American servicemen and women gather in front of “Rainbow Corner” Red Cross club in Paris on Aug. 15, 1945, to celebrate the unconditional surrender of the Japanese. / Courtesy of the National Archives
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This year marks the 65th anniversary of the end of World War II.
The war came to a close on Aug. 14, 1945, just days after the U.S. dropped atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Japan announced its surrender on Aug. 15, 1945, but because of the time zone difference, the U.S. was informed of the surrender on Aug. 14, which is also known as Victory over Japan Day or V-J Day.
In the Coachella Valley, the end of the war was celebrated quietly, according to accounts of the time, with church services and small, private gatherings. After four years of war, the nation was grateful for peace but also weary.
Sixteen million Americans served in the military during World War II. More than 405,000 were killed and another 670,000 were wounded.
It was not until Sept. 2, 1945, that the Japanese formally surrendered.
The 23-minute surrender ceremony was performed in Tokyo Bay aboard the battleship USS Missouri.
Representing the United States was Gen. Douglas MacArthur. In a brief speech to open the ceremony, he said: “It is my earnest hope, and indeed the hope of all mankind, a better world shall emerge from the blood and carnage of the past, a world founded upon faith and understanding, a world dedicated to the dignity of man and the fulfillment of his most cherished wish for freedom, tolerance, and justice.”
In Japan, the official name for Sept. 2 is “The day for mourning of war dead and praying for peace.”
