• My Eyes, slowly open, I feel unnaturally calm. After all, this is my last day on this World, for tomorrow I shall be revered as a God. I shrug off any thoughts of things I wanted to do before I die, my life is no longer mine; it now belongs to my Emperor, Family, and Country. I walk into the Airfield's bathhouse, no one says a word or looks at anyone.
    After about 10 minutes everyone leaves, only a few stay and talk, I do not stay, nothing anyone says will interest me, I only look forward to what is at hand. I walk out of the bathhouse into the cool Summer air of Dawn. I look over to some netting, underneath is a Mitsubishi A6m Zero fighter, how Ironic, I think to myself, "Those where once unbeatable, now they can barley be compared to the American Hellcats and Corsairs". I keep walking to the runway, there a few also chosen to die today stand.. I join in the line next to them as the rest of the Pilots line up for their last sortie.
    As soon as we all get in a line, the man who has devised our Fate, Rear Admiral Takejiro Onishi walks out in a full battle uniform. He may seem like he does not mind what is happening to us by the Casual way he speaks, but deep down, every man knows he feels like he's saying goodbye to his son times One Hundred. I mostly do not hear what he says except for the final sentence, "Duty is as heavy as a Mountain, yet Death is lighter than a feather."
    All the pilots quickly go up to a table, there they give an Officer whatever they wish their families to have. I walk up to him with an emotionless gaze, the same every pilot destined to die has then, and hand him an envelope with some of my hair and nail clippings inside, I figure I should leave my parents a reminder of when their son was Mortal. Right next to the mail table was cups of white rice and Sake, every man, even self have a serving. Gods may not need food, however, we are not Gods just yet.
    The time has come, a Banner is hoisted at the flagpole and Drummers begin playing a pattern, I rush over to the Camouflage Tarp where I look at my machine that will take me to eternity, a KI-48 Fighter, recently brought over from a factory in the mainland. I'm lucky, I look over to the aircraft next to me: A KI-43 Hayabusa, I think to myself, "Those where obsolete when the war began, I hate to think what the US craft will do to it now." I walk over to my ground crew, I only know their names, nothing else, and Bow to them and shake their hands, "This should serve you well on your final trip" the Mechanic about my age of 19 says. I am about to say something back whe-"Attention Pilots! Man your Aircraft! American Carriers from the 58 Fleet have been spotted off Okinawa!"
    There is no time for final pleasantries, I hop into my KI-48 and turn the engine, just as the gears and Propeller start moving and getting loud I hear a faint sound coming from the side of the runway, "Banzai! Tenno Heika Banzai!" I look over to see the flight crews and Officers waving their hats and banners as I and my fellow pilots Taxi.
    I am the Third to go. I Reach the end of the runway and firewall the Throttle, my aircraft comes to life as She roars down the runway. I can't think right now.

    I look up for the first time since taking off, at least that I'm aware of, and I notice I'm in the clouds. Just as I begin to admire their beauty, they begin to fade away. Suddenly, I see them! A few miles away, the Americans. I begin to look with squinted eyes for any Carriers, I am greeted by a few puffs of Flak near me, but still far enough to miss.
    I look back over my should to see only a few of my Comrades have stayed with me, I see one! I turn my Plane to the direction of a Carrier, I hope it is full of planes on the Deck. Well, It's time, I begin to change my course into my target, I am 10,000 feet up and about 5 miles away. I decide to make a dash to the Carrier instead of dodging the enemy fire, what's it matter if I get killed along the way? Unlike me other pilots begin to swerve and dodge fire, I see one plane get gunned down by an American F6F, those very machines had claimed many of my friends earlier in the war, now I could return the favor. I no longer care what is around me, I fixate my eyes on my target, as I get closer more ships' guns open up around me and my fellow pilots.
    I only have a few more minutes until I'm there! I can make it! I can- I see a hole in my wind shield, I look down and see Blood on my flight suit, I cannot feel the pain, but the screaming reminds me that in fact, I am still alive, for now at least, I press on without any feeling of the bullet wound to my shoulder. I am close, I can now see the water and can hear the Carrier's Escorts opening fire, I can now see the muzzle flashes, It's almost done.
    I do not look in any other direction except at my final destination, the Carrier is getting closer! I can see planes on the deck...I can see the guns on the b*****d!...I can see the Number "11" on the Tower of it- I think to myself, "It's the Intrepid" I can do this! I think about what I am about to, it does not phase me anymore. I look up can see men on the ship, they are ducking as I scream closer, my heart is beating faster than anything, I look out my window and see the Ocean with my Aircraft shadow obscuring it's crystal blue, I'm only 40 feet off the Water now! I am so full of adrenaline I can't even think! I scream at the top of my lungs: "FAREWELL MOTHER AND FATH-