On which Philippine island did Hiroo Onoda continue fighting until 1974?

Hiroo Onoda continued fighting on Lubang Island in the Philippines until 1974.

Onoda was an Imperial Japanese Army second lieutenant sent to Lubang in 1944 to conduct guerrilla operations. He and several companions did not believe that World War II had ended when Japan surrendered in 1945.

One companion surrendered in 1950, while the others died in later encounters. Onoda remained in the island’s jungles, relying on limited supplies and interpreting evidence of peace as enemy deception. Japanese adventurer Norio Suzuki located him in 1974, but Onoda refused to surrender until his former commanding officer formally relieved him of duty.

Onoda surrendered on March 10, 1974, nearly 29 years after Japan’s formal surrender. His story illustrates why isolated Japanese holdouts continued to appear long after V-J Day.