The "Mighty Mo's" Place At the End of the World War II-- Part 4: The Signing Table

When the Japanese delegation, some wearing tails and top hats saluted and asked for permission to come aboard, James Starnes said, "Permission granted."

There was no anger or hostility according to Starnes.  "This was peace time.  It was very a formal, very dignified ceremony.

Just before the proceedings got underway, it became evident that the mahogany table, a present from the British fleet, was too small to hold both documents.  With only minutes to go, a folding table was grabbed from the crews' mess where cooks and kp had just finished breakfast.  Captain Marray grabbed a green table cloth stained with coffee spots to drape on top.

--GreGen