Men might be missing WWII soldiers

[KG]

By Associated Press
Published May 28, 2005

GENERAL SANTOS, Philippines - Sixty years after the guns of World War II went silent, reports that two Japanese Imperial Army soldiers had been found in the mountains of the southern Philippines sent Japan's diplomats on a frantic mission Friday to try to contact them.

The two men, in their 80s, reportedly have lived on the restive southern island of Mindanao since they were separated from their division, staying on for fear they would face court-martial if they returned to Japan.

A day of waiting at a hotel in General Santos, a city 600 miles south of Manila, turned to disappointment for Japanese diplomats.

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's spokesman, Yu Kameoka, said the men were apparently reluctant to meet with the officials because of the large crowds waiting to see them.

Diplomats were trying to schedule a meeting today through a Japanese mediator, who had contacted the country's embassy in Manila about the men.

Embassy spokesman Shuhei Ogawa said they were giving the story "another day." He said it was too early to tell if the report was true that the men were the latest of a handful of old soldiers who held out.

MORE>>> http://www.sptimes.com/2005/05/28/Worldandnation/Men_might_be_missing_.shtml

[GOPisEvil]

1. I seem to recall this happening a while back, too.

They had to find the soldier's original commander in Japan to order them out. I want to say this was just a few years after the war though. Amazing they are still there 60 years later. Wow.