~ an excerpt from Spear-Carrier in a Backwater War  by Edward C. Larson

August 22 greeted the world with bad weather, but it would turn out to be a red-letter day in my checkerboard military career.

US Army video of Japanese envoy arriving for the signing of the treaty with the Chinese

I was pretty excited about the historical significance of the day and what it would bring and a little surprised at the absence of fuss and feathers about the moment. As we watched, a group of GIs was setting up some rather plain-looking tables in a building close to the flight line. The tables were then covered with cloths that had all the appearance of somebody’s bed sheets. Metal folding chairs were placed around the tables, and that was it. Now all that was left was the waiting.

As airmen, we were of course intrigued by what kind of Japanese aircraft might appear. There probably wouldn’t be any fighters since their presence could be provocative, so we guessed a bomber or two might serve the losers’ transportation needs. It was all a guess, but it sure was exciting. We probably waited about forty-five minutes before we heard engine sounds approaching. After a minute or so, a Mitsubishi G4 “Betty” powered over the hills from the east. She was blue-gray and looked a bit lethal, but she bore a huge cross on her fuselage indicating her fighting days were over. Her crew made an obvious check of the pattern and then turned onto a short final. They greased the landing without a jolt.