VJ Day 2023 U.S: V-J Day, observed annually on September 2 in the United States, commemorates the victory of the Allies (the United States, Great Britain, France, and other nations) over Japan during World War II, which marked the end of the massive conflict. It is generally accepted that the atomic bombings of two major Japanese cities (Nagasaki and Hiroshima) by the United States, which caused such a massive and concentrated loss of Japanese lives that there was no chance of victory for the island nation thereafter, precipitated the Japanese Empire’s surrender.
VJ Day on September 2 commemorates the American victory over Japan in the Second World War.
VJ Day 2023 U.S: HISTORY
In the same way that a statement such as “I’m not a hero, I just did what anyone would have done” has become hackneyed, we believe that in the middle of the 20th century, the phrase “ultimate sacrifice” held a more raw and personal significance than it does today. Americans had never seen anything similar. Prior to World War II, the First World War was considered “the war to end all wars”; however, in terms of death tolls, World War II resulted in the deaths of approximately three times as many people as its predecessor (50-80 million, or approximately three percent of the world’s population).
In other words, the average person was spontaneously overcome with joy and emotion on the day of declared victory, to the point where some V-J Day celebrations around the globe resembled riots and cost lives. However, the nation and western civilization were united. The triumph of good over evil.
Today, the European and Pacific Theatres of World War II continue to be a common source of story material for the History Channel, other popular television networks, numerous Hollywood films, and a vast amount of printed fiction and nonfiction literature. We believe it’s safe to assume that our readers have a basic understanding of the United States’ entry into the war following the kamikaze Japanese (conventional explosive) bombing of Pearl Harbour, through the American landing on the beaches of Europe, sacrificing life and limb to fetter the Nazi animal, and gradually gaining ground, to the bitter end.
Likewise, the iconic images are indelible. As it turns out, the famous photograph of a sailor sweeping a Navy nurse into his arms and kissing her during the public celebration of V-J Day in Times Square is actually a composite of two photographs taken of the same couple by two different photographers whose work was published in two different national periodicals. More on that to come. For the time being, however, let us all concur that the celebration of V-J Day on September 2 is not something to be taken lightly, given the true costs of war, yet it should be a source of positive pride and the relief brought by the end of a trying labour, passed down through generations.
FIVE INCREDIBLE FACTS ABOUT THE CONSEQUENCES OF V-J DAY
As previously mentioned, the famous “Kiss” photograph was actually two similar shots of the same moment: one published in the New York Times and attributed to Navy photographer Victor Jorgensen, and the other published in Life magazine and credited to lensman Alfred Eisenstaedt. Over the years, numerous men and women have claimed, with varying degrees of plausibility, to be the couple in the photo.
The bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki resulted in over 200,000 deaths.
Countless Japanese soldiers committed suicide in the days following their surrender, unable to bear the humiliation of being defeated in battle, and nearly 100 American captives in Japanese custody were murdered.
Officials of the island of Hong Kong dubbed the end of the war their “Day of Liberation” from fascist forces, but Hong Kong was merely returned to the British Royal Navy and became a British colony once more.
Rhode Island is the only state in the United States to recognise V-J Day as an official holiday, celebrating it annually on the second Monday of August, more than 77 years after the famous date. It was renamed “Victory Day” in the 1970s to remove any suggestion that its commemoration was in any way connected to gloating over the loss of Japanese lives.
WHY VJ DAY IS CRITICAL
It signified the end of years of almost incomprehensible property and life losses.
Over eighty million people were slain in violent action during World War II, making it the deadliest conflict in human history. It involved more than two dozen countries. The cessation of hostilities allowed war-ravaged peoples and nations to breathe a collective exhalation of relief.
It resulted in the reconstruction of Europe and Japan.
In 1948, in part to prevent the spread of Communism in Europe, but primarily to aid in the reconstruction of European and Pacific-region infrastructure and economies, the United States enacted the Marshall Plan, which provided approximately 12 billion dollars (128 billion dollars in current dollars) in aid to friendly nations overseas.
It motivates us to pursue harmony
As previously stated, the First World War was referred to as “the war to end all wars,” but the near-constant fighting since then, including World War II, Korea, Vietnam, and Middle East operations, has sadly turned that phrase on its head. The pervasiveness of armed conflict can, if anything, help us appreciate moments of relative peace and tranquilly in our world.
VJ DAY DATES
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | September 2 | Saturday |
| 2024 | September 2 | Monday |
| 2025 | September 2 | Tuesday |
| 2026 | September 2 | Wednesday |
| 2027 | September 2 | Thursday |
