Chester Nimitz signed immediately after Douglas MacArthur at Japan’s surrender ceremony.
Nimitz signed the Japanese Instrument of Surrender as the representative of the United States. MacArthur had signed first for the Allied powers, and Nimitz followed at about 9:12 a.m. aboard USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay.
Nimitz was the U.S. Fleet Admiral who had commanded the Pacific Ocean Areas during much of the war. His forces had led major operations across the central Pacific, including campaigns that brought Allied forces closer to Japan.
Other Allied representatives signed after Nimitz. Their sequence included China, the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, Australia, Canada, France, the Netherlands, and New Zealand. Nimitz’s signature therefore represented the United States specifically, while MacArthur’s signature represented the collective Allied command.