Today in Wheeling History: August 22-- On Aka Island, near Okinawa, Japan, Colonel Julian G. Hearne Jr., Wheeling native and commander of the Twenty-fourth Infantry Regiment, accepted the surrender from Japanese troops led by Major Yoshihiko Noda (1945). This marked the first formal surrender of a Japanese army garrison within Japanese-held territory as World War II drew to a close. In this historical event, Major Noda presented his sword to Colonel Hearne, while other Japanese officers relinquished their swords to different members of the U.S. regiment. Fast forward to 1981, when Colonel Hearne, in a gesture reflecting his sentiment that "the sword truly belongs to the American people," bestowed the sword upon the Smithsonian Institution.
Colonel Julian Hearne, an attorney pivotal in crafting legislation for Wheeling's non-partisan Council-City Manager government in 1935, later enlisted in the army in 1941. Assigned to the 24th United States Infantry Regiment, an African-American unit, Hearne assumed a commanding role and accepted the surrender of a Japanese army garrison on Aka Island on August 22, 1945. He generously contributed the sword presented to him by the Japanese commander to the Smithsonian Museum. Amidst wartime, Hearne's creative spirit flourished, resulting in notable musical compositions like "West Virginia, My Home Sweet Home" (1947), designated as one of West Virginia's official state songs. After retiring from the military, Hearne authored "Some Unknown Facts of American History: The Saga of Governor Pierpont" (1987). (https://tinyurl.com/2czpujcp) (https://tinyurl.com/mr3ce9d4)
Colonel Julian Hearne, an attorney pivotal in crafting legislation for Wheeling's non-partisan Council-City Manager government in 1935, later enlisted in the army in 1941. Assigned to the 24th United States Infantry Regiment, an African-American unit, Hearne assumed a commanding role and accepted the surrender of a Japanese army garrison on Aka Island on August 22, 1945. He generously contributed the sword presented to him by the Japanese commander to the Smithsonian Museum. Amidst wartime, Hearne's creative spirit flourished, resulting in notable musical compositions like "West Virginia, My Home Sweet Home" (1947), designated as one of West Virginia's official state songs. After retiring from the military, Hearne authored "Some Unknown Facts of American History: The Saga of Governor Pierpont" (1987). (https://tinyurl.com/2czpujcp) (https://tinyurl.com/mr3ce9d4)
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