By WILLIAM COLE | The Honolulu Star-Advertiser | Published: May 16, 2021 (Tribune News Service) On Sept. 2, 1945, the deadliest war in history officially ended on the deck of the battleship USS Missouri with Japan s unconditional surrender. More than 3, 000 service members and dignitaries most of them Missouri crew members jammed onto every bit of available real estate to watch the signing. Upwards of 250 allied ships were in Tokyo Bay. More than 1,000 fighters and bombers flew over late in the ceremony in a show of force. It was history being made on an unprecedented scale. A total of 75 million or more people had perished in World War II.