Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz signed the 1945 Japanese Instrument of Surrender for the United States after Douglas MacArthur.
MacArthur signed first for the Allied powers in his role as Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers. Nimitz then signed as the United States representative. His signature followed the Japanese representatives and came before the representatives of the other Allied nations.
Nimitz had commanded the U.S. Pacific Fleet and Pacific Ocean Areas during much of the war against Japan. His presence connected the surrender ceremony with the naval campaign that had carried American forces across the Pacific.
Nimitz should not be confused with Admiral William Halsey, who commanded the U.S. Third Fleet, or General MacArthur, who accepted the surrender for the Allied powers. Nimitz’s role at the ceremony was specifically the American national signature.