Japan WW2 holdout soldier dies

[AVGWarhawk]

Originally Posted by Ducimus

I'm just pointing out the culture shock. It really doesn't take long. I remember vividly having more culture shock entering California after being gone for a few years, then I did when i was stationed overseas. You leave home, and in your mind it stays a certain way - how you left it. Lots of things can happen in the time space of a few years. Roads, industry, traffic, fashions, trends. Now that's just a few years, imagine nearly 3 decades of being gone. You'd be a stranger in a strange land, regardless if it was the land of your birth or not.

Originally Posted by Dread Knot

American soldiers who became POWs in the Philippines went through a similar cultural shock when they liberated by their fellow Americans in 1945. As one veteran noted "We went to war with outdated Springfield Rifles and Doughboy Helmets. We were set free by these green Men from Mars with radio sets on their backs, bazookas, jeeps, BARs, plenty of chewing gum and all manner of items we could have only dreamed of having back in '41." Even their English slang and demeanor were different.

I can only imaging the culture shock. It must have felt like a different planet all together.