THE SURRENDER: Onto the Sacred Soil

Japan's campaign for world empire was dead, and it was about to be interred with due pomp and ceremony. Details of the funeral preoccupied both the Japanese and the Allies, but vanquished Japs still could not bring themselves to accept the reality.

The first contact on the enemy's ground provided a preview of the conquered's behavior under occupation. Two Lightning pilots from Okinawa set down unexpectedly on a Kyushu airfield to wait for a rescue plane carrying gas. Jap personnel at the field were courteous and co operative — and they treated the Americans as equals.

Devil's Breath. If the superstitious...

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