Which Allied commander signed Japan's surrender document aboard USS Missouri in 1945?

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Douglas MacArthur signed Japan's surrender document as Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers.

MacArthur presided over the September 2, 1945, ceremony aboard USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay. He signed first for the Allied powers, using five pens. He then gave pens to people including his wife, Jean, his son, Arthur, and a museum collection.

MacArthur had commanded Allied forces in the Southwest Pacific Area and had returned to the Philippines in October 1944 after being forced to leave in 1942. His role in the surrender ceremony connected that earlier promise to his position overseeing the occupation of Japan.

Admiral Chester Nimitz also signed the document, but he represented the United States as its official signatory after MacArthur. Nimitz was the commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, whereas MacArthur chaired the ceremony in his Allied command role.

Source: Wikipedia · fact-checked Oct. 2026

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