in He returned to Guam 93 00:06:38,920 --> 00:06:42,440 Speaker 1: several times throughout the remainder of his life, including for 94 00:06:42,520 --> 00:06:46,599 Speaker 1: his honeymoon. The cave where he lived is now part 95 00:06:46,640 --> 00:06:51,159 Speaker 1: of the Talofofo Falls Resort Park, a site that primarily 96 00:06:51,240 --> 00:06:55,240 Speaker 1: caters to Japanese tourists who still harbor a deep admiration 97 00:06:55,360 --> 00:06:59,159 Speaker 1: for Yokoi. Some of his possessions from his many years 98 00:06:59,200 --> 00:07:02,000 Speaker 1: in the jungle we're still on display at the Guam 99 00:07:02,120 --> 00:07:06,080 Speaker 1: Museum in a Ghana. Among them are his eel traps, 100 00:07:06,400 --> 00:07:11,680 Speaker 1: his handcrafted survival tools, and his threadbare uniform, the humble 101 00:07:11,800 --> 00:07:15,080 Speaker 1: legacy of a soldier who never truly made it home. 102 00:07:17,280 --> 00:07:21,000 Speaker 1: I'm Gay Bluesier and hopefully you now know a little 103 00:07:21,040 --> 00:07:25,280 Speaker 1: more about history today than you did yesterday. If you 104 00:07:25,360 --> 00:07:28,880 Speaker 1: have a second and you're so inclined, consider following us 105 00:07:28,920 --> 00:07:34,080 Speaker 1: on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at T D I HC. Show. 106 00:07:34,800 --> 00:07:38,000 Speaker 1: You can also rate and review the show on Apple Podcasts. 107 00:07:38,040 --> 00:07:41,320 Speaker 1: That's always appreciated, and you can write to us at 108 00:07:41,400 --> 00:07:45,040 Speaker 1: this day at I heart media dot com. Thanks to 109 00:07:45,160 --> 00:07:48,000 Speaker 1: Chandler Mace for producing the show, and thanks to you 110 00:07:48,160 --> 00:07:51,560 Speaker 1: for listening. I'll see you back here again tomorrow for 111 00:07:51,640 --> 00:08:02,400 Speaker 1: another day in history class. For more podcasts from iHeart Radio, 112 00:08:02,520 --> 00:08:05,160 Speaker 1: visit the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you 113 00:08:05,200 --> 00:08:06,320 Speaker 1: listen to your favorite shows.