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OPINION 26 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 30 DECEMBER 2018 IN December 1944, a 22-year old Japanese intelligence of- ficer, Hiroo Onoda, was sent to the Philippines during World War Two in order to defend the Japanese Empire as the allies were winning ground in south-east Asia. Now the Japanese in that war were a hardened bunch. The values of loyalty and dignity are ingrained from early on in their culture, and they were as tough as nails to overcome during a conflict. His order were clear: Attack and destroy the enemy, and never surrender. He joined a unit of four soldiers and in a particular mission, the other three soldiers were killed. As a lieutenant, he ordered other fellow soldiers to retreat in the mountains and hills to take stock. He built a holdout in the mountainous region with three other soldiers. His strategy was simple: come down from the mountains to hold an attack on the enemy and retreat back. It was a sort of guerilla style attack, and he was relatively successful in it and it went on for several months. On September 2nd, 1945 the Japanese had signed their surrender. Thing is, nobody told Onoda and off he went in attacking police and whatever enemy soldiers he could find. The Government dropped leaflets in October 1945 say- ing that the war is over and to come down from the moun- tains. He assumed it was Allied propaganda, trying to trick the soldiers and remained in the mountains. As the at- tacks went on in the following weeks, islanders were getting furious. By Christmas they dropped leaflets with an order by General Yamashita, of the 14th Area Army and a superior in terms of military order, but they still thought the leaflet was a trick. One of them did think it was genuine, and left the moun- tains. And so three were left, and the days turned into weeks and the weeks into months. And yes, the months into years. On they went for years and years, attacking the locals and thinking the war was still going, holding true to their orders of never surrendering. They lived in miserable condi- tions with no healthcare, little to no supplies and lived an inhumane life of savages. Every once in a while, down they went from their mountains, and attacked the locals and any soldier they could find. In 1949, one of the soldiers walked away, but the other three persisted in their cause. His companion, Shimada, was shot and killed in 1954. A full nine years after the end of the war, at a time when the world was starting to move forward from the bloody conflict. The years went on and on. They continued in their guerilla war- fare. Fast forward to 1972 and Onoda's companion, Kozuka, was killed by a police officer during an attack. In 1974, Norio Suzuki, a Japa- nese self-described hippie, left his country to look for Onodo. What whole army units failed to do for decades, Suzuki managed in four days. He found Onoda and he explained that the war was indeed over in 1945, almost thirty years before. He still refused to sur- render, saying he was awaiting orders from his superior. His superior, at the time of war, was Yoshimi Taniguchi, and he was then a bookstore owner. He was flown to the Philip- pines and met Onoda, to finally release him from his duties. Despite the fact that he killed so many people after the war, in light of the circumstances he was given a pardon by Presi- dent Ferdinand Marcos. When he returned to Japan, he was a celebrity. He was in- vited to talk shows, interviewed and treated as a big star. Here was a man who suddenly came back from the dead, as if on a time machine from thirty years ago. The war was long forgot- ten, and society and culture changed completely in Japan. He was offered huge sums of money for all sorts of things, including by the Government, and refused. To him, it was simply duty. There he was in the middle of the spotlight after what many perceived as a wastage of time. Thirty years fighting a war that was already over without even realising it. But the riches of his new- found popularity didn't faze Onoda. In fact, in his autobi- ography, he writes that he was sad, depressed and unhappy. It was not because he had wasted thirty years of his life, but because of what he saw as a changing Japan. He left his country in 1944, filled with values, tradition and culture and returned to one which he described as empty and soul- less. It was not that the war was over, but the fact that he was fighting for this that made him unhappy. In the jungle, hungry, cold and in the dirt, Onoda was happy. He had purpose. When he returned, despite the fame and the wealth, he was un- happy because he lost the most important things he had: his self-identity and his purpose in life. Often we fantasise of owning a new car or living in a man- sion. But these things are not what matters. They're not what makes us happy. Despite thirty years in the jungle, Onoda was the most happy there. He was useful, had a purpose in life and in his eyes, he served an important cause. He later re- tired to Brazil to raise cattle as he couldn't stand what modern Japan was all about. Many of you will be doing their yearly resolutions as 2019 approaches. My advice is not to wish for material things, but finding purpose and commit to whatever cause you deem im- portant. Not only will you have more chance of succeeding and make you happy but it will give your life the most important thing of all: meaning. In the jungle, hungry, cold and in the dirt, Onoda was happy. He had purpose. When he returned, despite the fame and the wealth, he was unhappy because he lost the most important things he had: his self-identity and his purpose in life Evarist Bartolo A new year's story from the jungle Evarist Bartolo is Minister for Education and Employment Onoda waves upon arriving back in Tokyo. March 12, 1974.