On 6 August 1945, the first of two Atomic Bombs was dropped on the Japanese Homeland. The first bomb was a Uranium device, nicknamed the "Little Boy". There were four targets selected and Hiroshima was the one chosen. It was a primary target because there was a Japanese Army Base at that location. The second Atomic Bomb, a Plutonium device, titled, "Fat Boy" was dropped on Nagasaki on 9 August 1945. On 14 August 1945, the Japanese Government notified the United States of its intent to surrender. Japan agreed to the terms of an "Unconditional Surrender" and the War in the Pacific was all but over. Nagasaki City was the capital of Nagasaki Prefecture on Western Kyushu. Kyushu is the third largest island in the Japanese Island Chain. It lies in the lower sector of the Japanese Islands. On the East Coast of Kyushu is Miyazaki. Photo squadron, VMD-354, just prior to the Atomic Bombing of Japan, had been photographing the beaches of Kyushu from Miyazaki to the Southern tip of Kyushu. Had Japan not surrendered, the allied invasion (Operation OLYMPIC) would have taken place along that stretch of land somewhere below Miyazaki on 1 November 1945. It was this stretch of beach along the East Coast of Kyushu that VMD-354 had been making repeated Photo Reconnaissance Missions gathering critical data using the Sonne Continuous Strip camera to measure water depths, under water obstacles, surface conditions, etc in preparation for the allied invasion. With the end of hostilities, all operational missions scheduled for VMD-354 detachments were cancelled. The squadron's detachments regrouped at the squadrons main headquarters on Guam to await further orders. Two of the VMD-354 Photo Pilots, Lt.'s D. Schofield and W. Derby were assigned to deliver the Surrender Instructions to the island commander of Chi Chi Jima, an island fortress still being held by the Japanese Army. Others flew cover over the sites where the delegates representing the Allied Countries and Japan were engaged in the signing of the official documents of surrender. There were photographers from VMD-354 present to photograph several Surrender Ceremonies. VMD-354 pilots who had flown Combat Photographic Reconnaissance Missions, were awarded the Air Medal and the DFC. Surrender-Cont'd