Which historic naval flag was displayed at the USS Missouri surrender ceremony in 1945?

Commodore Perry’s flag was displayed at the USS Missouri surrender ceremony in 1945.

The flag had flown from the flagship of Commodore Matthew Perry’s U.S. Navy expedition to Japan in 1853–1854. Perry’s mission helped force the opening of Japanese ports to foreign trade, making the flag a powerful historical symbol when displayed during the surrender in Tokyo Bay.

The flag was a fragile 31-star American flag. It was shown with a protective backing, which meant that photographs displayed what appears to be its reverse side. This explains why the stars appear in the upper-right corner rather than the customary upper-left position.

A popular story claims that another flag at the ceremony had flown over the White House during the attack on Pearl Harbor. The better-documented historic flag connected with the surrender deck is Perry’s flag, now preserved at the U.S. Naval Academy Museum.