September 2, 1945, marks the formal surrender ceremony aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay—known as V-J Day—a pivotal moment that not only ended WWII but also shaped America’s role in the Pacific for generations to come.
Retired Vice Admiral Robert Murrett, professor of practice at Syracuse University’s Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs and deputy director of the Institute for Security Policy and Law, is available to provide context on how the war’s legacy connects directly to today’s U.S. alliances and responsibilities in East Asia.
Robert Murrett
He shared the following comment: “The 80th anniversary of VJ Day reminds us of the progress that we have made in the Pacific, and at the same time the continued responsibility that we have to engage in East Asia. The sacrifices that so many of our countrymen made between 1941 and 1945 – including close family members of many of us – provided the basis for the thriving, prosperous region that we witness today. Moreover, our treaty obligations and long list of allied nations that we have in the region are a direct result of effective presence and diplomacy over the ensuing decades – and we should never take our stalwart allies in the Pacific for granted. We have an obligation to continue what has been for the most part a well thought out, strategic approach in Asia for the sake of future generations – home and away.”
If you’d like to schedule an interview with Professor Murrett, please reach out to Vanessa Marquette, media relations specialist, at vrmarque@syr.edu.
