A Boeing B-29 Superfortress rests on the hardstand of a Pacific island airbase, its unpainted aluminum skin catching the overcast light. Faded nose art marks the fuselage below the cockpit, a personal touch amid the anonymity of mass bomber production. From bases in the Mariana Islands, B-29s of the XXI Bomber Command carried out the strategic bombing campaign against Japan in 1944 and 1945, ultimately including the atomic missions that ended the war. A small tracked utility vehicle parked nearby hints at the logistical effort required to keep these giant bombers combat-ready on remote coral airstrips far from home. Project: 218710