The Snapshots in Time Collection

VR-12 — First NATS Aircraft to Land at Tokyo, September 1945

VR-12 — First NATS Aircraft to Land at Tokyo, September 1945

A crowd of servicemen gathers to witness a historic moment: the arrival of VR-12, the first Naval Air Transport Service aircraft to land at Tokyo following Japan's surrender in 1945. This flight marked the opening of a vital air bridge supporting the American occupation of Japan, connecting the Pacific island network built during the war to the newly occupied Japanese homeland. Project: 218522