When warring troops stopped fighting and shared a picnic

During the final months of World War II, American and Japanese forces on Aka Island near Okinawa established an extraordinary truce that included sharing a meal and praying together on a beach. The event began when US Lt Col George Clark led negotiations with Japanese garrison commander Major Yoshihiko Noda in June 1945, resulting in a ceasefire that lasted until Japan's surrender in August without further casualties. This remarkable moment of humanity remained largely unknown for decades until Japanese lecturer Hiroshi Sakai investigated it in 2004 and later contacted Newcastle University professor Nick Megoran, who recognized its historical significance.