In June 1943 he was promoted to lieutenant general and assigned as Commanding General of the Hawaiian Department, Military Governor of Hawaii, and all Army personnel in the Pacific Ocean Areas and Mid-Pacific. By mid-1944 he had become commander of U.S. Army Forces, Central Pacific Area. As the administrative commander he oversaw all the Army’s planning, logistical preparation, training, and force deployment efforts as part of the overall U.S. Joint forces island hopping campaign that led to surrender of Japan. His Army ground and air forces fought in all the major central and mid-Pacific battle under the operational command of Admiral Nimitz. Lt Gen Richardson stood in the front row of senior leaders who witnessed Japan’s formal surrender on the deck of the USS Missouri.