A look inside the WWII surrender ceremony: 'My job was to make sure we did not screw

[syscom3]

I saw this in the LA Times today.

James L. Starnes, navigator of the battleship Missouri, was 24 years old when he learned he would play a key role in the ceremony to mark the end of World War II.

After the Japanese conceded defeat, President Truman announced that "Mighty Mo," the behemoth 58,000-ton flagship of the 3rd Fleet, would host the signatories of the instrument of surrender in Tokyo Bay.

"My job was to make sure we did not screw up," said Starnes, 94, who performed the role of officer of the deck the morning of Sept. 2, 1945.

A former lieutenant commander in the Navy who now lives in a retirement community in Stone Mountain, east of Atlanta, Starnes is one of the few remaining veterans who organized the ceremony on the Missouri 70 years ago.



A look inside the WWII surrender ceremony: 'My job was to make sure we did not screw up' - LA Times

 

[Airframes]

Interesting stuff.
I liked the part about the folding table and stained cloth - it always seems to be the obvious, basic things that get screwed up when organising a big event !

 

[Wildcat]

Interesting read.

 

[javlin]

good read.

 

[Shinpachi]

Interesting article, sys.

"There were a few hitches — the Canadian representative signed on the wrong line."
Seriously I think this is invalid as official document.

 

[Gnomey]

Interesting read! Thanks for sharing.

 

[syscom3]

Interesting article, sys.

"There were a few hitches — the Canadian representative signed on the wrong line."
Seriously I think this is invalid as official document.

View attachment 300081

Leave it to the Canadians. Ehhh?

😀

 

[Shinpachi]

This is what happened afterward.
Even such a junk paper can be a witness of the history but the Supreme Commander should have been accompanied with a desk work expert if he did not want "screw-up".
My usual trivia, sys


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyUil9w653c

 

[GrauGeist]

Interesting article, sys.

"There were a few hitches — the Canadian representative signed on the wrong line."
Seriously I think this is invalid as official document.

View attachment 300081

Holy crap...you mean we're still technically at war with Japan??

 

[stona]

That's a great piece of film, thanks Shinpachi.

They remembered to bring a pen and then screwed up one of the most important documents of the 20th century!

It looks like the Japanese representatives were prepared to accept the document, albeit with the sort of correction you'd expect in a 10 year old school pupil's exercise book. I imagine that they just wanted it over and done with.

Cheers

Steve

 

[Shinpachi]

As you have seen.
I have no special comments