Comments on: Pol Pot's Dead?

Pol Pot's Dead?

BradNelson — Wed, 08 Dec 2004 09:44:03 -0800

25 years in a non-existant war In 1979, a Khmer Rouge guerrilla fled to the hills of Cambodia when his village was attacked by Vietnamese troops. He and a small group of friends and family lived in the dense forests for 25 years, emerging in 2004 to discover that the war was over and that Pol Pot was dead. They had been fearful of any human contact, believing everyone to be the enemy.

By: BradNelson

BradNelson — Wed, 08 Dec 2004 09:44:23 -0800

The same thing happened to a Japanese soldier after World War II. He lived alone on an island, avoiding any human contact, thinking that the war was still on. Efforts to find him, including by his father, failed. He thought that the Americans had cleverly copied his father's voice. When they finally found him in the 1970s, he refused to surrender until his company commander ordered him to. So they had to go find his old commander and bring him down to the island so the guy would go home. Kind of amazing that people will be convinced that a war is still on, despite there being no evidence of it.

By: BradNelson

BradNelson — Wed, 08 Dec 2004 09:51:37 -0800

Great. I spell check "existent" and I still get it wrong.

By: whatzit

whatzit — Wed, 08 Dec 2004 10:01:57 -0800

more info on the Japanese holdouts above, from a previous thread.

By: flarbuse

flarbuse — Wed, 08 Dec 2004 10:12:13 -0800

The Crusades ended long ago, though some today apparently think the war goes on.

By: sid

sid — Wed, 08 Dec 2004 10:24:49 -0800

It would be ironic if there were similar holdouts in, say, Afghanistan, who emerged from hiding only to find fresh conflict going on.

By: Specklet

Specklet — Wed, 08 Dec 2004 10:32:27 -0800

I've heard about these holdout folks, but never really thought about it. My lord. Can you imagine what the children of this group must think of the modern world? To finally see what they've only heard about? Everyday items such as shoes, a toothbrush, a doorknob, would be found novel, let alone societal norms and advanced technology... What an adjustment.

By: stbalbach

stbalbach — Wed, 08 Dec 2004 10:40:30 -0800

Stunned relatives immediately threw a party of rice wine, pig soup and papaya

By: BradNelson

BradNelson — Wed, 08 Dec 2004 10:54:48 -0800

Thanks for the link, whatzit. This is the guy I was thinking of.

By: stinkycheese

stinkycheese — Wed, 08 Dec 2004 10:57:15 -0800

It's like "The Last Flight of Noah's Ark" only without the island and the upside-down airplane and the kids and the lady and Elliott Gould and the Japanese soldiers...

By: scarabic

scarabic — Wed, 08 Dec 2004 11:24:10 -0800

I was thinking it's just like Mediterraneo without the Italian prostitutes.

By: kindall

kindall — Wed, 08 Dec 2004 11:26:19 -0800

"I want to thank the old people who were brave enough to lead me out of the jungle. Otherwise, I would never have known what a car looked like," he said, sucking pensively from a jar of wine, a truck parked over his shoulder. Wow. Either they have flying trucks in Cambodia, or this guy was suck under a truck while giving this interview. In which case his coherence is admirable.

By: kindall

kindall — Wed, 08 Dec 2004 11:26:45 -0800

suck under a truck Stuck, dammit.

By: jmgorman

jmgorman — Wed, 08 Dec 2004 11:36:55 -0800

They're tellin' me its not there anymore. Does anyone have a copy or a mirror?

By: ewagoner

ewagoner — Wed, 08 Dec 2004 12:40:29 -0800

Here's my thread on the Japanese holdouts that whatzit referenced.

By: BobFrapples

BobFrapples — Wed, 08 Dec 2004 13:13:09 -0800

Jesus Christ that's retarded... I would've snuck into town to check shit out around about... oh, I dunno... year 5???

By: furiousxgeorge

furiousxgeorge — Wed, 08 Dec 2004 19:20:49 -0800

Pol-Pot ran a pretty insanely evil regime, you might have been scared for longer than you think Bob.

By: etoile

etoile — Thu, 09 Dec 2004 11:37:03 -0800

Wow, I always thought that type of story was an urban legend. Thanks, whatzit.