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History File: Two Generations of McCains, Sept 2 1945

Vice Admiral John McCain and Cdr. John McCain Jr.,on board a U.S. Navy ship (probably USS Proteus, AS-19) in Tokyo Bay, circa 2 September 1945. Admiral McCain died a few days after this photo was taken.

The United States Navy had begun the process of occupation just a few days prior. Japanese Naval bases on the island of Honshu, including Yokosuka are already under control of US troops. Repatration of Allied Prisoners of War in the Japanese Home islands and under its control is under way as part of "Operation Swift Mercy" The Fleet has begun to assemble in Toyko Bay for the surrender ceremony on September 15th.

As part of the initial surrender agreements with Japanese, General Wainright and General Percival ( Wainright, who surrendered at Battan and Percival at Singapore) are to be reparitated with utmost speed, so that they may be part of the surrender ceremony.

62 years ago, the world had seen the end of Hitler, the end of fascism in europe, the total destruction of two cities to atomic warfare and the end of the Japanese Imperial Empire.

62 years ago this week, The end of World War II was at hand. In 9 days, John McCain III, a man who is today a Senator from Arizona and running to be President of the United States, with one son in the Marines in Iraq, would at the age of 9, lose his grandfather.

History has its way with all of us, but the eyes of our grandfathers never leave us.

Posted @ September 02, 2007 07:13 PM | Current Affairs