India, Sept. 3 -- The war lasted six years. Millions died; entire cities were nuked and destroyed. The end to it all took just 23 minutes.

On the morning of September 2, 1945, the battleship USS Missouri lay anchored in Tokyo Bay. There were no parades, cheering crowds or victory arches on the deck. Instead, Allied officers and Japanese delegates gathered around a green-felt-covered table to sign the document that formally ended World War II 81 years ago.

At 9:02 am, General Douglas MacArthur, the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers, opened the proceedings. What followed took only 23 minutes.

A small Japanese delegation stepped aboard the Missouri. Foreign minister Mamoru Shigemitsu represented the Japanese government. General Yosh...