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Japanese WWII surrender commemorated at Ft. Miles

Four WWII vets recognized during solemn ceremony
In the shadow of the 16-inch gun from the battleship USS Missouri, Fort Miles hosted its ninth annual VJ Day ceremony Sept. 2. That is the day the Japanese signed the unconditional surrender aboard the USS Missouri to end WWII. The massive gun was part of the ship on that historic day. BILL SHULL PHOTOS
Bill Shull
September 4, 2025

“Let us pray that peace be now restored to the world, and that God will preserve it always.”

Those are the words of Gen. Douglas MacArthur Sept. 2, 1945, the day the Japanese signed the unconditional surrender ending World War II.

Brig. Gen. Elliott Workman, U.S. Army retired, read the entire MacArthur speech at the Fort Miles Historical Association’s ninth annual VJ Day ceremony Sept. 2.

The event commemorated the 80th anniversary of the surrender aboard the battleship USS Missouri, which was anchored in Tokyo Bay.

The Fort Miles ceremony took place in the shadow of a 16-inch gun from the Missouri’s No. 1 turret. The gun was on the ship when MacArthur accepted the surrender.

The 120-ton gun has been on display at the museum since 2012.

This year, four WWII veterans were on hand and honored for their service: Seaman 1/C Vernon Huber, U.S. Navy; Sgt. George McCarthy, U.S. Army Air Corps; AMMF3/C John Reichert, U.S. Navy; and GM1/C Raymond Sproul, U.S. Navy.

A total of 774 members of the armed forces and Merchant Marines from Delaware died while serving their country in WWII.

As they do each year, volunteers from Fort Miles read aloud 50 of those names.

The VFW 7234 honor guard delivered a rifle salute and played taps.

Lani Spahr played bagpipes during the ceremony.

For more information about Fort Miles, go to fortmilesmuseum.org.

 

Four WWII veterans were recognized for their service. Shown are (l-r) GM1/C Raymond Sproul, U.S. Navy; Sgt. George McCarthy, U.S. Army Air Corps; Seaman 1/C Vernon Huber, U.S. Navy; and AMMF3/C John Reichert, U.S. Navy.
Panchito, the WWII B-25 bomber based at Delaware Coastal Airport in Georgetown, made two passes over Fort Miles to commemorate VJ Day.
Walter Koopman, a Korean War veteran, salutes during the playing of the national anthem.
Will Short of the Fort Miles Historical Association serves as master of ceremonies for the VJ Day event.
Lani Spahr plays the bagpipes during the ceremony.
Brig. Gen. Elliott Workman, U.S. Army retired, reads the speech that was delivered by Gen. Douglas MacArthur at the Japanese surrender signing ceremony Sept. 2, 1945, in Tokyo Bay.
Mike Schimmel tolls the bell for the Delawareans who died serving their country in WWII.
VFW Post 7234 performs a rifle salute during the ceremony.
WWII veteran George McCarthy, 101, tips his cap to the gathered guests at the Fort Miles VJ Day ceremony.
Dave Diefenderfer, commander of VFW Post 7447, looks on at the Ft. Miles VJ Day ceremony.
U.S. Navy WWII veteran John Reichert proudly wears his flight jacket at the Fort Miles ceremony.

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Bill Shull has been covering Lewes for the Cape Gazette since 2023. He comes to the world of print journalism after 40 years in TV news. Bill has worked in his hometown of Philadelphia, as well as Atlanta and Washington, D.C. He came to Lewes in 2014 to help launch WRDE-TV. Bill served as WRDE’s news director for more than eight years, working in Lewes and Milton. He is a 1986 graduate of Penn State University. Bill is an avid aviation and wildlife photographer, and a big Penn State football, Eagles, Phillies and PGA Tour golf fan. Bill, his wife Jill and their rescue cat, Lucky, live in Rehoboth Beach.

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