Which American admiral signed for the United States after MacArthur at Japan’s 1945 surrender?

Chester W. Nimitz signed for the United States after MacArthur at Japan’s 1945 surrender.

Fleet Admiral Nimitz signed the Japanese Instrument of Surrender on USS Missouri at about 9:12 a.m. on 2 September 1945. His signature followed Douglas MacArthur’s, which was made on behalf of the Allied powers as Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers.

Nimitz was the commander in chief of the U.S. Pacific Fleet and Pacific Ocean Areas during much of the Pacific War. His forces directed major naval campaigns, including the battles of Midway, the Philippine Sea, and Leyte Gulf.

The signing order can be confusing because MacArthur was an American general and signed first, but he signed in his Allied command role. Nimitz was the specifically designated United States representative. Representatives for China, Britain, the Soviet Union, and other Allied nations then signed in sequence.