Victory Day

Today is Victory Day, a state holiday in Rhode Island. It commemorates the end of World War II, which (not counting the Civil War) was the most extensive war the United States was involved in. It is also arguably the war in which the nation was most united in its efforts to work as a nation to win the war, with sacrifices on all levels to support the war efforts by the men and women in uniform.

This observance was originally called V-J Day, to commemorate the end of the World War II operations in the Pacific Ocean Theatre. (Many persons still refer to it by this name.) There is also a V-E Day to commemorate the end of operations in the European Theatre (on 8 May 1945). It does not get the same attention, though, because the war itself was still going on in the Pacific area.

My father and his brother, Fran, both served in the Pacific Theatre during the war. Dad was an Aerographer-Meteorologist on the U.S.S. Kermit Roosevelt (ARG-16), which was a repair ship for LST’s (Landing Ship, Tank). (Prior to his overseas deployment, he taught classes related to weather maps and weather instruments at the U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, MD.) Fran served as a Radarman on the heavy cruiser, U.S.S. Vincennes.

Although Rhode Island is the only state to observe Victory day as a state holiday, a number of communities in New England and throughout the United States hold Victory Day observances to commemorate the sacrifices made by our armed forces and civilians on the home front during World War II.