History, as they say, is written by the victors.

Thus our understanding of World War II and of the surrender aboard the USS Missouri that took place 60 years ago today (Hawai'i time) is colored by America's version of events.

At the conclusion of the surrender signing, Gen. Douglas Mac-Arthur declared this hope: "Let us pray that peace will be now restored to the world and that God will preserve it always."

Unfortunately, that was not to be. MacArthur himself soon found himself embroiled in combat in Korea, a war that was followed by Vietnam and today, the war on terrorism that has taken us into Iraq, Afghanistan and other hot spots.

From the vantage point of 60 years, it is possible to make several observations about this historic event that officially began, for America, in Hawai'i at Pearl Harbor.

The first is that the United States was magnanimous in victory. The Marshall Plan that rebuilt Europe, including Germany, and our efforts to put Japan back on its economic and social feet paid off handsomely. Both countries today are strong political and economic allies.

The second, sadly, is that Japan still struggles with its historical role in the war. Unlike Germany, which has gone through decades of soul-searching over its actions in World War II, Japan remains somewhat ambivalent.

The Japanese government has issued apologies to those it victimized during the war, and many Japanese citizens hold sincere regret for the role their nation played. But in official documents, including some textbooks, Japan remains somewhat reluctant to face the truth of what happened.

War brings out the bestial in many, and it would be naive to assume that only Japan has something to apologize for.

Still, this 60th anniversary of the end of one war and the beginning of a remarkable half-century of progress, peace and prosperity for Japan seems like an appropriate time to finally lay to rest the ghosts of a war and a time long past.