DAYTON, Ohio -- Glass ball from the top of a flag pole at Irumagawa Air Base (later Johnson Air Base) near Tokyo, a major Japanese World War II training installation used by the U.S. 5th Air Force as its headquarters following the Japanese surrender. An inscription on the monument at the base of the pole stated that it had been dedicated "to the destruction of America." Dr. Elmer Beadles, an AAF dentist, "liberated" the ball one night after the pole had been taken down and the monument overtuned. Donated by Marjorie and Elmer Beadles, Ashland, Ill. (U.S. Air Force photo)
Following the end of hostilities, weather and photo-reconnaissance flights continued over Japan while other B-29s made mercy flights to drop food and supplies to 154 prisoner of war camps in Japan, China and Korea, where Allied personnel were being held captive. On Sept. 2 in ceremonies onboard the battleship USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay, General of the Army Douglas MacArthur, who had been named Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers, formally received the Japanese envoys who signed the surrender document. World War II had ended.
In terms of cost to the United States in men and planes, the war against Japan had been less costly than the conflict in Europe. Total AAF losses against the Japanese to all causes were 13,055 planes, of which 1,197 were heavy bombers, 864 medium and light bombers, and 2,469 fighters destroyed in combat. AAF battle casualties were 24,230 -- 10,406 killed in action, 4,643 wounded, and 9,181 missing, captured or interned. Total AAF losses against Germany and Italy in aircraft and men included 27,694 planes and 91,105 battle casualties.
