Labor Day Festivities on Pier 13 in Baltimore

On Friday, 9/4/15 the SS JOHN W BROWN moved from Pier 1 to Pier 13, next to the NS SAVANNAH to celebrate the end of WWII . Over a year ago, the Glenn L Martin Aviation Museum and National Electronics Museum held a meeting and invited us join them in a celebration of the 70th Anniversary of the end of WWII.  There have been other events at the various museums in town and the celebration will culminate in a dance at the hanger of Glenn L Martin Airport. Information about the dance can be found on their website.  

We left the pier at 9am on Friday; on board we had local photographers who rode along, we had diplomats from the Russian Embassy and some writers from Sputnik (news agency), and we had members from the Eisenhower Memorial Commission. Russia has a museum that is dedicated to the Lend Lead Program of WWII and wanted to learn more about the BROWN and our maiden voyage that was to the Persian Gulf to deliver goods to be transported to Russia during WWII.   For the ride over to Pier 13 we flew the Russian flag and  Fort McHenry flew their large American Flag for us as we went by. 

picture taken by Joel Biallas

Our home for the weekend was with the NS SAVANNAH, with whom we became fast friends; sharing meals, getting to know each other and each ship giving crew members tours of the ships that are not usually accessible by the public. Not only did we have our Russian friends on board Friday, but we had visitors from the Delaware Historical Society, Del Tech,  the Glenn L. Martin Maryland Aviation Museum, National Electronics Museum, and the Maryland Women's Heritage Center.  

On Saturday morning, our opening ceremony was interesting with lots of speakers from the listed organizations, including the NS SAVANNAH Association, and entertainment from The Ultimate Abbott & Costello Tribute Show.   Below is a short YouTube clip of our own Joe Colgan who was instrumental in the planning of this event and was himself, Armed Guard on Liberty Ships during the war.  He tells about where he was when he heard the war was over on 9/4/1945.

From noon to four on Saturday, we also had a beer tasting, courtesy of Max's Taphouse.  They organized the event, they volunteered for it, and they got generous donations from the following breweries: DuClaw Brewing Co., Heavy Seas Beer, Shiner Beer, Flying Dog Brewery, Monument City Brewing Company, Full Sail Brewing Co., Harpoon Brewery, The Brewer's Art, Burley Oak Brewing Company, Mikkeller, Otter Creek Brewing, Great Divide Brewing Co., Elysian Brewing, Sly Fox Beer, Kronenbourg 1964, SBC Restaurant & Brewery, Stillwater Artisanal, and Breckenridge Brewery. Ice delivery was courtesy of Charm City Ice.  The visitors really enjoyed having an iced drink after touring our old 'gal' in 90+degree weather.  THANKS again!

We have so much more to say about this cool event, but some of it will have to wait for the other blogs...can't tell you everything all at once....  It was a wonderful, though hot weekend, but we had a good number of visitors, and many went on to buy Living History cruise tickets from us or made wonderful donations.   Sales for the last cruise of the season end on September 18th so order yours now! Stay tuned...more to follow.

 Special thanks to local photographer Joel Biallas who took the shot of the Russian flag on the ship. All other shots were taken by JWB staff Peter, Sabrina and Andrea.  Stay tuned for another blog featuring the shots of the photographers that rode the ship on Friday for a photoshoot. 

Project Liberty Ship, Inc is a 501(c)3 non-profit, all volunteer organization engaged in the preservation and operation of the historic ship JOHN W. BROWN as a living memorial museum. Gifts to Project Liberty Ship are tax deductible.

'In Their Own Words' - The End of WWII

These Proceedings Are Closed

70th Anniversary

September 2, 1945

World War II Ends

Frank G. Peiffer

 “These proceedings are closed.”  Thus, General Douglas MacArthur’s words ended the greatest war in history.   After Pearl Harbor America was now at war, a truly global war. It was said that Churchill remarked that after hearing the news it led to the best night’s sleep he had in some time.

The U.S. was in it. Things did not go well for the U.S. immediately after Pearl Harbor. Wake Island fell after a heroic defense by Marines. The Philippines fell with General MacArthur being evacuated by PT boat on orders from the President of the United States.  Command of the Philippines passed to General Wainwright. The largest surrender of U.S. troops in our history took place on the Bataan Peninsula in April 1942.   Some 70,000 American and Filipino troops entered captivity. Corregidor Island, the guardian of Manila Bay, fell in May 1942. No help came.

