World War II Surrender Collection
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07/01/2026
A new addition to our World War II Surrender Collection! Here is an original confidential military message sent by General Dwight D. Eisenhower announcing the unconditional surrender of all German forces in Europe during World War II.
The message, dated May 7, 1945, details that the surrender was signed simultaneously to the Allied Expeditionary Force and the Soviet High Command.
It specifies that active operations were to cease at 0001 hours on May 9, 1945.
The communication instructs that all offensive operations by the Allied Expeditionary Force should cease immediately, but defensive precautions must be maintained due to potential delays in orders reaching enemy troops.
It strictly mandates no release to the press pending an official announcement by the heads of the three governments.
The document is a historical artifact from the end of the war in Europe, a significant moment in time.
Mr. Ed Buffman speaks at 80th Anniversary of the Surrender Ceremony at the USS Missouri.
03/09/2025
Meeting Ed Buffman, one of the last surviving USS Missouri crew members at the 80th Anniversary of the Surrender Signing at the USS Missouri.
GM2c Edgar “Ed” Buffman
Hailing from Newport, Rhode Island, Mr. Buffman served aboard the USS Missouri from 1944 to 1946 as a Gunner’s Mate Second Class (GM2c) in the Gunnery Department’s 8th Division. He is also a proud World War II plank owner.
On April 11, 1945, he witnessed the Kamikaze attack on the starboard side of the ship. "Being on the port side, we felt the ship shake, and we could see the smoke coming up... All hell was going on over there." He would later be present aboard the Missouri during the formal surrender on September 2, 1945.
Mr. Buffman was part of Malone’s Marauders, a contingent of USS Missouri and Third Fleet sailors selected to be the first Allied personnel in Tokyo as part of an advance occupation force prior to the formal surrender. He was tasked with destroying Japanese munitions at an artillery emplacement. Mr. Buffman now resides with his wife, Jolene, in Media, Pennsylvania, where he founded the Pennsylvania Veterans Museum.
