In the waning months of WWII, the Japanese generals were facing dire prospects. They knew they couldn’t win the war but they couldn't admit defeat, either. They believed in the divine purpose behind their cause. Further, to admit defeat was a catastrophic loss of face.

The generals would not sue for peace. They would press on in the face of certain failure.

So, with their resources depleted, they dreamed up a new tactic: Kamikaze. With no real resources left, their military in shambles, the Japanese used what precious little they had in a dramatic, if desperate, attempt to win the war.  They sent young, mostly untrained, pilots on missions designed to destroy their enemy. There was no real logic to the attacks -- just get through the defenses and crash into the enemy. Do the most damage possible.

And they caused considerable damage to the American fleet. Scores of American vessels were sunk or badly damaged; thousands of sailors died.

And for what?

It was a plan destined to fail. Worse, it proved to the American military that the Japanese were willing to do anything to stay in the war. That thought factored into the decision to use atomic bombs on civilian targets in Japan. Hundreds of thousands died unnecessarily.

What of the pilots? Well, they were expendable. They got rousing sendoffs as they began their last missions. Some were too frightened to resist; they died. Some were caught up in the moment; they died. Some were real believers; they died, too. In the end, each died alone, perhaps not realizing that the forces of their enemy were beyond their pitiful attacks.

What of the Japanese generals? Most committed suicide rather than admit defeat. In that way, they didn't have to face the people at home. It was a cowardly act disguised as the ultimate in bravery.