MacArthur's Message to the Japs

[dan]

I posted this in the Misc Section under "What is your Best Piece" and I thought it would be good to share it here.

 

Aside from all the uniforms, equipment and insignia, this piece is most special. It is the third copy of the message MacArthur sent to the Japanese Emperor on 15 Aug 1945 arranging for the cessation of hostilities. It was the first message sent 'In The Clear' since Pearl Harbor. As the story goes, my uncle got this from a clerk in MacArthur's HQ's in the Philippines. He always said it was the third copy, referencing the old days of carbon paper. This message can be found almost word for word in the book The Fall of Japan by William Craig. The only difference is in the radio call signs used in the letter. Must still have been a security issue when the book was written.

 

With the message are a couple of pictures of my uncle as an Engineer Company Commander in New Guinea before they worked their way to the Philippines.