He was 40 feet from Gen. Douglas MacArthur and the end of WWII

[Omaha Steve]

X post in Vets.


BRENDAN SULLIVAN / THE WORLD-HERALD
Bob McGranaghan, 89, was assigned 70 years ago to escort a Russian general to the signing ceremony that formally ended World War II. After the war, he married, and he and his wife raised 13 children. On the chair is a photo of himself in uniform at 20.


http://www.omaha.com/columnists/kelly/kelly-he-was-feet-from-gen-douglas-macarthur-and-the/article_e3228e18-55dd-5233-a025-b3f57e311adf.html


POSTED: WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2015 12:30 AM | UPDATED: 9:10 AM, WED SEP 2, 2015.
By Michael Kelly / World-Herald columnist

Preparing to shoot pool at the Millard VFW, the old man could picture himself as a teenager on the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay, not far from Gen. Douglas MacArthur.

“I was as close to him as the front door over there,” said Bob McGranaghan, 89. “What’s that, 40 feet?”

On Sept. 2, 1945, he was a Navy enlistee on the destroyer USS Nicholas, assigned to escort a Soviet dignitary onto the battleship Missouri for the signing of documents that formally ended war in the Pacific theater, and with it, World War II.

The name of the Soviet general?

FULL story at link.

[petronius]

1. Fascinating! I just read this article in the LA Times as well:

James L. Starnes, navigator of the battleship Missouri, was 24 years old when he learned he would play a key role in the ceremony to mark the end of World War II.

After the Japanese conceded defeat, President Truman announced that "Mighty Mo," the behemoth 58,000-ton flagship of the 3rd Fleet, would host the signatories of the instrument of surrender in Tokyo Bay.

"My job was to make sure we did not screw up," said Starnes, 94, who performed the role of officer of the deck the morning of Sept. 2, 1945.

--- Snip ---

http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-missouri-surrender-20150902-story.html

Some interesting tidbits there...