V J Day August 14 th

A friend e-mailed me tonight reminding me that today is VJ Day, the day to honor the World War II veterans who fought and died for us in the battles of the Pacific. It ended in September sixty four years ago. I have not idea why August 14 was chosen as a day of remembrance of the end of the horror of the Pacific struggle in a war to end all wars. We remember some dates and others fade. I did think of it earlier in the week but not enough to fly a flag, light a candle or say a prayer for all of the men and women who were there. There is no excuse. So, join me this week and light a candle, say a special prayer and put a mark on your calendar so that when August 14 roles around next year you will be the first one in your neighborhood to hoist our flag. It is a date that should be remembered.

Research shows that On August 14, 1945 the Japanese government cabled to the U.S. their surrender. On August 15, 1945, news of the surrender was announced to the world. On September 2, 1945, a formal surrender ceremony was held in Tokyo Bay aboard the USS Missouri. At the time, President Truman declared September 2 to be VJ day. It is also called "Victory Over Japan Day" It was a bloody war with fierce resistance, high casualties on both sides. We had the atomic bomb and it was dropped on the city of Hiroshima, Japan, then a second bomb on August 9, 1945 over the city of Nagasaki, Japan. The Japanese Emperor Hirohito cabled the U.S. to surrender and agreed to the terms of the Potsdam Declaration.
Now we all know some of the 'rest of the story.'