Baptism of Fire

He had not cried on the eve of his suicide, because he knew his death would not come in vain.

He was little more than a boy, yet he was prepared to die as a man.

He saw death not as suicide, but as an ultimate sacrifice for emperor and people.

Today, his final day in this life he wrote,

"If only I may fall as a cherry blossom in spring, so pure and radiant."

Enclosed with the poem he enclosed seven locks of his hair and finger nail clippings, all that would remain of his physical body.

He then went to look at the stars.

He was conflicted for he would never see his family or village again.

He rose early from his bunk that morning to get a sight of the rising sun.

First, he put on a white silk robe inscribed with bushido, around his head he wore a hachi maki and finally about his waist, he tied on the sword of his family.

He then went to the flight line for final instructions and orders.

"On behalf of your countrymen, I thank you for your sacrifice." said the squadron leader, "In blossom today and then scattered, life is but a floating chrysanthemum, how can one expect the fragrance to last forever?"

"You are the divine wind!" he added.

After drinking sake, they boarded their planes. He noticed how his plane was thoroughly cleaned, for this was for all purposes to be his coffin. He then observed the ground crew loading his plane with the 500 lbs of TNT that would kill him.

He felt one with the power of the engine as he taxied down the runway. Breaking free from the grasp of mother Earth, he was at peace for this final flight.

The carrier battle group was steaming into Leyte Gulf. Lookouts spotted a large group of small planes closing fast from the east.

They launched their fighters and the destroyers raised a curtain of smoke.

One by one the planes were shot down, crashing harmlessly into the sea, but he played hide and seek behind a bank of low clouds.

Biding his time perfectly he came like a hawk in full stoop.

The plane upside down dived for the island of the flat top.

With battle cry of "Babe Ruth go to hell!" he met death with his eyes open.

The plane smashed into the deck of the carrier penetrating the flight deck and exploding in the ships magazine.

And she sank quickly.

He was now a god. As a phoenix he was baptized in fire. He was the divine wind,