On May 8th, 1945, the war in Europe had raged on for over five years.
Nazi Germany had invaded Poland in 1939, then marched across Europe and Asia, gaining ground as well as allies. The Axis Powers united behind Hitler’s Germany included Mussolini in Italy and Hirohito in Japan. Several other minor powers jumped on board as the war escalated.
When the U.S. entered the war in 1941, we united with the Allied forces, focusing on Europe first. That meant defeating the invading Germans and Italians in order to liberate Europe’s land.
This is where VE Day begins.
Victory in Europe marked the beginning of the end of the second world war.
Nazi Germany signed over their surrender on May 7th, 1945. Thus ending the devastation of Europe. Great Britain as well as the U.S. commemorates the 8th as VE Day, while the Soviet Union commemorates the 9th as VE Day.
The war itself, however, was still months from ending.
The death toll continued to rise as the Imperial Japanese forces raped, pillaged and destroyed any and all human life they came across. (A historical fact that seems lost from several history books…)
Although VE Day means something much different to those overseas in Europe, we still honor the men and women involved in the effort to contain and destroy the Axis powers.
The WWII vets are disappearing before our eyes. If you know one, learn his or her story. Their generation is moving on and soon, there will be no one left that was even there to remind us.
Do history a favor and learn now. Find someone that has a story to share and learn all about it. Because facts are facts: history repeats itself.
