Mutsuhiro Watanabe was a Japanese sergeant in World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

. He was classified as a Class-A war criminal following the war for his abuse of prisoners of war (POWs) held by the Japanese military.

In 1945, General Douglas MacArthur

Douglas MacArthur

General of the Army Douglas MacArthur was an American general and field marshal of the Philippine Army. He was a Chief of Staff of the United States Army during the 1930s and played a prominent role in the Pacific theater during World War II. He received the Medal of Honor for his service in the...

 included Watanabe on his list of the 40 most wanted war criminals in Japan. He was listed as No. 23, alias "the Bird".

Laura Hillenbrand

Laura Hillenbrand

Laura Hillenbrand is an American author of books and magazine articles.Born in Fairfax, Virginia, Hillenbrand spent much of her childhood riding bareback "screaming over the hills" of her father's Sharpsburg, Maryland, farm. A favorite of hers was Come On Seabiscuit, a 1963 kiddie book. "I read...

, author of Seabiscuit: An American Legend

Seabiscuit: An American Legend

Seabiscuit: An American Legend is a non-fiction book written by Laura Hillenbrand published in 2001 about the thoroughbred race horse, Seabiscuit. It won the William Hill Sports Book of the Year and was made into a feature film in 2003. It has also been published under the title: Seabiscuit - The...

, wrote a biography of Louis Zamperini

Louis Zamperini

Louis Silvie Zamperini is a World War II prisoner of war survivor, inspirational speaker, and former American Olympic distance runner.-Early life:...

, a World War II POW who was repeatedly assaulted by Watanabe. The book, titled Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption

Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption

Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption is a 2010 non-fiction book by Laura Hillenbrand, author of the best-selling book Seabiscuit: An American Legend...

, details the multiple accounts of similar abuse by Watanabe.