rank insignia from his dark green uniform, taking only a ceremonial short sword given to him by Admiral Yamamoto. Elements of this last flight most likely followed the Ryukyu flyway southwest to the many small islands north of Okinawa, where U.S. forces were still on alert at the potential end of hostilities. Endo served as radioman during the mission, sending Ugaki's final messages, the last of which at 19:24 reported that the plane had begun its dive onto an American vessel. However, U.S. Navy records do not indicate any successful kamikaze attack on that day, and it is likely that all aircraft on the mission (with the exception of three that returned due to engine problems) crashed into the ocean, struck down by American anti-aircraft fire. Although there are no precise accounts of an intercept made by Navy or Marine fighters or Pacific Fleet surface units against enemy aircraft in this vicinity at the time of surrender, it is possible further research may reveal more detail as to which ships (if any) were attacked. According to one report this last flight of seven aircraft was shot down by American landing craft LST-926. The next morning, the crew of LST-926 claimed to have found the still smoldering remains of a "cockpit" (implying a shootdown or violent ditching of some sort, but not the exact cause) with three bodies on the beach of Iheyajima Island. The third man, his head crushed and right arm missing, wore a dark green uniform and a short sword was found nearby. The sailors buried the bodies in the sand. He was posthumously awarded the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun. Honors and awards Order of the Rising Sun 1st Class, Grand Cordon (posthumous, ca. 1945) References Footnotes Bibliography Thomas, Evan (2007), Sea of Thunder: Four Naval Commanders and the Last Sea War, New York: Simon and Schuster. External links Bio at World War II Database 1890 births 1945 deaths People from Okayama Imperial Japanese Navy admirals Japanese military personnel killed in World War II Japanese admirals of World War II Kamikaze pilots Japanese naval attachés Japanese diarists Grand Cordons of the Order of the Rising Sun 20th-century diarists