V-J Day — The War is Over!

Today marks the 65th Anniversary of the end of WWII. Thanks to Keep the Spirit of '45 Alive, today is the biggest nationwide observance since 1945. Events and activities are going on all across the country today. Since I have to go to work today, I won't be able to attend any of the ones in my area. However, I plan to "relive" the day through resources made available through the Spirit of '45 website: President Truman's broadcast to the Armed Forces, Times Square as reported by NBC, stories of the men and women who remember V-J Day.

Listening to the NBC broadcast really brings up emotion and makes you feel like you're in the center of Times Square. Can you imagine the excitement, the joy, the relief, the rush of emotions, the shock that these people felt when they heard that the war is over? It's over. The ever present cloud of fear that war brings is gone. Life will return to normal soon, but for many it never will because of the loss of a loved one. But their loved ones did not die in vain, because the war is over and America is still free.

To our men and women who fought for our freedoms then and are fighting now — THANK YOU!!

It's Coming!

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Keep the Spirit of '45 Alive!

I recently stumbled across the Keep the Spirit of '45 Alive! project on Melissa Marsh's The Best of WWII blog. What a WONDERFUL campaign!! This year will be the 65th anniversary of the end of WWII on August 14th. Keep the Spirit of '45 Alive! has organized a campaign to make August 14th "a permanent, annual day of remembrance to honor the legacy of the men and women of America's 'greatest generation'."

From the website: "The goal of this nonpartisan, nonprofit initiative to inspire a renewed sense of community and national unity in our country by establishing a day when America will stop to reflect on the achievements of the men and women who endured the Great Depression, preserved freedom and democracy in the most devastating war in history, and then went on to rebuild their shattered world. Their example of courage, self sacrifice, and commitment to community can inspire a renewed sense of national unity at a time when our country must once again come together to meet common challenges."

I am 100% in support of this!! You can get involved by urging you elected officials to issue proclamations and by writing them letters of support for the creation of a National Day of Remembrance that will be observed on the second Sunday of every August. (You can find contact info and sample letters here.) Other ways to be a part are to organize events in your community on Saturday, August 14, 2010, to commemorate the 65th anniversary of the day that WWII ended. Also, by collecting stories of people who remember the day they learned the war was over, and then submitting the stories to the website to be shared with future generations "as a reminder of when America came together as a community''.

Check out the website for more info, to read the stories, to get involved, and to purchase Keep the Spirit of '45 Alive merchandise.

This is the first organization that I have ever come across that is striving to preserve the "unity" that America had during WWII. Please check it out and get involved.