JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii - Military service members, civilians and veterans celebrated the 70th anniversary of the end of WWII aboard the Battleship Missouri Memorial here, Sept. 2.
Seventy years ago, Gen. Douglas MacArthur oversaw the signing of Imperial Japan’s instrument of surrender on board the Missouri. The ceremony honored the historical event by starting at 9:02 a.m., the exact time MacArthur began the official proceedings.
U.S. Navy Adm. Scott Swift, commander of U.S. Pacific Fleet, spoke of the significance of the historical event as part of his speech during the ceremony.
“It’s truly a day of reverence, commemorating the millions of departed and surviving veterans of WWII,” Swift said. “It’s about mourning the civilians of all nations whose passing is all the more poignant in light of their innocence. It’s about the enduring commitment to allies, partners and friends, a commitment to ensure such tragic losses and sacrifices are not for naught.”
Swift added that there is a continued responsibility to fulfill today to ensure that the commitments made 70 years ago are maintained.
“Our legacy will be how well we preserve the peace given as a gift from these hallowed decks,” Swift said.
Tim Guard, chairman of the USS Missouri Memorial Association, Congressman Mark Takai, U.S. representative for Hawaii, and U.S. Senator for Hawaii Brian Schatz, all spoke about the relevance of the historical date and how it helped shape the relationship between the United States and Japan today.
“All the speakers today came back to the same theme of the closing of WWII that occurred on these decks,” Swift said. “Two countries that were bitter rivals in WWII are now the strongest of allied partners. It’s an affirmation of the task we’ve all taken on 70 years ago and to continue to take that task forward with all of our allies and partners in the Pacific.”
U.S. Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard, representative of Hawaii’s 2nd Congressional District, talked about why the event was meaningful to her.
“Today is such a special day,” Gabbard said. “It’s a day that I’ve been reflecting on how grateful I am just to be in the presence of some of these great heroes who came before us. We had 10 sailors here today who were here Sept. 2, 1945, for that signing ceremony. It’s a great opportunity to remember what this is all about and the sacrifices of those who came before us.”
The commemoration by the Battleship Missouri Memorial also featured an exhibit of rare historic artifacts that were part of the ceremony 70 years ago, including the two pens used by Fleet Adm. Chester Nimitz to sign the Japanese Instrument of Surrender on behalf of the United States, and one of the pens used by MacArthur as supreme commander for the Allied Powers.