Sept. 2, 1945, marked the official end of World War II with the surrender of the Japanese on board the USS Missouri in Tokyo Harbor 80 years ago.

The war for the United States had begun on Dec. 7, 1941, with the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor.

Nearly four years of terrible fighting followed, but by the summer of 1945, the U.S. and its allies stood on the doorstep of Japan’s most populous islands of Kyushu and Honshu, where Tokyo is located, having conquered Okinawa, the southernmost of the five main islands.

Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. Advertise Today.