The Defense Department marked the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II on Wednesday where it began for the U.S. -- at Pearl Harbor, with a ceremony aboard the "Mighty Mo'" battleship that served as the stage for the unconditional surrender of the Japanese empire.
In paying tribute to the WWII generation, Defense Secretary Mark Esper said that the lesson learned from history's bloodiest conflict is to remain ever vigilant and prepared to fight against present and emerging threats.
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The end of the war "created new expectations regarding the use of force and the way countries should treat each other" that often have not been realized, he told a socially-distanced audience of about 50 aboard the battleship Missouri, now a memorial in Honolulu.
"It is your legacy that inspires us to uphold the freedom and values for which you so nobly fought," Esper said to the audience, which included at least 12 WWII veterans.
"To protect the hard-fought gains of generations past and present, [the U.S.] will remain ready to fight any foe and defend any friend … [and] will safeguard our values and all we hold dear at every turn in every place," he said. "We will not back down, and we will not yield. Freedom is far too precious to do otherwise, and the sacrifice of those who came before us is far too great."
In similar remarks, Adm. Phil Davidson, head of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, warned that the U.S. now faces challenges from China and others and called on today's service members to take inspiration from "the memories of our greatest generation."
"We pay tribute to them by continuing to defend the values of a free and open Indo-Pacific," Davidson said.
Esper also cited in part the message sent out at the end of the war by Fleet Adm. Chester Nimitz, who was aboard the Missouri on Sept. 2, 1945, for the signing of surrender documents. But the SecDef's call for readiness to fight appeared to contrast with the fervent plea for lasting peace made 75 years ago from the decks of the battleship.
Nimitz said the nation had an enduring obligation to those who died in the war -- "the obligation to ensure their sacrifice will help make this a better and safer world in which to live. Now, we turn to the great tasks of reconstruction and restoration."
Army Gen. Douglas MacArthur had just presided at the signing of the instrument of surrender by Japanese Foreign Minister Mamoru Shigemitsu, representing Emperor Hirohito.
"It is my earnest hope and, indeed, the hope of all mankind that from this solemn occasion a better world shall emerge out of the blood and carnage of the past," MacArthur said in his closing remarks.
He said he hoped for "a world founded upon faith and understanding, a world dedicated to the dignity of man and the fulfillment of his most cherished wish -- for freedom, tolerance and justice."
In the early planning for the anniversary ceremony, about 200 World War II veterans had been expected to attend, but the organizers limited the gathering to about 12 vets living in Hawaii because of COVID-19 restrictions.
Other ceremonies across the nation to mark the end of World War II were mostly virtual because of the pandemic, but President Donald Trump went to the port city of Wilmington, North Carolina, on a combination campaign swing and tribute to the World War II generation.
With the battleship North Carolina, now a memorial in the city, as a backdrop, Trump declared Wilmington "the first American World War II Heritage City."
"With this designation, we proudly declare that in America, we don't tear down the past. We celebrate our heroes. We cherish our heritage," he said.
-- Richard Sisk can be reached at Richard.Sisk@Military.com.
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