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It is one of the most iconic moments in world history. At 9:08 am, on September 2, 1945, American General of the Army Douglas MacArthur accepted the formal surrender of Japan on the deck of the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay. After two Japanese representatives, the Japanese foreign minister and the Chief of the Army General Staff, signed their names, MacArthur signed the document in his capacity as the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers.
Finally, WWII was over for the US. More than 400,000 Americans had died, most of them in the Asia-Pacific theatre. After three years and nine months, the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor was avenged, Japan was in ruins, and the United States became the world’s most powerful military force.
For MacArthur, it was the peak of a brilliant yet controversial career. And yet, an arguably even greater achievement was about to happen: under his leadership, a hitherto barbaric enemy would be rebuilt, thoroughly modernized, and emerge as a close, democratic ally and economic marvel.
Looking at the pictures of the surrender ceremony, which lasted just 23 minutes and was broadcast worldwide, is to behold true American greatness. Legends of the US Navy are gathered, somber-faced, gazing at MacArthur, five stars visible on his collar. Just behind MacArthur stand two tall, haggard men: Lieutenant General Jonathan Wainwright, who surrendered the Philippines to the Japanese in 1942, and British Lieutenant General Arthur Percival, who surrendered Singapore.
It was fitting that these two generals, who had survived brutal Japanese imprisonment and the trauma of historic defeat, were just a couple of steps from MacArthur in the ultimate moment of victory. A rake-thin Wainwright had stayed on in the Philippines after MacArthur left, vowing to return. His men had paid a high price: of the 21,000 Americans imprisoned during WWII by the Japanese, 7,000 had died—more than 30%. Wainwright, like MacArthur, a Medal of Honor recipient, had been extremely fortunate to survive.
Once the surrender was signed, MacArthur addressed the world: “Today the guns are silent. A great tragedy has ended. A great victory has been won.” There was a prayer for peace. While overseeing the miraculous transformation of a devastated society, MacArthur would also soon organize War Crimes Tribunals, holding the leaders of the defeated enemy accountable. More than 4,000 Japanese would be convicted, with nearly a thousand sentenced to death.
To many people’s surprise and anger, Emperor Hirohito was granted immunity and would never be held responsible for the countless atrocities committed in his name. MacArthur explained to Dwight Eisenhower that imprisoning or, worse, executing Hirohito would require a million American soldiers to maintain peace in Japan.
What about the instruments of surrender—the pens used to sign what is arguably the most significant surrender in modern history? MacArthur chose multiple pens to acknowledge the Allied representatives present and the historic importance. Of the six used, four were Waterman fountain pens, and one was a Sheaffer. The men standing just behind MacArthur each received a pen, likely serving as a bittersweet souvenir for Wainwright and Percival of both humiliation and victory.
Another pen was sent to MacArthur’s alma mater, West Point, from which he had graduated first in his class of 93 in 1903. MacArthur, naturally, kept one pen as a highly-prized keepsake, a reminder of a truly Herculean struggle, redemption, and final vindication. He had vowed to return to the Philippines, and, by God, he did.
A sixth pen, the last one MacArthur used, was the most intriguing - a red, twenty-year-old Parker Duofold, which MacArthur slipped into his pocket after the signing. It belonged to MacArthur’s long-suffering wife, Jean, and made headlines when it was later stolen from the MacArthurs’ apartment in the Waldorf Astoria in New York. To this day, its whereabouts are unknown. Perhaps it is a prized possession of some patriotic, history-loving billionaire. Fortunately, a replica has been produced and, fittingly, is on display aboard the USS Missouri, preserved in her full glory as a memorial in Hawaii.
