Onoda would n't accept Philippines 's World War II defeat until 1974 . For 29 years , he survived on food gathered from the jungle or stolen from local farmers . He stayed in the jungle on the Japan island where he had been deployed . His former commanding officer had to travel to the island to persuade him to give up . Onoda died of pneumonia in a Japan hospital 1974 , a collegue says .
Onoda would n't accept Philippines 's World War II defeat until 1974 . He stayed in the jungle on the Japan island where he had been deployed . His former commanding officer had to travel to the island to persuade him to give up . Onoda died of pneumonia in a Japan hospital 1974 , a collegue says .