Japan considers surrender

I'm back in August 1945, my ship the Pickens preparing for the invasion of Japan.   San Francisco was crowded and frantic as troops were boarding transports and the air force, army, and marines were getting ready.  I don't remember any secrecy about the planned invasion, which was projected to cost Allied forces 10 times as many casualties as were sustained at Normandy.  We could understand that because we had seen at Okinawa how effective suicide plane attacks were.

We had hopes that Japan might surrender and make an invasion unnecessary.  Japanese leaders were meeting, some advocating surrender while others insisted on  continued resistance no matter how high the cost for the people.