Victory Day in United States

Victory Day marks the anniversary the Allies’ victory during World War II. ©iStockphoto.com/simon askham

What do people do?

There have been many arguments and debates concerning the nature and name of this holiday. Veteran groups and their supporters observe Victory Day on the second Monday of August each year. Events may include a commemorative ceremony for veterans. Many people believe that there is a need for such a day to remember the sacrifices that veterans made during World War II, including those who were taken as prisoners of war, were tortured, injured or killed.

However critics claim that the day itself is discriminatory due to its reference to Japan in light of modern times. There have been many attempts to change the holiday’s name but so far it remains to be known as Victory Day. Nonetheless there are people who hope to one day celebrate the holiday under a new name or educate young Americans more about the Japanese culture in modern society.

Public life

Victory Day is a state holiday in Rhode Island so state and municipal offices are closed. Many banks are closed (although not all) but federal offices are open as are many stores, including retail stores, liquor stores and supermarkets. Mail delivery is on a regular schedule. Some bus services may not operate to their usual schedules during state holidays so those planning to use public transit services may need to check with the appropriate transport authorities prior to travel.

Background

Victory Day, or VJ Day, commemorates the anniversary of Japan’s surrender to the Allies in 1945, ending World War II. The atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima on August 6 and Nagasaki on August 9, and the Soviet Union’s invasion of Manchuria in the previous week made the surrender inevitable.  President Harry S Truman’s announcement of the surrender set off street celebrations from coast to coast in the United States. The official end of the war did not occur until September 2, 1945, when General Douglas MacArthur accepted the Japanese surrender from General Yoshijiro Umezu aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay. 

President Truman declared September 2 as the official VJ Day in 1945. In the newspapers across world that day, there were hundreds of photos of soldiers and civilians rejoicing together. VJ Day is a legal state holiday only in the state of Rhode Island. Rhode Island has celebrated this day since 1948.

Symbols

One of the most famous photographs in the 20th century symbolizes the joyous atmosphere of street celebrations throughout the United States when President Truman announced Japan’s surrender in 1945.  The candid photo was taken by Alfred Eisenstaedt and published in LIFE magazine. It features a sailor presumably returning home from the war and kissing a woman at Times Square on August 14, 1945. Since then, about 11 men and three women have all claimed to be one of the two the people in that photo. The photo expresses people’s joy and relief after hearing that the war was finally over.

Victory Day Observances

Other holidays in August 2009 in United States

• International Day of the World's Indigenous People (Sunday, August 9, 2009)
• International Youth Day (Wednesday, August 12, 2009)
• Bennington Battle Day (Sunday, August 16, 2009)
• Bennington Battle Day (Monday, August 17, 2009)
• National Aviation Day (Wednesday, August 19, 2009)
• Statehood Day in Hawaii (Friday, August 21, 2009)
• Ramadan begins (Saturday, August 22, 2009)
• International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition (Sunday, August 23, 2009)
• Lyndon Baines Johnson Day (Thursday, August 27, 2009)

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