Who commanded USS Missouri during Japan’s surrender ceremony in 1945?

Stuart S. Murray commanded USS Missouri during Japan’s surrender ceremony in 1945.

Murray was the battleship’s captain when the Japanese delegation came aboard on 2 September. USS Missouri served as the ceremony’s host ship while anchored in Tokyo Bay. Senior Allied commanders, including Douglas MacArthur and Chester Nimitz, also came aboard for the signing.

Murray did not sign the surrender instrument; the document was signed by national representatives and MacArthur as Supreme Allied Commander. His responsibility was command of the ship and its crew. The Missouri later became a museum ship and remains preserved at Pearl Harbor, where it is associated with both the beginning and end of America’s Pacific War story.