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Today, we remember.
We honor the unimaginable death toll of more than 60 million people, including the loss of more than 415,000 American lives.
We pay tribute to countless families who lost sons, husbands, fathers, brothers and uncles, as well as daughters, wives, mothers, sisters and aunts.
We salute the sacred battlefields.
We recall D-Day, the Battle of Midway, Rosie the Riveter and Ike.
We'll never forget Pearl Harbor, the Holocaust and how a nation united behind the men and women in harm's way.
We remember that 65 years ago today, the most calamitous war in global history ended when Japan agreed to surrender to Allied troops.
From Times Square to downtown Palm Springs, celebrations erupted.
Since Veterans Day last November, The Desert Sun has spotlighted those who comprise America's “Greatest Generation.”
Reporter Denise Goolsby has profiled more than 230 Coachella Valley soldiers, sailors, Marines, pilots and paratroopers who stormed beaches, liberated Europe, fought hand-to-hand in the Pacific and contributed in countless other ways - from Pearl Harbor in 1941 to Tokyo Bay in 1945. Her stories can be read on a special Web page we've created: www.mydesert.com/worldwarII
Our commitment to capture their stories and preserve them for future generations will continue through year's end.
Today, we proudly join a national campaign to “Keep the Spirit of '45 Alive,” commemorating the anniversary of the end of World War II. Throughout America today, communities like ours will come together and honor those who gave so much on the home front and on the front lines.
We offer our gratitude to our veterans and for all they did and continue to do.
It's our goal that their many sacrifices and tales of valor are never forgotten.
Rick Green is executive editor of The Desert Sun and mydesert.com. He can be reached at (760) 778-4637 or rick.green@thedesertsun.com
