Operation Fireflies

Search and recovery of Japanese remains of war dead in Bamban Hills

A Japanese tunnel captured by the 40th Division US Army in February 1945 with the body of a Japanese soldier.
A Japanese tunnel captured by the 40th Division US Army in February 1945 with the body of a Japanese soldier.
Artifacts and remains of war dead found inside a Japanese war tunnel in Fujiyama, Bamban HIlls, circa 2015.
Artifacts and remains of war dead found inside a Japanese war tunnel in Fujiyama, Bamban HIlls, circa 2015.
Exploring Bamban HIlls for Japanese war tunnel, like this one sealed and ready for opening to search for remains of war dead, February 2023.
Exploring Bamban HIlls for Japanese war tunnel, like this one sealed and ready for opening to search for remains of war dead, February 2023.
Japanese and Filipino government representatives and forensic experts and BHS officials examining remains of war dead at Bamban WWII Museum, circa 2019.
Japanese and Filipino government representatives and forensic experts and BHS officials examining remains of war dead at Bamban WWII Museum, circa 2019.
Japanese delegates from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare at Bamban WWII Museum on visit for the Operation Fireflies_ circa 2018.
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LAYOUT OPERATION FIREFLIES]
LAYOUT OPERATION FIREFLIES
Mr. Kenji Hada and Filipino and Japanese delegates for Search and Recovery Team at Bamban Museum, November 2022.
Mr. Kenji Hada and Filipino and Japanese delegates for Search and Recovery Team at Bamban Museum, November 2022.
Opening of Japanese war tunnel sealed about 80 years ago, searching for remains of war dead in Bamban, circa 2022.
Opening of Japanese war tunnel sealed about 80 years ago, searching for remains of war dead in Bamban, circa 2022.
With Kenji Hada and Japanese delegates from Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare inside the HOshino Butai tunnel, Bamban Hills with Rhonie Dela Cruz on field survey.
With Kenji Hada and Japanese delegates from Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare inside the HOshino Butai tunnel, Bamban Hills with Rhonie Dela Cruz on field survey.
Japanese and Filipino government representatives and forensic experts examining remains of war dead at Bamban WWII Museum, circa 2019.
Japanese and Filipino government representatives and forensic experts examining remains of war dead at Bamban WWII Museum, circa 2019.

A long-term program aimed in the field research for the recovery of Japanese soldiers’ remains left in the battlefields of the Bamban Hills, especially those who were left inside the war tunnels. Since the start of the program more than a decade ago, Bamban Historical Society had already handed over to the Japanese Government representatives several sets of suspected Japanese remains of war dead in line with the Bilateral Agreement between the Government of Japan and the Philippines.

At present, the program continues with cooperation with both the Philippine National Museum and Japan Ministry of Labour, Health and Welfare, conducting field surveys of the former battlefields of the Bamban and exploring war tunnels for any possible signs of remains that can be found.

Rhonie Dela Cruz: Operation Fireflies

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