WEBVTT

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(triumphant band music)

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- [Narrator] The Battleship Missouri,

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53,000 ton flagship of Admiral Halsey's Third Fleet,

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becomes the scene of an unforgettable ceremony,

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marking the complete and formal surrender of Japan.

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- Some folks may wonder

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^why we even have these ceremonies anymore,

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^'cause there's not very many living people

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^who survived those battles.

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^So why do we even,

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why do we even commemorate them?

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Ceremonies such as these are living proof

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that there is no statute or limitations on honor.

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The brave soldiers, the sailors, the airmen,

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the Marines, the coastguardsmen,

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all those who served in World War II,

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they weren't just fighting to defeat an enemy,

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but they were fighting

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for a better world for their families.

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Generations to follow.

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That's why we're here today.

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The end of a very bitter war,

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signed on this deck of this ship,

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but also the beginning of a lasting better peace.

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In 1945, Japan was our enemy.

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Today, 75 years later, our staunchest ally.

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It's an amazing journey.