Figure 1.--Japanese soldiers during the Pacific War, iregardles of their circumstnce, rarely surrendered. Many of the POWs were seriously wounded soldiers no longer capable of resistance. And even some of these men tried to commit suiside when they began to recover. Here are three Japanese soldiers who decided to surrender on Okinawa, one of the blodiest battles of the Pacific War. Out of the more than 20,000 man garrison, only 216 Japanese soldiers surrendered during the battle, many wounded. Another 3,000 men hid away in the warren of of caves abd tunnels tunnels that honey combed the island.

Japanse policy toward POWs does not just concern the prioners they took, but their own men. The Japanese soldier was no allowed to surrender -- under any circumstances. Even badly wounded soldiers were not allowed to surrender. It was seen as shammeful and not only dishonored the inividual, but his family as well. It was totally contrary to Japanese military doctrine and the doctrine imposed on the nation by th emilitary. Nationalists and militarists, usually one and the sane, sought inspiration in the past. They reached back to ancient myths about the nation and emperor. The Japanese came to see themselves and their empeor as being directly descended from the Sun Goddess, Amaterasu Omikami. The militarists demanded that the Japanese restore a past racial and spiritual purity that because of contmination by the West had been lost. Children were indoctrinated from an early age to worship the Emperor as a living deity. War was presented as a legitimate act which woild purify the self and the the nation. As part of this national ethos the supreme sacrifice of life was regarded as not only a small matter, but the purest of accomplishments. Soldiers wre told, "Do not live in shame as a prisoner. Die, and leave no ignominious crime behind you." This was all part of Japan's ancient samurai heritage. The revered samurai code of ethics was known as 'bushido'. It served as as the basic code for Japan's military during World War II. The main classic of Bushido is 'Hagakure'. It was begins with the words, 'Bushido is a way of dying' (early-18th century. Its central thesis is that only a samurai prepared to die at any moment can devote himself fully to his feudal lord. And the Japabese military did a very good job of inclcating this spirtit throughout Japan. it was not only the professional soldiers that came to believe this. The military managed to convince the millions of civilians drafted that surrender was not an option. The soldierswere told that the Americans were monsters and would torture them. Perhaps even more important was the idea of honor. surrender was seen as dishonorable. As aesult, nany of the Japanese soldiers captured were wounded and no longer capable of resistance. (Many attemoted suiside when they had recivered a little. Even Japanese soldiers cut off in isolated Pacific garrisons nd srarving were not allowed to surrender. And there are instances of Japanese soldiers holding out in the Pacific for years after the war. Lieutenant Hiroo Onoda continued fighting on the Philippine island of Lubang nearly 29 years after the end of the war (1974). The Japanese military even convinced civilians on Saipan and Okinawa to do the same. Not only were there virtually no survivors from the 30,000 strong Saipan garrison on Saipan, but 40 percent of the 22,000 civilians perished.

Created: 6:39 PM 2/8/2016
Last updated: 6:39 PM 2/8/2016