September 2-3, 1945, Tokyo Harbor, Signing of the Japanese Instrument of Surrender

Liestoppers ^ | 1 day later than I meant to | Self

[NavyCanDo]

Actually they were given a deployment book which showed not only pictures taken in Tokyo Harbor, but ones taken during the heavy fighting off Okinawa, Leyte Gulf, Surigau Strait, and Peleliu. Sadly this book fell a part over the years and most of the pages lost. But last year I was able to find the same cruise book on CD over the web, which included many new pictures and ship history, along with sound. I sure wish My Dad was alive to view it with me. He passed away back in 2003.

[Ready4Freddy]

So do I, NCD. My father also passed away in 2003.

I sure wish My Dad was alive to view it with me. He passed away back in 2003.

[NavyCanDo]

This is where I purchased the Cruise Book on CD for my Dad’s ship the U.S.S. Mississippi. If your Dad, or Grandfather was on one of these ships, it would be a great gift Idea.

Navy Cruise Books on CD

Statistics show that only 25-35% of sailors purchased their cruise book.

Many who didn’t probably wished they would have as they got older. It’s a nice way to show them that you care about their past and appreciate the sacrifice they and many others made for us and our country.

http://navyboy63.com/nhf/

[hlmencken3]

...my Dad’s ship the U.S.S. Mississippi...

My father (Electrician's Mate) was also on the battleship Mississippi , which was anchored in Tokyo Bay when the surrender documents were signed and left very soon thereafter for Norfolk, VA.

My father died in 2002.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Japan was thoroughly whipped and broke. They lost several generations of young men in the course of the war. Ironically, the Korean War helped bring them back to economic health.

[NavyCanDo]

My Dad hated Norfolk. Even at the end of WWII when all of the country was welcoming the soldiers and sailors back home as National Heroes, Dad could remember the signs on some lawns in Norfolk that said “dogs and sailors, stay off the grass”. He did LOVE New Orleans, which was another port of call. He always wanted to go back but never did.

He was a Signalman on the Mississippi, and his battle station was a port-side 5 Inch gun.

[MissP-38]

I have aerial photos taken of the signing from my Dad’s plane. It was my 2nd birthday!
He was with the 41st photo recon from Guam. He retired as a Lt. Colonel in the USAF and is still alive.
Someday I have to scan in his photos. They were done in a series and then put together.

[Young Werther]

Read MacArthur's memoirs and marvel at the scope and breadth of his military and political knowledge. He wrote the Japanese Constitution and "Gasp" he stated that men and women were EQUAL! 25 years before the feminist movement in the USA!

To feed the competitive natural of this feudal, militaristic society he taught them, "GASP"! Baseball and Little League would never be the same! Of course, this years Little League World Series demonstrated American Nobles Noblige!

[wordsofearnest]

I second that. My wife & I took the tour last summer on our silver anniversary trip. Her uncle was on the Missouri in the 50’s.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

William Manchester’s “American Caesar,” is also a pretty good read.

[Young Werther]

Read it too!

[Thermalseeker]

“JAPAN HAS SURRENDERED!!! Darling I am coming home!!”

My mother was a telephone operator for Bell when Pearl Harbor was bombed. She was working a switchboard the morning of December 7th, actually afternoon here. I remember her vivid tale of how her board "lit up like a Christmas tree" when the news was announced. She told me once that she was also working the board when the Japanese surrender was announced and she said it lit up again, just like Pearl Harbor.....

[Ready4Freddy]

MacArthur's introduction of baseball was a master stroke, but Japan hasn't really been a major factor. They've won 6 LLWS titles, but the first didn't come until 1967, iirc. Taiwan has been the real Oriental factor, winning 3 times as many LLWS as Japan. Some of the early Japanese teams may well have been kids of American military families, but I'm not sure.

I played on the 1966 Wesbury National team that won at Williamsport. We, and a couple of NJ teams, were the only gringo teams to win the LLWS for ~10 years.

To feed the competitive natural of this feudal, militaristic society he taught them, "GASP"! Baseball and Little League would never be the same! Of course, this years Little League World Series demonstrated American Nobles Noblige!

[Young Werther]

I was a Little League Umpire while stationed at Minot AFB.

In a word...

You're SAFE!

[Thermalseeker]

Actually they were given a deployment book which showed not only pictures taken in Tokyo Harbor

My father was a Captain in the Army and served in the South Pacific, primarily on New Guinea. After he passed in '78 I found a sea chest of his stuff he'd stored out in our barn. It was full of magazines about the Pacific campaign, many of them with color photo's, along with several notebooks with his hand written notes from Army munitions schools he'd attended, and some Army manuals on various weapons systems. He was in charge of an ammo dump on New Guinea and the box has samples of various shells they must have handled, primer and powder removed, of course. There were also some "interesting" photo's of him and some of his friends with several women that weren't my mother at a hotel in Mississippi......but that was before they met and long, long before I was ever a gleam in his eye......he did have mighty fine taste in womenfolk, though.....

[Poundstone]

MacArthur didn’t introduce baseball to Japan; that occurred early in the 20th century. By the 1930s, US teams were touring Japan (as they do now) for exhibition games with Japanese teams. Babe Ruth and Lou Gerhig both played in Japan.

[NavyCanDo]

And my Dad had several photos of Hula Girls sitting on his lap. At a time when Honolulu was famous amongst the military for allot more than just having a sunny beach.

[Ready4Freddy]

Heheh, thanks for your service. And yes were were /are, thanks to Minot. Were you missles or bombers?

In a word...

You're SAFE!

[Young Werther]

Base Top Secret Control Officer. Base Tactical Communications Officer. Top Secret Siop Planner working in Bomb Wing Ops Plan division. Now I'll have to kill you!

NOT!!!!

War story. I was the Little League Treasurer and during the '72 season I misunderstood a news paper article which said "Girls" would be allowed int the Little League program. I signed up 11 girls and had to give the money back 'cause Little League was still in the process of meeting a court ruling in re girls! The next year they were allowed and it becasme a whole new ball game!!!