In the days following the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, there was confusion and uncertainty in the upper echelons of the Imperial Japanese government. Most of the leadership had deferred the final decision to the Emperor, who told them to “Bear the unbearable.”

During the few days of waiting for the Japanese decision, the United States had paused its B-29 led bombing campaign. There rumors were rampant. Time after time the surrender was said to be imminent, but then faded away to be followed by yet another rumor.

As it became clear that Japan had not been – as yet – convinced to lay down her arms, General Spaatz decided that what was needed was a 1000 Bomber raid. This had been the norm in the later stages of the war against Germany, but it had not – as yet – happened in the Pacific Theater. The sheer size of the Pacific Theater and the distances involved had made it impractical. A lack of B-29s had made unachievable.

Until today, August 14, 1945.

As the B-29s began to roll off of the Island of Tinian on the morning and throughout the entire day of August 14, 1945 (never totaling 1000) the aim was simply to bomb whatever targets might be left. At the Palace in Tokyo, the Emperor began to record a special message, announcing to his people the surrender. As the Bombers arrived overhead, the taping was topped and the record was hidden in a closet.

Safely stowed there it would not be found when a last violent attempt was made to stop the surrender. The B-29s dropped their lethal loads, killing ever more Japanese civilians. In anger over the impeding surrender and the B-29 raids, Japanese militants seized American POWs and began to behead them.

The last few moments of the war would be every bit as bloody and violent as the first.