His squadron dropped bombs not far from where Mr. Bier took shelter.
"We will always remember the Americans' coming at a time when we needed help," said Osamu Abe, 43, an official in the town of Minamisanriku, where Commander Aguilar's squadron dropped off bottled water, military rations and children's clothing on Sunday.
No. 79 Squadron dropped leaflets on Japanese positions after Japan agreed to surrender on 15 August and returned to Australia in October 1945.
Following the end of the war the squadron dropped leaflets to advise Japanese troops that their country had surrendered and continued to make anti-submarine patrols.
The landing was covered by the destroyers Arunta, Bush, Stockton and ; a pair of rocket-firing LCVPs and the LCM (flak), which fired 168 4.5 inches rockets; the guns of the 61st Field Artillery Battalion on Los Negros; and six Kittyhawks of No. 76 Squadron dropped 500 pound bombs.
Thereafter its squadrons dropped leaflets to remaining pockets of Japanese resistance, making them aware of the surrender.
A force of 32 Lancasters from Nos. 9 and 617 Squadrons dropped 29 Tallboys on the ship, with two direct hits and one near miss.
Two of the four B-25 squadrons dropped bombs in areas occupied by American troops, two of whom were killed and four wounded before the 12th U.S. Air Liaison Party could correct the error.
The destroyers Gillespie, Hobby, Kalk and Reid bombarded the area with their 5 inch guns; the two rocket LCVPs, the LCM (flak) and the combat LVT raked the shoreline with rockets; the artillery on Hauwei and Butjo Luo engaged targets; and 18 B-25s of the 499th and 500th Bombardment Squadrons dropped 81 500 pound bombs and strafed the area.
The pathfinders of No. 625 Squadron RAF, dropping the target markers for the bombers, were instructed not to allow the target zone to "drift back" towards the Allied lines as had been the tendency in earlier operations.
