Ens. Elmer "Al" Ha.s.se, KIA over Amami Oshima, March 26, 1945. (U.S. NAVY)

Ens. Ernest "Red" Bailey Jr., KIA over Kyushu, April 16, 1945. (U.S. NAVY)

VBF-10 Corsair over invasion fleet at Okinawa. (U.S. NAVY)

Ens. Loren Isley, KIA over Saeki, Kyushu, March 18, 1945. (U.S. NAVY)

Ens. Roy "Eric" Erickson, art student turned fighter pilot.

(U.S. NAVY)

Cmdr. John Hyland, commander of Air Group 10, nearly missed the war. (U.S. NAVY)

Lt. (jg) Phil Kirkwood, Air Group 10's highest-scoring ace at Okinawa. (U.S. NAVY)

"Toni the Tease" entertains the Tail End Charlies in Atlantic City before they deployed aboard Intrepid. Intrepid. ( (U.S. NAVY)

A VBF-10 Corsair on the catapult. (U.S. NAVY)

Lt. (jg) Wes Hays won the Navy Cross for the attack on the Yamato Yamato task force. ( task force. (U.S. NAVY/WESLEY HAYS COLLECTION)

Lt. William "Country" Landreth became the air group's first POW, March 19, 1945. (U.S. NAVY)

VBF-10 Executive Officer Lt. C. D. "Timmy" Gile. (U.S. NAVY)

Wreckage on the flight deck of USS Bunker Hill Bunker Hill after kamikaze attack, May 11, 1945. ( after kamikaze attack, May 11, 1945. (NMNA)

VBF-10 skipper Lt. Cmdr. Wilmer Rawie proposes a toast. (U.S. NAVY)

"The Bald Eagle," Vice Adm. Marc Mitscher, commanded the Fast Carrier Task Force. (NMNA)

Ernie Pyle hadn't wanted to come to the Pacific, but thought he owed it to the troops. (NHHC)

A Corsair fires rockets at target on Okinawa. (NHHC)

A Marine fires on a j.a.panese position with a Thompson submachine gun. (NHHC)

Air Group 10 airmen briefing before mission, April 1945. (U.S. NAVY)

Destroyer/minelayer (DM-34) USS Aaron Ward Aaron Ward after kamikaze attacks of May 3, 1945. ( after kamikaze attacks of May 3, 1945. (NARA)

Ens. Alfred Lerch made history on April 16, 1945, when he shot down seven j.a.panese planes in one mission. (NMNA)

Hagushi beachhead four days after Love Day. (NHHC)

Aft flight deck of USS Bunker Hill. Bunker Hill. ( (NMNA)

Ens. Chuck Schlag's mission briefing card from his last combat flight, April 16, 1945. (COURTESY CHARLES SCHLAG)

Intrepid crewmen working on a Corsair. ( crewmen working on a Corsair. (U.S. NAVY/WESLEY HAYS COLLECTION)

Kamikaze pilots about to depart on final missions. (NHHC)

A j.a.panese Mitsubishi G4M "Betty" Bomber. (NHHC)

War correspondent Ernie Pyle with a driver on Okinawa. (NARA)

(left to right) Lt. Gen. Simon Buckner, Vice Adm. Kelly Turner, Maj. Gen. Lemuel Shepherd. ( Lt. Gen. Simon Buckner, Vice Adm. Kelly Turner, Maj. Gen. Lemuel Shepherd. (NHHC)

An Ohka suicide bomber captured on Okinawa. (NARA)

Okinawa invasion beach viewed from inland. (NHHC)

TBM Avengers over Okinawa. (NMNA)

The invasion beach at Okinawa. The first objective, the j.a.panese air base at Yontan, is at left. (NARA)

The superbattleship Yamato Yamato under way. ( under way. (NARA)

The bra.s.s aboard USS Eldorado (left to right): Eldorado (left to right): Rear Adm. Forrest Sherman, Adm. Raymond Spruance, Adm. Chester Nimitz, Vice Adm. R. K. Turner. ( Rear Adm. Forrest Sherman, Adm. Raymond Spruance, Adm. Chester Nimitz, Vice Adm. R. K. Turner. (NARA)

USS Laffey Laffey (DD-724) suffered more kamikaze attacks than any other ship without being sunk. ( (DD-724) suffered more kamikaze attacks than any other ship without being sunk. (NHHC)

VB-10 SB-2C h.e.l.ldiver approaching Intrepid. Intrepid.

(U.S. NAVY)

VBF-10 Corsair in the barricade after a carrier landing mishap. (U.S. NAVY)

VBF-10 squadron insignia designed by Ens. Eric Erickson. (U.S. NAVY)

The black shoe and the brown shoe: Cmdre. Arleigh Burke and Vice Adm. Marc Mitscher. (NARA)

Intrepid ablaze after kamikaze strike, April 16, 1945. ( ablaze after kamikaze strike, April 16, 1945. (INTREPID SEA, AIR & s.p.a.cE MUSEUM SEA, AIR & s.p.a.cE MUSEUM)

Yamato under attack by U.S. Navy planes, April 7, 1945. ( under attack by U.S. Navy planes, April 7, 1945. (NARA)

Vice Adm. Matome Ugaki posing without medals in front of the Judy dive-bomber in which he flew on the last kamikaze mission of the war. (CHIRAN KAMIKAZE PEACE MUSEUM)

Lt. Gen. Mitsuru Ushijima, commander of the IJA 32nd Army, believed that if he prolonged the battle for Okinawa, j.a.pan might still be spared. (CHIRAN KAMIKAZE PEACE MUSEUM)

PART THREE

FLOATING CHRYSANTHEMUMS DEAR P PARENTS:PLEASE CONGRATULATE ME. I HAVE BEEN GIVEN A SPLENDID OPPORTUNITY TO DIE HAVE BEEN GIVEN A SPLENDID OPPORTUNITY TO DIE. THIS IS MY LAST DAY. THE DESTINY OF OUR HOMELAND HINGES ON THE DECISIVE BATTLE IN THE SEAS TO THE SOUTH WHERE I I SHALL FALL LIKE A BLOSSOM FROM A RADIANT CHERRY TREE SHALL FALL LIKE A BLOSSOM FROM A RADIANT CHERRY TREE.-LETTER FROM FLYING PETTY OFFICER FIRST CLa.s.s ISAO MATSUO ON THE EVE OF HIS ISAO MATSUO ON THE EVE OF HIS TOKKO TOKKO MISSION MISSIONWE WATCHED EACH PLUNGING KAMIKAZE WITH THE DETACHED HORROR OF ONE WITNESSING A TERRIBLE SPECTACLE RATHER THAN AS THE INTENDED VICTIM. WE FORGOT SELF FOR THE MOMENT AS WE GROPED HELPLESSLY FOR THE THOUGHTS OF THAT OTHER MAN UP THERE.

-VICE ADM. C. R. BROWN

Kamikaze about to ram USS Missouri Missouri, April 11, 1945. (NARA)