USS Hyman Ponape Surrender Ray Novotny

For the 50th Anniversary of the surrender on Ponape, the surviving crew of the HYMAN were invited to return to the island. My dad, along with about a dozen shipmates and their wives traveled to Ponape for the Liberation Ceremony on 11 Sept. 1995. While there, the Postmaster General of Micronesia presented my father with a set of limited edition postage stamps commorating the liberation of the islands. The set includes four U.S. Navy warships which carried out the liberation:
-the Cruiser Portland (CA-33) where Japanese Lt. General Shunzaburo Mugikura relinguished control of Truk (now known as Chuuk) on 2 Sept. 1945
-the desroyer USS Tillman (DD-641) which took the formal surrender of the Japanese garrison on Yap on 5 Sept.
-the destroyer USS Soley (DD-707) docked in the shadow of Lelu Island in sight of the Japanese surrender of Kosrae (formerly Kusai) aboard the Hyman on 8 Sept. The Soley stayed outside the harbor just in case the Japanese had any treachery planned. The Soley then stayed behind while the Hyman sailed to Ponape.
-USS Hyman (DD-732) where Lt. General Masao Watanabe surrendered control of Ponape (now Pohnpei) on 11 Sept. The Farquhar stood guard outside the reef in the event of a Japanese ambush.

Photo submitted by Ray Novotny, Jr.