The Missouri was anchored in Tokyo Bay on Sept. 2, 1945, when it hosted Japanese leaders who signed surrender documents formally ending the war.
Posted on 09/02/2011 10:41:41 PM PDT by smokingfrog
PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii -- A ceremony held aboard the Battleship Missouri Memorial remembers the historic day 66 years ago when Japan formally surrendered to the allied nations, ending World War II.
In the shadow of the Mighty Mo's guns, the patriotic ceremony spoke of war and peace.
It was on this day 66 years earlier that Gen. Douglas MacArthur and representatives from 10 nations assembled aboard the USS Missouri to accept Imperial Japan's formal, unconditional surrender, ending World War II.
Art Albert witnessed the surrender as a young sailor aboard the Missouri.
"Well, at 18 years old, all I could think about was no more GQ, but it was great," said Albert.
He and 20 other World War II veterans were the VIPs at the ceremony on Friday marking the anniversary.
Dr. Bruce Heilman was an 18-year-old marine, preparing for raids on Japan at the time of the surrender.
"We didn't think much else would happen other than we'd probably be dead in a few days. So really it was the mentality of us all," said Heilman, who now is also the national spokesman for The Greatest Generation Foundation.
Heilman, like other survivors, credit the surrender with sparing their lives and the ceremony honored those who served and died bravely.
(Excerpt) Read more at kitv.com ...
The Missouri was anchored in Tokyo Bay on Sept. 2, 1945, when it hosted Japanese leaders who signed surrender documents formally ending the war.
On September 2, 1945, the Japanese representatives signed the official Instrument of Surrender, prepared by the War Department and approved by President Truman. It set out in eight short paragraphs the complete capitulation of Japan. The opening words, "We, acting by command of and in behalf of the Emperor of Japan," signified the importance attached to the Emperor's role by the Americans who drafted the document. The short second paragraph went straight to the heart of the matter: "We hereby proclaim the unconditional surrender to the Allied Powers of the Japanese Imperial General Headquarters and of all Japanese armed forces and all armed forces under Japanese control wherever situated."
That morning, on the deck of the U.S.S. Missouri in Tokyo Bay, the Japanese envoys Foreign Minister Mamoru Shigemitsu and Gen. Yoshijiro Umezu signed their names on the Instrument of Surrender. The time was recorded as 4 minutes past 9 o'clock. Afterward, Gen. Douglas MacArthur, Commander in the Southwest Pacific and Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers, also signed. He accepted the Japanese surrender "for the United States, Republic of China, United Kingdom, and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, and in the interests of the other United Nations at war with Japan."
On September 6, Col. Bernard Thielen brought the surrender document and a second imperial rescript back to Washington, DC. The following day, Thielen presented the documents to President Truman in a formal White House ceremony. The documents were then exhibited at the National Archives after a dignified ceremony led by General Wainwright. Finally, on October 1, 1945, they were formally received (accessioned) into the holdings of the National Archives.
My Dad was there. He was on the USS Mississippi which was also anchored in Tokyo Bay that day. He had such affection for that ship, that I think us kids knew how to spell M-I-S-S-I-S-S-I-P-P-I before we could spell Cat.
Cleaning teak decks is no fun the old fashioned way. We used acid in the 80s, and that was much easier. :-P
The pics of the signing ceremony are iconic. However, what are rarely shown at the pics, some including wide shots, of the entire US fleet at anchor in Tokyo Bay that day. I think it was over 1000 ships..if anyone can dig ‘em up and post it...they are truly spectacular..
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Instrument_of_Surrender_of_Japan
There are also pictures of interest.
Here’s a list:
http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq69-2.htm
Newsreel footage of the surrender ceremony:
http://www.archive.org/details/September21945Newsreel-JapaneseSurrenderSigningOnMissouri
Wife and walked those teak decks a year ago last spring. The original teak was harvested in Burma and obviously no longer available and, as a result the deck of the Missouri is in pretty rough shape. Our tour guide was a young former sailor who dispensed some interesting tidbits about the signing ceremony. Pearl Harbor is worth the expensive trip to Hawaii.
General Wainwright still looked pretty bad in that video.
Here is a picture of him just after he was rescued from the Japanese.
Sorry..I get the dreaded red “X” in the box..
Charlie Lockwood is one of the greatest strategic minds of WW II...and most have no idea of what he accomplished..and with so little resources..
Thanky...
Yes. We saw the Bowfin and the submarine memorial with all the stones listing those lost at sea. I had no idea there were so many.
We wanted to see the air museum and the Punch Bowl but ran out of time.
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