Which Allied commander signed Japan’s surrender document for the United States in 1945?

Chester Nimitz signed Japan’s surrender document for the United States in 1945.

Fleet Admiral Nimitz signed the Japanese Instrument of Surrender aboard USS Missouri on September 2, 1945. He signed after Douglas MacArthur, who had already accepted the surrender as Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers. Nimitz represented the United States in the sequence of national signatories.

Nimitz had commanded the U.S. Pacific Fleet and Pacific Ocean Areas during much of the war. His forces carried out major naval campaigns across the Pacific, including carrier operations and amphibious advances toward Japan. His role in the surrender ceremony reflected the central importance of the U.S. Navy’s Pacific command.

MacArthur and Nimitz are frequently mixed up because both were senior American leaders in the Pacific. MacArthur signed first in his Allied command role, while Nimitz signed for the United States. Other signatories represented China, Britain, the Soviet Union, Australia, Canada, France, the Netherlands, and New Zealand.