Sept. 2, 1945 — the Japanese officially surrender aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay. World War II, the deadliest conflict in human history, finally came to a close.
Seventy-eight years later, Victory over Japan Day is a date typically forgotten by Americans and overshadowed by controversy. At its core, however, V-J Day is a true celebration of life and freedom that deserves to be remembered by a grateful nation.
For Americans, the fight against the Japanese began on Dec. 7, 1941, when Pearl Harbor was attacked. The campaign in the Pacific theater grew into a long and intense struggle as America and her allies battled for islands under Japanese control.
After years of fighting, President Harry S. Truman approved the use of two atomic bombs to force Imperial Japan into agreeing to the terms of surrender, laid out in the Potsdam Declaration, on Aug. 14, 1945. America erupted into celebration at the mere sound of surrender, despite it not yet being formally declared.
Nineteen days later, victory was official as the Japanese delegation conventionally surrendered, and additional celebrations broke out across America. The period of death that engulfed the world was officially complete, and Victory over Japan Day became a symbol of hope and a culmination of what millions of people died to achieve.
The importance and joy of V-J Day is often obscured by criticism of the way the war ended, in the form of two atomic blasts whose power was previously unseen by man. The dropping of the atomic bombs is thought by some to have been a senseless and cruel act, only carried out to demonstrate America’s new weapon to the world.
Despite the criticism of the decision to use nuclear weapons to bring about Japan’s defeat, the weapon ultimately spared millions of American and Japanese lives that would have been lost if America was forced to invade the island of Japan. According to one Japanese propaganda slogan, “the sooner the Americans come, the better… 100 million die proudly.”
Japanese custom forbid surrender, and suicide was common amongst defeated Japanese soldiers. So it was imperative the Imperial Japanese government accept the terms of surrender in order to avoid what would have been a massacre on both sides of the battle.
Today, V-J Day tends to be forgotten. There were no fierce battles on Sept. 2 that could be adapted into a summer blockbuster like so many other American holidays. Rather, it was a celebration of true freedom and peace.
Despite its lack of “action,” countless lives were dramatically altered on V-J Day. The end of the war meant families were able to be reunited with the loved ones they had not seen since they were shipped off, which may have been years earlier. After V-J Day, more than 3 million members of the American armed forces returned to their homes over the course of a year.
Over the course of World War II, Japan held more than 27,000 American prisoners of war in horrific work camps where disease, starvation, torture, and murder were commonplace. Prisoners in these camps faced near certain death as the war began to draw to a close.
The signing of the surrender agreement on V-J Day also allowed the American military to implement plans, such as Operation Swift Mercy, to ensure the survival of all remaining American POWs until they could be evacuated and return home to their loved ones.
Louis Zamperini, the subject of Laura Hillenbrand’s book, “Unbroken,” and its movie adaptation, was captured after his bomber crashed into the Pacific and was tormented by a guard he knew as the “Bird” for years. V-J Day saved Zamperini’s life as he was finally released and the guards fled to avoid punishment for the war crimes they had committed.
For many men like Zamperini, V-J Day ensured their survival and ended the suffering they encountered while imprisoned by the Japanese.
When describing how those who had fought more than the six years of war felt about the end of the war, historian David Miller wrote “there was an immense sense of relief,” in his book, “The Story of World War II.” The feeling of consolation and joy should not be one left behind 78 years ago, but one that continues to live on as we treasure the sacrifices that were made so that all Americans could live a life of freedom.
V-J Day should be widely discussed across America each year. You should have discussions with parents, teachers, and friends about what the date means to them or explain why each and every American should know about V-J Day. While there are only a small number of World War II veterans remaining, talk to those you know. Honor the men and women who have passed by reading and sharing their stories with the people around you. This generation can not allow the legacy of those who safeguarded our way of life to slip into the long forgotten caverns of the past.
