USS BUCHANAN DD-484

 

The second BUCHANAN (DD-484) was placed in commission 21 March 1942. She received the Presidential Unit Citation and won fifteen Battle Stars for her World War II service. On 01 September 1945 she carried Fleet Admiral Nimitz and Halsey from their respective flag-ships to Yokohama where they met with General MacArthur. The following day she conveyed General Douglas MacArthur from Yokoama, Japan, to the USS MISSOURI (BB-63) in Tokyo Bay for the surrender ceremonies which terminated World War II in the Pacific.

Surrender of Japan, Tokyo Bay, 2 September 1945

In the early morning of 2 September 1945, at the American-occupied port of Yokohama, General of the Army Douglas MacArthur, delegates of the Allied Powers, senior U.S. military officers and a large contingent of media representatives boarded the U.S. Navy destroyers Nicholas (DD-449), Buchanan (DD-484) and Taylor (DD-468). The ships steamed several miles out into Tokyo Bay to USS Missouri, coming alongside her port side to discharge their passengers between 7:07 and 8:38 AM.

 

 

 

 

A U.S. Army honor guard presents arms as representatives of the Allied Powers arrive at pierside to be taken to USS Missouri for the surrender ceremonies, 2 September 1945.
Uniform patches and unit flag indicate that the honor guard is from the 11th Airborne Division Reconnaissance Battalion.


USS Buchanan (DD-484) is alongside the pier. She carried some of the dignitaries out to the Missouri.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                                               

 

 

Photograph from the Army Signal Corps Collection in the U.S. National Archives.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

USS Buchanan (DD 484) alongside USS Wasp (CV 7) to refuel, while en route to the Guadalcanal-Tulagi invasion area, Aug. 3, 1942. She was armed with six 5-inch guns, six 20mm cannon, six .50 caliber machine guns, five 21-inch torpedo tubes, and two depth charge racks.
USN photo

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sponsor Miss Hildreth Meiere, great granddaughter of Admiral F. Buchanan, at the launching on 22 November 1941 at the Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Co., Kearny, New Jersey.

 

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