Chester Nimitz signed Japan’s 1945 Instrument of Surrender as the American representative.
Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz signed the document after Douglas MacArthur had signed as Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers. Nimitz signed at 9:12 a.m. aboard USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay on September 2, 1945.
Nimitz was commander in chief of the U.S. Pacific Fleet and Pacific Ocean Areas during the war. His command directed major naval campaigns, including the battles of Midway, the Philippine Sea, and Leyte Gulf. By the surrender ceremony, he had been promoted to the newly established five-star rank of fleet admiral.
MacArthur and Nimitz had different wartime command areas, which sometimes causes confusion. MacArthur led the Southwest Pacific Area, while Nimitz commanded the Pacific Ocean Areas. At the ceremony, MacArthur represented the Allied command overall, and Nimitz represented the United States specifically. Representatives of eight other Allied nations signed after Nimitz.