ISU Library Shelley Collection: Box 8, Reel #21

Shelly on the command ship and Khan in Tokyo Bay Japan you heard the story of the signing of the Japanese surrender these are some of the five lights of the ceremony and this might look to you if you have been a war correspondent able to watch as I did one of the most dramatic scenes of modern time as a correspondent you'd have left your quarters on the end car at about 7 a.m. Japan time hopping into a Higgins board with a good many other newsman and flashing appears the rather short business to the great battleship Missouri the scene of the formal action and filled Japan's defeat if I'm up the gangway to a debt table with sailors and Brett's white uniform and push your way out to a spot near one of the enormous gun turrets covering the event are assembling it still a good two hours before the pheromone is to begin but already is apparent that never before and Pacific War history perhaps never before anywhere have so many war reporters been assembled in a single spot nobody seems to know exactly how many there were but there must have been upwards of 350 year they were Haven every nation before Japan medals got a Pearl Harbor when the war began plans from the European theater with West Germany collapse and it reached here in time to see in the pond at the same medicine family after an hour past your called your assigned position to go forwards the starboard quarter deck and climb up to a position in the superstructure from which you can look down to right beyond the stage where the drum will be played there are groups of Correspondence on platforms to one side of the quarterdeck on top of the big number two gun turret on one arm of the range fighter and still higher up right beneath you is the table covered with green cloth whether surrender turns out to be fine immediately behind and also to the right platform jammed with cameramen and network broadcasters or microphones are mounted on the stand just behind the table in the water just off the starboard beam more than dozen small boats and at Mo's barges have already assembled waiting for their turn to come up to the gangway with high-ranking Navy officers that even exaggerate Admiral Nimitz commander of the Pacific Fleet he shakes hands without fear whosever ambling about the deck for some time documents on the Green Bay his table looks them over and then take them away again he won't bring them back and just until just a few minutes before nine o'clock the Missouri people aboard her watching as much as the preliminaries as they can see most of them that can resplendent dress uniform except for the America they have done every shirt open up a neck at no decoration before long a rather small area the quarterdeck is slamming with a greatest collection of brass meaning important military figures you've ever seen at one time you spot general Hodges commander the u.s. first Army which did so much to lick the Germans he won't have to throw his land against the japanese pranks to this day and he's 20 steps out of the quarterdeck and launches a vigorous discussion with the Navy public relations officer the little Russian was a shapeless phrase food at a pop cap tilted over one year he looks a good deal like the french comedian maurice chevalier he is the own in that and civilian clothes you see on the wall ship if Ali doesn't like the place to which is gonna find finally the case is taken to several brilliantly clad officers of the Russian delegation not too much discussion the whole cameraman plans up the platform on top of the gun turret but every seat there is already taken nobody will move and therein food is another long debate with nobody able to understand anybody else it's all friendly those on the little Russian lose our on the rangefinder already attacked but still other photographers the same debate starts all over again with much harm waiting and when you looked again this little Russian is happily sitting in the front row waving to a comrade all down below souvenir cards are being passed out to the offices attending the ceremony on one side is the reproduction of the Japanese flag or the other is the statement the holder attended the surrender ceremony the cards were produced in the print shop with the Missouri by now the official delegates from the various allied countries have assembled behind the table are the other officers who are only witnesses have lined up to the left one of the Chinese delegates steps out with a small camera and takes a picture of both groups at age 42 we get word that General MacArthur is coming aboard from Addis quarter on the other side three minutes later a Marine honor guard on our side snaps to attention and McArthur together with Nimitz and Halsey strides rapidly across the quarterdeck and disappears into hostage Kevin the supreme Allied commander also wears an open net shirt his famous gold encrusted cap looks somewhat the worse for long wear you look over and notice the full Russian cameraman hard at work he now has almost half of all the space atop the rangefinder for his equipment about his other photographers including another Russian are pushing each other around and left at 8:52 a.m. the Japanese delegation of 11 men arrived alongside the three civilian at 8 military men have been bouncing around in a small an elaborate boat farther out for quite a while I have the tops of steps to the quarterdeck you see their leader foreign minister sheikh omitsu has a right leg that's almost useless apparently it's an artificial limb he takes the steps very slowly one foot at a time he and the other two Jap civilians are crushed informal for noon attire with stiff hide top hats the job offer fools are wearing those swords the NIP delegation lines up alone in three rows standing stiffly while the cameras grind and slash someone remarks the Sheik omitsu who hardly appears able to get about is certainly a fitting symbol of the beaten crippled country he represents today the Jap stand there all alone with expressionless faces for almost 5 minutes waiting them exactly at 9 o'clock General MacArthur appears so suddenly and quietly that you miss it I know he starts talking his hand holding the script is trembling noticeably apparently with emotion but it boys his firm then he tells the Jap delegation define one of the civilians apparently a secretary steps forward and checks the english version with the japanese document holds is that Frank and she commenced to hobble forward slowly sits down remove the yellow glove from his right hand takes a fountain pen out of his pocket looks at his wristwatch to make sure it's after nine o'clock and finds after him the army chief of staff finds he doesn't sit down but clearly stoop slightly to place the pen to paper M General MacArthur's fire and a thrill runs through every witness as he calls on general wing right captured in Corregidor and only released about a week ago to stand beside him after which MacArthur gives the pen to Wainwright this is a moment never be forgotten this is the bomb the zoo is part of the pain of the tents and Admiral Nimitz science for the United States MacArthur says find as supreme Allied commanders as the proceedings are closed