September 2nd marks the 65th Anniversary of the signing of the Instrument of Surrender and the end of World War II.

On the deck of the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay, representatives from Japan, the United States, China, the United Kingdom, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, Australia, Canada, France, Netherlands, and New Zealand signed this document proclaiming the unconditional surrender of Japan to the Allied Powers.

The ceremony itself lasted twenty-three minutes and was broadcast throughout the world. The surrender document then traveled to Washington DC where it was presented to President Harry Truman and subsequently  exhibited at the National Archives.

While our name has changed, our mission remains the same. Pacific Historic Parks will continue to perpetuate the memory and appreciation of the events and people involved in the sites we serve, and we continue to support the National Park Service in the education, preservation, development and interpretation of World War II in the Pacific and other Pacific historic sites.