The American battleship that carried the Japanese surrender document to Tokyo Bay was USS Missouri.
Missouri was selected as the setting for the ceremony because it was a powerful modern battleship and had a connection to President Harry S. Truman, whose home state was Missouri. The ship’s deck provided a prominent location for the signing on September 2, 1945.
The surrender document had been prepared under General Douglas MacArthur’s direction. Staff members in Manila reportedly located suitable parchment in a monastery basement after wartime shortages made materials difficult to obtain. The final instrument was printed and brought to the ship for the ceremony.
The ship’s role is distinct from that of other famous vessels in the Pacific War. USS Arizona was destroyed at Pearl Harbor in 1941, while USS Enterprise served in many Pacific battles. Missouri instead became associated with the war’s conclusion. It remained in service through later conflicts and is now preserved as a museum ship at Pearl Harbor.