<Begin Segment 34>

GH: Well, the following day, the same Chevrolet, 1936, came along to pick us up to go to the surrender ceremony. Now there were four of us, so I had to sit on the lap of a colonel to get to the surrender ceremony. And when we arrived, we were escorted to our designated seat. I sat right behind General McClure, but we were facing the main entrance, and shortly after I sat down, I could see a 1940 Roadmaster pull up, and a Japanese representative got out. And all seven, I think, came on individual Roadmaster. [Laughs] And I was laughing to myself because I knew how I came. [Laughs]

TI: Because you were sitting on the lap of a colonel. Again, it's such a contrast. Here again, you were the victors, and you would go in your way, and the Japanese would go one by one, each privately driven with their own nice 1940 Roadmaster car. It's such a contrast.

GH: And as they entered, the auditorium lit up with a flash, photographers. The Japanese representatives were taken to a waiting room, and shortly thereafter, they were brought back, and as they came back, they bowed to General Ho Ying-chen and they were seated. And then there was a moment of silence when General Ho Ying-chen examined the credentials of General Okamoto, who was the commander of the Japanese army in China. And after he acknowledged the document, he, they signed the surrender (documents)... [pauses] and it was exchanged and at that point the flashes went on again. And then...

TI: So the Japanese were surrendering, technically, to the Chinese?

GH: Right.

TI: And the Americans were there as observers.

GH: We were there as observers, yeah.

TI: Okay.

GH: And, and I think as the flashes went on again, and then --

TI: Now, when this was happening, did you, did you have a sense that you were really witnessing history here, that this was...

GH: Oh, I could, I felt for the Japanese, 'cause I knew what was going on. [Laughs]

TI: When you say that you felt for the Japanese, what do you mean that you knew what was going on?

GH: I could just imagine, you know, the proud Japanese who had been victorious all along, here they were surrendering.

TI: Even though they had not lost in China, in their minds they were still strong and could keep fighting, but, but they had to surrender.

GH: Yeah. But after the exchange of documents, the Japanese retreated to the waiting room, and then Ho Ying-chen announced over the radio the successful completion of the surrender ceremony and the dawn of peace. It was a very short, dignified ceremony.

TI: Okay. Well, that was, that was, again, it's amazing that you were able to participate in this, in this event. So after the surrender ceremony, then what happened?

GH: We did get one Roadmaster. [Laughs]

<End Segment 34> - Copyright © 2006 Densho. All Rights Reserved.