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INSTRUMENT OF SURRENDER
Enclosed is a copy of an historic document that few Americans today have ever seen. It is a replica of the actual Instrument of Surrender between the United States and Japan signed on board the USS Missouri on September 2, 1945.
This document formally ended World War II. As you can see, it was signed by General Douglas MacArthur, Admiral Chester Nimitz, and representatives of eight allied nations that were at war with Japan.
At the time of the signing, the USS Missouri was anchored in Tokyo Bay, Japan. The world was finally at peace. On board ship, General MacArthur eloquently stated the purpose of the occasion:
?It is my earnest hope - indeed the hope of all mankind - that from this solemn occasion, a better world shall emerge out of the blood and carnage of the past, a worldfounded upon faith and understanding, a world dedicated to the dignity of man and the fulfillment of his most cherished wish for freedom, tolerance and justice. ?