The road to V-J Day

World War II was a devastating conflict that involved countries around the globe. The deadliest war in military history, World War II claimed some 70 million civilians and military personnel.

World War II affected a demographic that is now often referred to as the "Greatest Generation," who previously had to face the Great Depression and were shaped by parents who experienced the first World War. The effects of World War II can still be felt and remembered today, well into the 21st century.

World War II began when Germany invaded Poland on September 1, 1939. However, it wasn't until Japan bombed Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 that the United States formally entered the fray.

By the beginning of 1945, Germans were largely in retreat, and by May 7, 1945, Germany surrendered to the western Allies. However, the fight against Japan raged on. Throughout the summer of 1945, Allied troops faced Japanese forces. The United States dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima on August 6 and another on Nagasaki three days later. On August 14, 1945, Japan unconditionally surrendered by a radio address from Emperor Hirohito, a day that has come to be called Victory Over Japan Day, or V-J Day. August 14 is widely celebrated as the effective end of World War II.

According to Hirohito, "Should we continue to fight, it would not only result in the ultimate collapse and obliteration of the Japanese nation, but would also lead to the total extinction of human civilization." President Harry Truman indicated that V-J Day was the vindication needed after Pearl Harbor.

The formal surrender took place on September 2, 1945. As a result, V-J Day is celebrated by some in August and others in September. Commemorations take place in Europe as well as North America. In the United States, Rhode Island is the only state with a holiday specifically dedicated to V-J Day, officially called Victory Day. It is celebrated on the second Monday in August.

World War II was a long and bloody conflict that involved many world powers. It ultimately came to its end in mid-August with victory over Japan on a date that still bears deep meaning today.

 

Publication: 

The Drummer and The Wright County Journal Press

PO Box 159
108 Central Ave.
Buffalo MN 55313

www.thedrummer.com

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