FORD ISLAND, Honolulu, Hawaii -- Ernest Thompson was aboard the USS Missouri’s second deck on the ship’s port side, on the day of the historical 1945 surrender ceremony which ended World War II. He was not able to see the actual document signing, but saw key personnel as they boarded the ship.
Returning to the anniversary event for a second year on Sept. 2, the former petty officer first class water tender from Gardena, Calif., has many memories of World War II, though he said he mostly recalls being “constantly on the alert” and “many, many hours without sleep.”
But though he was witness to such an historical event, Thompson, perhaps like many war weary sailors, priority lay with “families at home.”
The ‘Mighty Mo’ welcomed back sailors and other honored guests to the 65th anniversary of the Japanese surrender to the United States ending World War II.
Among the attending World War II veterans, U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye spoke at the event. “These magnificent ships, the Missouri and Arizona, are bookends of World War II,” Inouye said. “The Arizona represents the sacrifice and resilience of the American people and the Missouri speaks of America’s triumphant victory. They send a small strong message.”
American flags stood in formation in front of the massive ship which was decorated in red, white and blue banners. Master of Ceremonies Michael Carr, president and chief operating officer, Battleship Missouri Memorial, acknowledged and thanked many distinguished guests for attending, including Inouye and retired Vice Adm. Robert K.U. Kihune.
“The U.S.S. Missouri, ‘Mighty Mo,’ proudly preserves the history of one of the defining eras in our life as a nation,” said Eric K. Shinseki, U.S. secretary of Veterans Affairs, in his keynote speech. “Here we confront more than the legacy of the guarantors of the freedoms we enjoy. We find more than a reverence for those who were lost. Here we honor the spirit of men and women whose strength, and strength of purpose, realized our Nation’s most fervent hopes and vanquished our darkest fears.”
After the speakers, the Sounds of Aloha Chorus and the U.S. Navy Ceremonial Band provided music. Marines standing just above the Mighty Mo’s cannons offered a rifle salute.
Two helicopters from Marine Corps Base Hawaii’s Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron Light 37 also flew over the USS Missouri to mark the anniversary. The audience then listened to a recording of U.S. Army Gen. Douglas MacArthur’s historical ceremonial remarks.
The ceremony of the Japanese surrender took place in Tokyo Bay, Japan, Sept. 2, 1945. Aboard the USS Missouri, officials including MacArthur and Gen. Yoshijiro Umezu, chief of the Army General Staff, penned their signatures on the Instrument of Surrender, according to the Department of the Navy’s Naval Historical Center.
MacArthur had said, “It is my earnest hope, and indeed the hope of all mankind, that from this solemn occasion a better world shall emerge out of the blood and carnage of the past — a world dedicated to the dignity of man and the fulfillment of his most cherished wish for freedom, tolerance and justice.”
The brief ceremony was part of Commemoration Week, sponsored by the Battleship Missouri Memorial. The week included events such as a breakfast for veterans and a special dinner at the Sheraton Waikiki Hotel.