The Japanese threatened the great British naval base at Singapore. Two major fleet units, Battle Cruiser Repulse and the new Battleship Prince of Wales were sent to deter the Japanese. Both ships were sunk in about four hours on December 10, 1941 by torpedo planes largely due to the lack of air cover.  Admiral Tom Phillips went down with Prince of Wales. This ended the belief that a battleship would not be sunk at sea under way.  On February 15, 1942 General Percival surrenders British forces. Some 170,000 local, British, Indian, and Australian troops enter captivity.

 A hastily assembled naval force was put together by the Americans, British, Dutch, and Australia (ABDA) to counter Japanese advance on the Dutch Indies (Indonesia) which were the source for rubber and oil.  This force suffered a terrible defeat at the Battle of the Java Sea February 1942. Commander of the task force, Dutch Admiral Karel Doorman, went down on the cruiser De Ruyter. U.S.S. Houston and HMAS Perth escaped and made a run for the Indian Ocean. They were sunk two days later in what is known as the Battle of Sunda Strait.  

It seemed the Japanese Navy was unstoppable. As predicted by Japanese Admiral Yamamoto, the Japanese Navy would control the Pacific for six months. Then the great naval battles of the Coral Sea and Midway turned things around, as had the Marines in the hell named Guadalcanal, Island of Death.  The war continued for four and half years. Many battles but fortunately more wins than losses. Tough battles raged in North Africa and Italy and finally the June landings at Normandy. It ended in Europe in May 1945 with the surrender documents signed at Rheims.

 Horrific battles took place on Iwo Jima and Okinawa where kamikaze suicide planes took a terrible toll on ships. These islands provided the springboard for the B-29 raids on Japan.  The Pacific war ended August 1945 after the dropping of two atomic bombs. We and the Japanese were spared the dreaded invasion of the Japanese home islands.

And now the end takes place-September 2, 1945 on the teak decks of the U.S.S. Missouri anchored some 18 miles out in Tokyo Bay. Hundreds of ships were anchored and 1,900 airplanes flew over (1,500 fighters 400 bombers). MacArthur wanted what we now call theater. The German surrender in May 1945 took place at Rheims in a small school house. This was to be a statement of U.S. power.

 General MacArthur in his role of Supreme Commander Allied Powers (SCAP) invites the allies to sign and then the Japanese delegation. Among the witnesses were General Wainwright and British General Percival, both recently released from a prison camp in Manchuria. Fleet Admiral, Chester Nimitz, signs for the United States.  The surrender ceremony ends with MacArthur saying: “Let us pray that peace now be restored to the world and that God will preserve it always. These proceedings are closed.” Seventy years ago on the decks of the U.S.S. Missouri.

Historical Notes

HMS Prince of Wales participated in the great battle with KMS Bismarck in May 1941. Her consort, HMS Hood, was sunk. Bismarck in turn was sunk by British ships. She brought Churchill to Placentia Bay, Newfoundland in August 1941 to meet with Roosevelt. The Atlantic Charter is forged.

U.S.S. Houston-The Navy and Indonesia announced in August 2014 that a ship wreck has been found in the Java Sea and confirmed it is the Houston. This is the final resting place for over 700 U.S. sailors and Marines. Lost was Captain Albert Rooks who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.

The selection of Missouri was made by James Forrestal, Secretary of the Navy.  This must have been pleasing to President Harry S. Truman who succeeded Franklin Roosevelt upon his death in April 1945. Truman was from Missouri and his daughter Margaret, christened Missouri. The ship is now moored at Pearl Harbor. Fitting, USS Arizona, a memorial to the beginning of the war, is close to the Missouri where it ended. Sister ship USS New Jersey is a memorial berthed in Camden, New Jersey.

Flyover Missouri 1900 Planes

Japenese Delegation On Deck-Missouri

MacArthur and Nimitz Led to Table

MacArthur Signs Surrender Documents

Nimitz Signs For U.S

Sailors and Officers View procedings

A huge THANKS to Frank for writing this up for us.  Frank is a new member that came to visit the ship a month ago and left a new member who loves history and is a great writer.   Wonderful info to read as we go into our weekend event to celebrate the end of the war and Maryland's contributions to the war and home front. 

Project Liberty Ship, Inc is a 501(c)3 non-profit, all volunteer organization engaged in the preservation and operation of the historic ship JOHN W. BROWN as a living memorial museum. Gifts to Project Liberty Ship are tax deductible.

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