Who served as Supreme Allied Commander and opened the surrender ceremony aboard USS Missouri?

Douglas MacArthur served as Supreme Allied Commander and opened the surrender ceremony aboard USS Missouri.

MacArthur presided over the ceremony in Tokyo Bay on September 2, 1945. He opened the proceedings at 9:02 a.m. and then signed the Japanese Instrument of Surrender on behalf of the Allied powers.

MacArthur had commanded Allied forces in the Southwest Pacific Area during much of the Pacific War. After Japan’s surrender, he became Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers and directed the occupation and reconstruction of Japan.

Admiral Chester W. Nimitz signed next as the United States representative. Other Allied signatories represented China, the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, Australia, Canada, France, the Netherlands, and New Zealand. The ceremony’s carefully arranged order of signatures reflected both the military command structure and the coalition that had defeated Japan.