V-J Day

"At 7:30am, the Japanese boarded the destroyer, which headed out into the enormous bay for the sixteen-mile run to the Missouri. On every side they could see the truly awesome might of the American Navy, which had converged from all parts of the Pacific and now crowded Tokyo Bay” (258).

The Book

What would have happened if the United States hadn’t dropped the atomic bomb? What if the Japanese military had succeeded in overthrowing the government and resisting surrender? We will never know the answers to these questions, but The Fall of Japan by William Craig does explore the final year of the war in the Pacific (fall 1944-fall 1945). In a sense, it can help the reader understand what could have happened.

In fall 1944, as the US began to take back the Pacific, the Imperial Army and Navy grew desperate in military strategy, a forewarning to what an invasion of Japan could bring. New Japanese leadership opened up back-channel diplomacy in secret, wary of the fanatical and extremist members of the military. At the same time, the US developed the atomic bomb and bomber crews began secret training. 

On July 26, 1945, the Potsdam Declaration requested immediate surrender from the Japanese or a promise of complete destruction. As the Japanese leaders deliberated, two atomic bombs were dropped in Japan and the leaders faced a new incentive to surrender. The Emperor broke the stalemate and directed leaders to accept the surrender terms. This decision ignited a coup among military leaders. While it didn’t last long, soldiers did take control of the palace and attacked several government members. The fanatical individuals still harbored ideas of a coup well into the discussions regarding US occupation of Japan. The US occupying force arrived in Japan on August 28 and the surrender documents were signed on September 2. The Fall of Japan closes with the crew of Bock’s Car (the plane that dropped the atomic bomb on Nagasaki) walking through Nagasaki and observing the damage to people and places. 

There is so much packed into this book and it is difficult to summarize all the threads. Brief side stories provide helpful context and an understanding for how history unfolded after the end of World War II. Craig pivots the narrative between Japanese and US perspectives, allowing the reader to feel like they are experiencing the moments: the mission to drop the atomic bombs, the aftermath of bomb in Nagasaki, the attempted coups by the Japanese military, the discussion of occupation, and the surrender on the USS Missouri. These pivots are interspersed with brief biographies of key players and a better sense of Japanese military culture. Quite a bit of time is dedicated to unpacking the struggle between those who wanted to surrender and those who didn’t. While I am not sure how accurate the dialogue is, it does help place the reader in the moment. Overall, the book is easy to read and includes many details and descriptions that were new to me.

The Place

When most people visit Hawaii, Pearl Harbor is at the top of their list. What most people (including myself) don’t realize is that, in the same harbor, rests a memorial to the start of America’s involvement in World War II and the ship that witnessed the end of World War II. The Battleship Missouri saw action in the Pacific Theater and witnessed the signing of the Japanese surrender documents. After World War II, the USS Missouri was used during the Korean War and Gulf War before becoming a history museum in Hawaii. 

When I visited, my family spent the morning touring the USS Arizona Memorial and exhibits dedicated to the attack on Pearl Harbor. In the afternoon, we drove over to Ford Island to tour the USS Missouri. This was a great way to experience the significance of these two attractions. We took the general tour that focused on the role of the USS Missouri in World War II. The tours conclusion is at the exact spot where the Japanese officially surrendered to the Allied forces. The location isn’t lost on visitors and one is reminded of the sacrifice made by thousands of men to get to that point. Following the tour, we took our time wandering throughout the decks, seeing what life was like on the “Mighty Mo” and learning more from permanent and temporary exhibits.

Due to COVID, hours are reduced and face coverings are required indoors/recommended outdoors. Tickets can be purchased online and the general tour is included. If a trip to Hawaii isn’t in your near future, virtual tours are available.