Japan formally surrendered in August of 1945 ending World War II. Some Japanese soldiers did not believe or did not know Japan had surrendered and continued to fight. When did the last of these Japanese soldiers (holdouts) surrender?

Private Teruo was discovered in 1974 and was the last Japanese holdout from WWII. Teruo was born in Formosa (Taiwan today)(a territory of Japan until 1974) and was a soldier of the Japanese Army.

Lieutenant Hiroo Onoda of the Japanese Imperial Army's Intelligence Division was sent to the Philippine Island of Lubang in 1944 with a top-secret mission. In 1945, the U.S. military dropped pamphlets saying the war had ended. Onoda thought it was a trick and continued to fight. Onoda’s WWII commander traveled from Japan and ordered Onoda to surrender.

Other holdouts:

• On Guam, Private Bunzō Minagawa surrendered in May 1960.

• Days later, on May 23, 1960, Sergeant Masashi surrendered on Guam.

• On Guam, Corporal Shoichi Yokoi surrendered in January 1972.