[Alberta special issue on the 70th anniversary of the anti-fascist victory] Zhang Zhaohong: Chinese soldiers witnessed Japan’s surrender

[Alberta special issue on the 70th anniversary of the anti-fascist victory] Zhang Zhaohong: Chinese soldiers witnessed Japan’s surrender Phoenix Zhang Zhaohong August 15, 1945, Japan time…

Phoenix City Zhang Zhaohong

At 12 noon on August 15, 1945, Japan time, Emperor Showa issued the "End of War Edict" to the Japanese people for the first time in a recorded speech: ...The conquest has lasted four years. Although my generals are brave and good at fighting, all the officials are working hard to govern, and one hundred million people are serving the government, the situation is getting worse and worse, and the conquest has lost power. Nowadays, the brutality of the barbarian army's bullets and stones, frequently killing innocent people and causing great harm to living beings, is really unforeseen. If the conquests continue, my people will no longer exist in the world, and the period of being sent to the left will return. In this case, how can I save hundreds of millions of innocent children, and how can I see my ancestors again? This is why I ordered the court officials to accept the imperial edict from the coalition forces. …

On August 15, 1945, Japan announced its unconditional surrender. On September 2, 1945, Japan's surrender signing ceremony was held on the deck of the USS Missouri, a US battleship anchored in Tokyo Bay, Japan. Under the supervision of General Douglas MacArthur, a total of 11 members of the Japanese Imperial delegation boarded the Missouri and signed the "Instrument of Surrender" in front of representatives of nine countries including China, the United States, Britain, and the Soviet Union, officially declaring Japan's unconditional surrender. The Second World War ended. The American naval officers and soldiers on board the Missouri stood on the platform, climbed onto the fort, and sat on the railing, witnessing with their own eyes the former heinous Japanese Empire bowing its head. There are 3.8 million people in all branches of the U.S. Navy, and only one in 10,000 officers and men can serve on the USS Missouri. One of them is Tom Bon Yee, a Chinese-American soldier from Alberta. He witnessed this solemn moment in history and added glory to the history of Chinese-Americans in Alberta. The government of the Republic of China, which persisted in the war of resistance for eight years and made great national sacrifices, sent six representatives to attend the Japanese surrender signing ceremony, led by General Xu Yongchang. Xu Yongchang (1887-1959), a major general of the Shanxi-Sui Army, served as Chairman of the Provincial Governments of Suiyuan, Hebei, and Shanxi, and was the Minister of Military Order of the Military Commission of the Government of the Republic of China at that time. He was also a second-class Army General. He also had Navy Lieutenant General Yang Xuancheng, one of the Chinese representatives who signed the Cairo Declaration, Army Lieutenant General Zhu Shiming, Army Major General Wang Zhi, Colonel Li Shuzheng, and Colonel Wang Picheng. During the signing ceremony, the deck was filled with representatives of allied countries participating in the war. After General MacArthur looked around, he asked his adjutant: "Where is Chennault?" Due to political differences, Chennault was forced to resign and return home when the Anti-Japanese War was about to win. Soon after, Japan announced its surrender. Chennault was unable to witness this final moment of victory. He said with great sadness: "My only ambition for the past eight years has been to defeat Japan. I really want to see Japan's defeat with my own eyes." On July 18, 1958, the U.S. Congress passed a bill promoting Chennault to Air Force Lieutenant General. Chennault died of illness in Washington on July 27 at the age of 67. On August 17, 1945, Manchukuo, as a puppet regime, completely collapsed. On September 9, nearly one million Japanese troops deployed in China surrendered to Chiang Kai-shek, the supreme commander of the Chinese theater of war, in Nanjing. At 9 a.m. on September 9, Commander-in-Chief of the Chinese Army He Yingqin presided over the surrender ceremony in the auditorium of the Army Headquarters in Nanjing. General Yoshiji Okamura, Commander-in-Chief of Japan’s China Expeditionary Forces, signed Japan’s instrument of surrender. Okamura Neji's sword was received by General He Yingqin. On September 12, the Japanese troops deployed in Southeast Asia (excluding Vietnam north of the 16th parallel) held a surrender ceremony in Singapore. Louis Patton accepted the surrender on behalf of the Supreme Commander of the Southeast Asian Theater. North Korea, Vietnam, and Taiwan, which were previously under Japanese jurisdiction, were also announced to have been lifted from jurisdiction. Ho Chi Minh of Vietnam even issued the "Declaration of Independence of Vietnam", but the Nguyen government decided to suppress the Democratic Republic of Vietnam on the grounds of supporting communism. On October 25, the Japanese troops in Taiwan surrendered to General Chen Yi, appointed by the supreme commander of the Chinese theater, Chiang Kai-shek, at the Taipei Public Hall. The Missouri was decommissioned on March 31, 1992, and on May 4, 1998, the Department of the Navy transferred the historic ship to the American Battleship Memorial Association. The battleship moved from Washington State to Pearl Harbor. 1,000 yards away is the USS Arizona Memorial. These two battleships, one behind the other, marked the beginning and end of World War II. In January 1999, the "Missouri" was officially opened to the public. After the end of World War II, Arizona Chinese soldiers still had officers and soldiers stationed on missions in Germany and Japan. Among them, technical soldier Francis wong was sent to Frankfurt, Germany; staff sergeant Joe Quan was stationed in Japan in the 1st Cavalry, 8th Cavalry Regiment; warrant officer Benjamin Joe was stationed in Japan with the 95th Infantry Division; and staff sergeant Quin Fung was stationed in Kobe, Japan. Jimmy C. Tang of the 65th Combat Engineer Battalion is assigned to Osaka, Japan. Chinese soldiers from Alberta participated in the entire Second World War and wrote a chapter of brave victory with their youth, blood and life.

"Alberta Chinese Anti-Fascism and Commemoration of the 70th Anniversary of the Victory of the Anti-Japanese War" has received widespread attention. Deng Yuedian, a heroic veteran of World War II in Alberta, recently emailed a video about Japan's surrender. In the past, we have always seen "stills", but never film and television materials. This is a "must-see" historical documentary of World War II.

Japanese Surrender：This film is believed to have never been seen before, only shots of the surrender were known. If you are a history buff you will enjoy this. General McArthur’s voice is a rarity in these old film clips. Japanese Surrender- Amazing Footage. This is a ‘must see’ for the WWII history buff or anyone interested in history. This is an actual film made of the surrender ceremony of the Japanese to McArthur in Tokyo Bay in September 1945. Actual voice of the General. Never been shown to the general public before. We always saw the ‘stills’ but never the film itself Click below:

Japanese Surrender (Documentary about Japan’s surrender seventy years ago, total length 8 minutes and 36 seconds)

On September 2, 1945, Japanese representatives unconditionally signed the surrender document. In 1945, Phoenix soldiers and civilians celebrated the victory of World War II with a parade.

After the end of World War II, there were still Chinese officers and soldiers from Arizona who were sent to Germany and Japan to perform missions.