What do August 14, August 15, September 2, and September 3 have in common? Those four dates represent celebrations all around the world. They are celebrations in honor of 400,000 Americans who died and a massive 65 million people lost worldwide. The holiday is known as Victory in Japan (VJ) Day, but what are we celebrating, and how did the celebrations come about? To understand that, we must step back almost 80 years into the past.
The scene: Bloody World War II with no end in sight
The year was 1945. World War II raged on, dividing the world and bringing widespread destruction. Allied forces had just dealt Germany a blow prior to securing its surrender on Victory in Europe Day. However, the bloodiest war the world had ever seen was far from over, as the United States still faced a valiant foe. Japan had never surrendered in international conflict before, and it wasn’t planning to break that trend. With Germany wounded, the Allies focused all their efforts on the Pacific. Since Japan is far from any Allied country and could not be invaded by ground, the Allies attacked by sea and by air. Bombing raids took place for weeks on end. After dropping tens of thousands of pounds of explosives in Japan, the United States did not appear any closer to victory. America still had in its recent memory the bloody battles of Iwo Jima and Okinawa earlier in the year. The time had come for swift action, and a controversial plan was devised.
On August 6, 1945, after Japan’s failure to respond to a proposed peace treaty, the United States dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima, taking tens of thousands of lives. Sources vary about the number of deaths, but most estimates are around 70,000 lives. Three days later, the US dropped a second atomic bomb on Nagasaki, killing another 40,000 people. Those lives were the first in history to be taken on a large scale by a nuclear bomb. Japan’s emperor worried that America would wipe Japan off the map and then continue bringing destruction until there was little left of the entire world.
Hopelessness turned to joy
Rumors spread like wildfire throughout America that the war might be ending. Americans across the country waited with bated breath, hoping the nightmare might finally be ending. Then came the moment everyone had been waiting for: on August 14, 1945, President Harry S. Truman gave the news to the American public at a White House press conference: the war was finally over! Across the nation, Americans celebrated euphorically because their lives would no longer be turned upside down. Perhaps the biggest celebration took place in Times Square. Although countless people joined in that specific celebration, one couple became the icon of life on the other side of the war: the famous sailor kissing a nurse passionately.
America could not contain its excitement and began celebrating immediately. Most nations – including Canada, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, and South Korea – set the celebrations to commence the following day, on August 15. Australia also celebrates the occasion on August 15 but calls it “Victory in the Pacific (VP) Day.” The United States also joined the world in the merriment on the 15th. Finally, Japan signed a peace treaty, officially ending the war, on September 2, 1945. Festivities continued in America, and September 2 would typically be when VJ Day was celebrated in the following years. Interestingly, the Philippines celebrate the holiday on September 3, the day Tomoyuki Yamashita, Japanese military governor of the Philippines, surrendered.
Whatever day your country celebrates, Victory in Japan (or the Pacific) Day should be a cause for celebration and somber remembrance of the millions of lives lost in World War II. The world – including international politics, industry, and even watchmaking – will never be the same. As you celebrate the 79th anniversary of the peace finally brought about on VJ Day, we hope you will do so with a spirit of gratitude for the brave men and women who sacrificed for the right to live our lives and free Americans.
References:
The National World War II Museum. (2017, September 1). V-J day: The National WWII Museum: New Orleans. The National WWII Museum | New Orleans. https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/v-j-day
VE Day and VJ day – remembering the end of WWII - museum of the American G.I. Museum of The American G.I. - Where U.S. Military History Comes ALIVE! (2023, September 14). https://americangimuseum.org/ve-day-and-vj-day-remembering-the-end-of-wwii/
Vergun, D. (2021, August 13). History explains why the U.S. marks VJ Day as September 2, 1945, instead of August 15, 1945. United Service Organizations. https://www.uso.org/stories/2802-history-explains-why-the-u-s-marks-vj-day-as-september-2-1945-instead-of-august-15-1945
