8. Onoda Finally Surrendered in 1974
In 1974, a Japanese hippie backpacker stumbled across Onoda, and convinced him that the war had ended decades earlier. He still refused to surrender, however, without orders from a superior officer. The holdout’s new friend contacted the Japanese government, which tracked down his former commanding officer. Traveling to Lubang, Onoda’s wartime commander personally informed him that the war was over, that he was released from military duty, and ordered him to stand down. Clad in his threadbare uniform, lieutenant Onoda handed in his sword and other weapons to representatives of the US and Filipino military, and finally brought his private war to an end, nearly three decades after WWII had ended.