Which Allied admiral signed the Japanese Instrument of Surrender for the United States?

Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz signed the Japanese Instrument of Surrender for the United States.

Nimitz signed after Douglas MacArthur, who accepted the surrender as Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers. Nimitz’s signature represented the United States, while other Allied officers signed for China, the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, Australia, Canada, France, the Netherlands, and New Zealand.

Nimitz was the commander in chief of the U.S. Pacific Fleet and Pacific Ocean Areas during the war. He had directed major naval operations across the Pacific, including the campaigns around Midway, the Mariana Islands, and the Philippines. His presence at the ceremony connected the formal surrender with the vast naval campaign that had brought Allied forces to Japan’s home waters. Nimitz signed at 9:12 a.m. Japan Standard Time, four minutes after MacArthur signed.