THE SURRENDER SPECTACLE

摘要

Even though the war was over, General Douglas MacArthur was embroiled in one final complex campaign. Japan's public surrender ceremony was a momentous occasion that required flawless execution. The whole world would be watching. The September 2, 1945, ceremony aboard the 45,000-ton battleship USS Missouri was a logistical nightmare for MacArthur's staff and the ship's crew. Men scrubbed the warship white-glove spotless. Hard-boiled combat leaders played the role of exasperated headmasters, fretting over the appearance, placement, and proper behavior of thousands of marines and sailors scheduled to be in attendance. The operation involved hundreds of documents, dignitaries, and delegates, not to mention the precise coordination of four U.S. destroyers deployed as water taxis for shuttling VIPs to the Missouri. On top of that, America's fighting forces had to attend to the needs of 225 news correspondents and 75 photographers.