Japanese Surrender in World War II

[Lincsong]

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[daizawaguy]

Long may peace prevail

 

[MisterCairo]

The Canadian signatory accidentally signed on the wrong line on the first copy. On board the Missouri, there's a photo of him being shown the correct line to sign on the second copy. He was apparently quite nervous!

 

[dhermann1]

Wasn't there at story relating to the table they used? The original desk they wanted to use they couldn't get on deck, so they used a couple tables from the mess hall with big green pieces of cloth, or something. That is a totally garbled version of what happened, but it was something like that.

 

[Jabos]

I saw a show on this I think. It was a somewhat unsteady mess hall table, and after they put the table back. As I recall, someone then realized, "Hey, we should keep that table" and it is saved but they aren't sure if it is the exact table. That is my memory of the story.

 

[storman113]

This thread reminded me of a newspaper I have hanging in the hall. Found when cleaning out my mom's place.

Don't what happened, I didn't save it sideways!

 

[zetwal]

A couple weeks ago I visited the National Museum of the Pacific War in Fredericksburg, Texas. Highly recommened!

Included for big screen viewing onsite was amazing film footage of the surrender.

http://www.nimitz-museum.org

 

[cooncatbob]

They should have signed the surrender on the deck of the Enterprise, the most decorated ship in the war.
The Missouri's got a place of honor at Pearl Harbor, the Enterprise got cut up for scrap except for 1 of her portholes that was used on CVN 65.

Edit. Enterprise took her last damage of the war off Okinowa and was in Puget Sound for repairs on
VJ Day.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Enterprise_(CV-6)

 

[dhermann1]

The only upside to the scrapping of the most decorated ship in the history of the US Navy is that somehow the name Enterprise seems to have taken on a mystique that's remarkable. Don't know if that would have happened if it was a static museum in San Diego or Newport or Honolulu.

 

[Stearmen]

Surrender Ship

An even better ship to represent the might of the U.S. would have been the USS West Virginia. The Wee Vee was the last battleship to be rased from the bottom of Pearl Harbour, and put back into service! She to was scraped, along with her two sisters, Colorado Colo Maru and Maryland Fighting Mary!

 

[Lincsong]

The Enterprise was also the name given to Enterprise Rent-A-Car whose founder served upon her.

 

[cooncatbob]

The CVN 65 Enterprise is due to be retired and there are no plans to name the next carrier Enterprise.
Sign the petition to name the next US carrier Enterprise and carry on it's proud tradition.
http://ussntrprs.epetitions.net/

 

[Stearmen]

The CVN 65 Enterprise is due to be retired and there are no plans to name the next carrier Enterprise.
http://ussntrprs.epetitions.net/

Sadly, that will probably do no good! Now they are naming carriers after Presidents, not famous Revolutionary battles, and ships! My favorite, was the USS COWPENS (CVL 25), The Mighty Moo! Probably the next carrier will be the USS George W. Bush.

 

[John in Covina]

It's been reported that General MacArthur used his own pen a Parker Senoir Duofold "Big Red" that was nearly 20 years old then.

 

[elvisroe]

A race to the flag in Tokyo!

My Grandfather served in the Pacific with the Royal Navy on board the destroyer HMS Quality in the latter years of the war and was anchored alongside the Missouri during the signing.

After a gruelling war they had been heading to Sydney for the celebrations when they were briskly turned around, scrubbed up and sent back to Japan.

My GF says no-one on board understood why they had been selected for the 'honour' until the moments immediately after the signing.

The British representatives piled off the Missouri and were ferried quickly across to the Quality which had a particularly shallow draft. They then left the fleet, raced up the Tokyo canal and hoisted a Union Jack over the British embassy before the yanks were on the ground.

Cheeky!

 

[Widebrim]

Thanks for posting this, Lincsong. It can't help but stir emotions upon watching such a historic event.

 

[Lincsong]

MacArthur did one hell of job putting this all together. A quasi-religous event to say the least. Absolutely impressive. :eusa_clap