Sept. 2, 1945 – Yamashita Surrenders

Compiled by Sgt. 1st Class Joshua Mann, Ohio Army National Guard Historian

Shortly after the cessation of hostilities with the Japanese during World War II, Maj. Gen. Robert S. Beightler was given the additional command of the Luzon Area Command. The main goal of this organization was to collect all the Japanese remaining on the Island of Luzon, including its commander, Japanese Gen. Tomoyki Yamashita. After communication had been made, arrangements were made for his surrender on the morning of Sept. 2, 1945. In his own words, Beightler describes this historic surrender:

“We reached the meeting place in the vicinity of Kiangan at about 10 o’clock in the morning. An advance party had started up one of the mountain trails to contact Yamashita and his entourage. About 11 o’clock, word was sent to us that Yamashita, carried in a sedan chair, with his staff and honor guard, had arrived and would be with us very shortly. Yamashita was transferred from his sedan chair into an Army jeep and driven to where we were standing by on the highway. As he walked toward me, he proffered his hand. I refused to shake hands; he then stepped back, saluted and bowed. I could not help but feel a sense of satisfaction that standing before me, beaten and submissive, was the man who had wrought havoc, destruction and bloodshed throughout the Philippines with a vile and cruel hand, now compelled to surrender all the fanatical Japanese forces who had carried out his diabolical plans.”