A presentation of The National WWII Museum's curricular resources to help educators teach about the use of atomic bombs against Japan.

In the bloodiest battle in Marine Corps history, 27 Marines and sailors were awarded the Medal of Honor for action on Iwo Jima. No other campaign surpassed that number.

For extraordinary heroism and acts above and beyond the call of duty during World War II, the United States Congress awarded 473 Medals of Honor. To date, 3,534 have been awarded since the inception of the Medal during the US Civil War. Only one has ever been awarded to a US Coast Guardsman.

Allied military planners faced a bitter truth as they planned for a possible invasion of Japan: there were no distinctions between soldiers and civilians.

Invasion or Blockade? American Army and Navy planners debated how to vanquish Japan during World War II's final weeks.

The US assault on Munda Point, New Georgia in July-August 1943 drove American soldiers and Marines to the limits of endurance—and merited three Medals of Honor.

An anti-shipping sweep conducted on July 22, 1945 was the first time US Navy ships entered the outer reaches of Tokyo bay since April 1939.

At 5:29 a.m. (MST) on July 16, 1945, the world’s first atomic bomb detonated in the New Mexican desert, releasing a level of destructive power unknown in the existence of humanity. Emitting as much energy as 21,000 tons of TNT and creating a fireball that measured roughly 2,000 feet in diameter, the first successful test of an atomic bomb, known as the Trinity Test, forever changed the history of the world.

In the bloodiest battle in Marine Corps history, 27 Marines and sailors were awarded the Medal of Honor for action on Iwo Jima. No other campaign surpassed that number.

The fight for Mount Austen witnessed some of the hardest fighting on Guadalcanal. Its successful capture ensured the security of Henderson Field from Japanese artillery fire and infiltrators.

Sterling Cale discusses his experiences during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

Richard B. Frank, author of Tower of Skulls: A History of the Asia-Pacific War Volume 1: 1937-1942, discusses the opening moves of the war in Asia, and why it is important today.