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Contact Info
Home Town Fredericksburg, TX
Last Address Yerba Buena Island, CA
Date of Passing Feb 20, 1966
Location of Interment Golden Gate National Cemetery (VA) - San Bruno, California
A defining characteristic of Admiral Nimitz's life was his devotion to the Navy. After the war, he was to remark, "Being a part of the Navy is honorable and soul-satisfying work." In 1913, Nimitz was sent to Germany to study diesel engines and upon his return was instrumental in supervising the building of engines for the Navy's first diesel-powered ship, the MAUMEE. Aware of Lt. Nimitz's skill, a leading American engineering firm, offered him a job for $25,000 a year (his Navy pay was $3,456 at the time. He refused the offer, preferring the "honorable, soul-satisfying" duties of a Naval Officer.
Because the rank of Fleet Admiral was a lifetime appointment, FADM Nimitz retired on Decmeber 15,1947 yet remained on the active rolls until his death in 1966.
Other Comments:
Decorations and awards from foreign governments include:
Britain - Order of Knight Grand Cross of the Bath
Greece - Grand Cross of the Order of George I
China - Order of the Grand Cordon of Pao Ting (Tripod) Special Class
Guatemala - LaCruz de Merito Military de Primera Clase
Great Britain - Pacific Star
The Netherlands - Order of Orange-Nassau with Swords in the Degree of
the Knight Grand Cross
France - Grand Officer in the National Order of the Legion of Honor
Cuba - Grand Cross of the Order of Carlos Manuel de Cespedes
Argentina - Order of the Liberator
Belgium - Grand Cross of the Order of the Liberator, Grand Cross Order of
the Crown with Palm, Croiz de Guerro with Palm
Italy - Knight of the Grand Cross of the Military Order of Italy
Philippines - Medal of Valor
Ecuador - Star of Abdon Calderson (1st Class)
Japan Surrenders
Date
Sep 2, 1945
Last Updated: Mar 21, 2019
Comments
Instrument of Surrender
We, acting by command of and in behalf of the Emperor of Japan, the Japanese Government and the Japanese Imperial General Headquarters, hereby accept the provisions set forth in the declaration issued by the heads of the Governments of the United States, China and Great Britain on 26 July 1945, of Potsdam, and subsequently adhered to by the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, which four powers are hereafter referred to as the Allied Powers.
We hereby proclaim the unconditional surrender to the Allied Powers of the Japanese Imperial General Headquarters and of all Japanese armed forces and all armed forces under Japanese control wherever situated.
We hereby command all Japanese forces wherever situated and the Japanese people to cease hostilities forthwith, to preserve and save from damage all ships, aircraft, and military and civil property and to comply with all requirements which may be imposed by the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers or by agencies of the Japanese Government of his direction.
We hereby command the Japanese Imperial General Headquarters to issue at once orders to the Commanders of all Japanese forces and all forces under Japanese control wherever situated to surrender unconditionally themselves and all forces under their control.
We hereby command all civil, military and naval officials to obey and enforce all proclamations, orders and directives deemed by the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers to be proper to effectuate this surrender and issued by him or under his authority and we direct all such officials to remain at their posts and to continue to perform their non-combatant duties unless specifically relieved by him or under his authority.
We hereby undertake for the Emperor, the Japanese Government and their successors to carry out the provisions of the Potsdam Declaration in good faith, and to issue whatever orders and take whatever action may be required by the Supreme Commander for the allied Powers or by any other designated representative of the Allied Powers for the purpose of giving effect to that Declaration.
We hereby command the Japanese Imperial Government and the Japanese Imperial General Headquarters at once to liberate all allied prisoners of war and civilian internees now under Japanese control and to provide for their protection, care, maintenance and immediate transportation to places as directed.
The authority of the Emperor and the Japanese Government to rule the state shall be subject to the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers who will take such steps as he deems proper to effectuate these terms of surrender.
(page 2 - Click on the signatures to see actual photographic enlargements of the signature.)
Signed at TOKYO BAY, JAPAN at 0904 (pencil marks for time hard to read) on the SECOND day of SEPTEMBER, 1945.
s/Mamoru Shigemistu (Japanese Foreign Minister)
By Command and in behalf of the Emperor of Japan and the Japanese Government.
s/General Yoshijiro Umezu (Chief of the Japanese General Staff)
By Command and in behalf of the Japanese Imperial General Headquarters.
Accepted at TOKYO BAY, JAPAN at 0908 on the SECOND day of SEPTEMBER, 1945,
for the United States, Republic of China, United Kingdom and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, and the interests of the other United Nations at war with Japan.
s/(General of the Army) Douglas MacArthur Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers.
s/(Fleet Admiral) C. W. Nimitz United States Representative
s/(General) Hsu Yung-Ch'ang Republic of China Representative
s/(Admiral Sir) Bruce Fraser United Kingdom Representative
s/(General) Kuzma Derevyanko Union of Soviet Socialist Republics Representative
s/(General Sir) Thomas Blamey Commonwealth of Australia Representative
s/(General) L. Moore Cosgrove Dominion of Canada Representative
s/(General Jacques) Le Clerc Provisional Government of the French Republic Representative
s/(Admiral) C. E. L. Helfirch Kingdom of the Netherlands Representative
s/(Air Vice Marshal) Leonard M. Isitt Dominion of New Zealand Representative
