Who signed the Japanese Instrument of Surrender for the United States in 1945?

Chester Nimitz signed the Japanese Instrument of Surrender for the United States in 1945.

Fleet Admiral Nimitz signed aboard USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay on September 2, 1945. He represented the United States after General Douglas MacArthur had signed as Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers. Nimitz’s signature followed those of the Japanese representatives and MacArthur in the ceremony’s sequence.

Nimitz had commanded the U.S. Pacific Fleet and Pacific Ocean Areas during much of the Pacific War. His position made him the senior American naval representative at the surrender. MacArthur, although also an American, was signing in an Allied command role rather than as the United States’ national representative.

This distinction creates a frequent mix-up. MacArthur presided over the ceremony and accepted the surrender on behalf of the Allied powers, while Nimitz signed specifically for the United States. Representatives of China, Britain, the Soviet Union, Australia, Canada, France, the Netherlands, and New Zealand signed for their governments afterward.