Who signed Japan’s surrender instrument as the United States representative?

Chester W. Nimitz signed Japan’s surrender instrument as the United States representative. The U.S. fleet admiral added his signature after General Douglas MacArthur had signed for the Allied powers.

Nimitz was the commander in chief of the U.S. Pacific Fleet and Pacific Ocean Areas during much of the war. His command directed major naval campaigns across the Pacific, including the battles of Midway, the Philippine Sea, and Leyte Gulf.

MacArthur presided over the ceremony as Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers, so he signed first on behalf of the Allied nations. Nimitz’s separate signature represented the United States specifically, an arrangement that reflected the ceremony’s carefully defined Allied roles.