Gen. Yamashita didn’t bat an eye when he surrendered at Bagnio, Luzon, to Gen. Wainwright and Gen. Percival, while a Sioux City boy guarded his sword and looked on. Mrs. Sigmund Schreiber, 3211 Dodge avenue, has received an eyewitness account of the historical event from her brother, Cpl. Robert Nyberg, Manila, who was present as one of the 30 members of the guard of honor. For his participation in the ceremonies, Cpl. Nyberg will receive a copy of the surrender orders carrying the official stamp and seal. Before entering the service, Cpl. Nyberg was an employee of Swift & Co. he is the son of Emil Nyberg, 2512 First street, a Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific railroad engineer. His description of the surrender is a thrilling one.
Source: The Sioux City Journal, September 28, 1945 (photo included)
Sioux Cityan in Military Police unit at Surrender of Jap General
Watched as “Butcher of Bataan” Signed the Documents
Manila, P.I.—Cpl. Robert E. Nyberg, of the 742d military police battalion, has returned to his organization after one of the greatest experiences in his army career.
On August 29 the commanding officer of the 742d received word that his battalion had been chosen to provide guards for the formal surrender of the Japanese general, Yamashita, and his staff.
Cpl. Nyberg was one of the 31 picked military policeman, all six feet or over, chosen for this assignment. The men, under command of the battalion commanding officer, left the battalion area on the morning of September 1 for the 200-mile trip to Baguio, the site of the surrender ceremonies.
The next afternoon, after a formal guard mount, the American flag was raised over Fort John Hays, home of the United States commissioner of the Philippines, for the first time since the fall of the fort to the Japanese in the early part of the war.
M.P’s Stand Guard
Yamashita and the Japanese party arrived at approximately 1700 hours. At 1215 on 3d of September, the signers of the surrender documents made official the Japanese surrender and cessation of hostilities in the Philippines took place in the presence of the allied commission, which included British Gen. Percival and American Gen. Jonathan Wainwright, who suffered the indignity of surrender to the Japanese forces in the war’s early days. Eight of the military policeman were present in the room where the document was signed. That afternoon at 1730, the plane carrying Yamashita with seven of his staff and five of the military police guards took off for Manila from Luna airstrip. Approximately one hour and 20 minutes later the plane bearing the “Butcher of Bataan” and his guards landed at Nielson field in Manila. Yamashita and his staff were immediately transported to Bilibid prison and confined.
Cpl. Nyberg is the son of E.E. Nyberg, 2512 First Street, Sioux City, and a brother of Mrs. Zigmond Schrieber, 3211 Dodge Avenue.
East High Gridder
Cpl. Nyberg is the holder of the Asiatic-Pacific theater Ribbon with two bronze campaign stars, and the Philippine liberation ribbon.
He was graduated from East High School, Sioux City, in 1929, where he was a member of the football team. Before entering the army, he was employed by Swift & Co. in the sausage department.
Cpl. Nyberg entered the army in September 1932, receiving his training at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas and Fort Custer, Mich., before being sent overseas. At present Bob is doing M.P. work in the city of Manila, Philippines.
Source: The Sioux City Journal, October 7, 1945
