VJ Day

[Twinky]

A day of celebration in the UK and commonwealth, of the end of hostilities in the east. It's not a public holiday, but there are always commemorations, parades, and the laying of wreaths.  There are different celebrations in the US.

 

Extract from Wikipedia about VJ Day

Victory over Japan Day (also known as V-J Day, Victory in the Pacific Day, or V-P Day^[1]) is the day on which Imperial Japan surrendered in World War II, in effect bringing the war to an end. The term has been applied to both of the days on which the initial announcement of Japan's surrender was made – August 15, 1945, in Japan, and because of time zone differences, August 14, 1945 (when it was announced in the United States and the rest of the Americas and Eastern Pacific Islands) – as well as to September 2, 1945, when the surrender document was signed, officially ending World War II.

August 15 is the official V-J Day for the United Kingdom, while the official US commemoration is September 2.^[2] The name, V-J Day, had been selected by the Allies after they named V-E Day for the victory in Europe.

On September 2, 1945, a formal surrender ceremony was performed in Tokyo Bay, Japan, aboard the battleship USS Missouri. In Japan, August 15 usually is known as the "memorial day for the end of the war" 

 

Extract from Wikipedia about "Victory Day" (USA)

Victory Day is a holiday observed in the United States state of Rhode Island with state offices closed on the second Monday of August. Furthermore, in 2017, WPRI-TV claimed that Arkansas and Rhode Island were the only two states to ever celebrate the holiday, though Arkansas's name for the holiday was "World War II Memorial Day."^[1]

Originally, the official name was "Victory over Japan Day" and "V-J Day", as proclaimed by then President Harry S. Truman and was officially observed on September 2 nationwide. At some point, the name was changed to "Victory Day" in light of the modern post-war Japan emerging in economic importance. Further name changes were attempted later, but were unsuccessful, at which point, the name "Victory Day" remained the official name.

The holiday celebrates the conclusion of World War II and is related to Victory over Japan Day in the United Kingdom. Rhode Island retains the holiday in tribute to the disproportionate number of sailors it sent and lost in the Pacific front.^[3] In 2015, the Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama honored 500 veterans on the 70th anniversary of the end of the war.^[4

 

Whatever day you choose, do remember the "Forgotten Army" and the huge cost in lives for the men who were captured and held in the east, notably Burma (Bridge over river Kwai country), where conditions were worse than atrocious.  It's 75 years ago now, before most (all?) of us were born.  We still benefit from what they did.  And remember the families of men lost, killed, maimed or otherwise damaged, are still around: women who lost spouses, children who lost fathers.

War is a horrible thing.

 

 

Edited August 15, 2020 by Twinky
formatting

[Allan]

feels like we are 'at war' all over again...this time from the inside out !!

[Grace Valerie Claire]

On 8/15/2020 at 3:27 PM, Twinky said:

A day of celebration in the UK and commonwealth, of the end of hostilities in the east. It's not a public holiday, but there are always commemorations, parades, and the laying of wreaths.  There are different celebrations in the US.

 

Extract from Wikipedia about VJ Day

Victory over Japan Day (also known as V-J Day, Victory in the Pacific Day, or V-P Day^[1]) is the day on which Imperial Japan surrendered in World War II, in effect bringing the war to an end. The term has been applied to both of the days on which the initial announcement of Japan's surrender was made – August 15, 1945, in Japan, and because of time zone differences, August 14, 1945 (when it was announced in the United States and the rest of the Americas and Eastern Pacific Islands) – as well as to September 2, 1945, when the surrender document was signed, officially ending World War II.

August 15 is the official V-J Day for the United Kingdom, while the official US commemoration is September 2.^[2] The name, V-J Day, had been selected by the Allies after they named V-E Day for the victory in Europe.

On September 2, 1945, a formal surrender ceremony was performed in Tokyo Bay, Japan, aboard the battleship USS Missouri. In Japan, August 15 usually is known as the "memorial day for the end of the war" 

 

Extract from Wikipedia about "Victory Day" (USA)

Victory Day is a holiday observed in the United States state of Rhode Island with state offices closed on the second Monday of August. Furthermore, in 2017, WPRI-TV claimed that Arkansas and Rhode Island were the only two states to ever celebrate the holiday, though Arkansas's name for the holiday was "World War II Memorial Day."^[1]

Originally, the official name was "Victory over Japan Day" and "V-J Day", as proclaimed by then President Harry S. Truman and was officially observed on September 2 nationwide. At some point, the name was changed to "Victory Day" in light of the modern post-war Japan emerging in economic importance. Further name changes were attempted later, but were unsuccessful, at which point, the name "Victory Day" remained the official name.

The holiday celebrates the conclusion of World War II and is related to Victory over Japan Day in the United Kingdom. Rhode Island retains the holiday in tribute to the disproportionate number of sailors it sent and lost in the Pacific front.^[3] In 2015, the Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama honored 500 veterans on the 70th anniversary of the end of the war.^[4

 

Whatever day you choose, do remember the "Forgotten Army" and the huge cost in lives for the men who were captured and held in the east, notably Burma (Bridge over river Kwai country), where conditions were worse than atrocious.  It's 75 years ago now, before most (all?) of us were born.  We still benefit from what they did.  And remember the families of men lost, killed, maimed or otherwise damaged, are still around: women who lost spouses, children who lost fathers.

War is a horrible thing.

 

 

Twinky, General William T. Sherman said, "War is Hell."  I feel like the US is at war with itself.  I pray 2021, brings us a better President, and a safe vaccine for covid.