LEWES, DE (August 13, 2024) — Fort Miles Historical Association will hold its eighth Victory over Japan ceremony at 9 a.m. Sept. 2 outside Fort Miles Museum in the shadow of its USS Missouri gun display.

This annual ceremony at Fort Miles, in Cape Henlopen State Park, marks the official end to World War II and honors the 774 Delaware members of the armed forces and merchant mariners who died serving their country in that war.

After the ceremony, Fort Miles Museum will be open to the public from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. with docent-led tours at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Admission to the museum is free. Guided tours cost $6 a person. Guided tours are free for military veterans and active-duty military.

“This ceremony offers a chance for us to remember those Delawareans who gave their lives in service to their country,” said Scott Thomas, Museum Marketing Committee Chair. “We are grateful for their contributions and the sacrifices they made.”

The morning of Sept. 2, 1945, nearly four years after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Allied and Japanese delegations met aboard the battleship USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay to sign documents to end World II. After reading a statement, Gen. Douglas MacArthur directed the Japanese representatives to sign the instruments of surrender for the Allied and Japanese governments.

The 16-inch gun barrel displayed at Fort Miles was on board the USS Missouri when the surrender documents were signed.

“It is fitting that we mark the end of World War II near our gun barrel, a physical reminder of that historic day,” said Thomas, who also is Executive Director for Southern Delaware Tourism.

This year’s ceremony will feature a tribute to John A. Reichert, a Navy aviation machinist’s mate and flight engineer during World War II. He joined the Navy in July 1943 and served on a patrol bombing squadron. Reichert was honorably discharged from the Navy in May 1946.

Reichert, who lives with his wife, Dorothy, in Rehoboth Beach, will attend the ceremony with his family. They will celebrate his 100th birthday on Oct. 28, 2024.

FMHA volunteers will read the names of 50 Delawareans who died in the war while tolling a ship’s bell after each name. Each honoree’s name, rank, service branch, hometown, date and location of passing will be read.

The ceremony includes an account of the day of the Japanese surrender and a reading of MacArthur’s speech.