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Japanese Kamikaze Attack Kamikaze, which in Japanese means “divine wind,” were suicide squadrons organized by the Japanese air force in the last months of World War II. Pilots flew their aircraft, loaded with explosives, directly into U.S. naval vessels. Kamikaze pilots, sacrificing their lives in a last-ditch effort to stop the American advance, sank about 40 U.S. ships.

Battle of Iwo Jima Marines rush from their landing craft onto the beach at Iwo Jima as the United States invaded the island during World War II. The Marines captured the Japanese island in 1945 after a month-long battle that caused one of the highest casualty tolls in the Pacific theater of the war.

Aftermath of Atomic Bomb in Hiroshima The first atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, Japan, on August 6, 1945, during World War II. The blast destroyed 68 percent of the city and damaged another 24 percent, and an estimated 60,000 to 70,000 people were killed or reported missing, according to United States estimates.

Japanese Surrender Japanese officials formally surrendered to the Allies on September 2, 1945, aboard the United States battleship Missouri. Japan's surrender brought an end to World War II (1939-1945).

American Troops, Guadalcanal On August 7, 1942, United States Marines attacked a small Japanese garrison that held the island of Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands. The Japanese responded with a powerful air and sea defensive. In the ensuing months, six major naval engagements were fought on or near the island, with both sides experiencing heavy losses, before U.S. forces secured it in February of 1943. Here, United States troops land at Guadalcanal during amphibious training in 1944.