Victory over Japan Day
In the United States and Canada, V-J Day is commemorated on August 14 since the news of the surrender broke on that date in North American time zones.
Victory in the Pacific Day (V-P Day) (or Victory over Japan Day, V-J day in the United States) is the celebration of the Surrender of Japan, which was initially announced on August 15, 1945 (August 14 North American date), ending combat in the Second World War. In Japan, the day is known as Shusen-kinenbi (終戦記念日), which literally means the "Memorial day for the end of the war". This is commemorated as Liberation Day in Korea and some other nations.
Surrender
At noon Japan standard time on August 15, 1945, Emperor Hirohito's announcement of Japan's acceptance of the terms of the Potsdam Declaration was broadcast to the Japanese people over the radio. Earlier the same day, the Japanese government broadcast an announcement over Radio Tokyo that "acceptance of the Potsdam Proclaimation [would be] coming soon," then advised the Allies of the surrender by sending a cable to U.S. President Harry S. Truman via the Swiss diplomatic mission in Washington, D.C.
Since Japan was the last Axis Power to surrender and V-P Day followed V-E Day by three months, V-P Day marked the end of World War II.
The formal Japanese signing of the surrender terms took place on board the battleship USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay on September 2 1945, and at that time Truman actually declared September 2 to be VJ-Day. [1]
V-P Day is sometimes referred to as V-J Day (Victory over Japan Day) which is not in line with V-E Day where the major enemy power, Germany, was not singled out in the way V-J Day does to Japan. However, since no other Axis power participated in the Pacific War, such alteration of nomenclature seemed unnecessary to many in the United States.
V-J Day is still a state holiday in Rhode Island. The holiday's official name is "Victory Day," and it is observed on the second Monday of August.
In Australia and most other allied nations, the name V-P Day was used from the outset. The Canberra Times of August 14 1945, refers to VP Day celebrations, and a public holiday for VP Day was gazetted by the government in that year according to the Australian War Memorial.
Events leading up to the surrender
July 26, 1945: Potsdam Declaration is issued. Truman tells Japan, "Surrender or suffer prompt and utter destruction."
July 29: Japan rejects the Potsdam Declaration.
August 2: Potsdam conference ends.
August 6: An atomic bomb, "Little Boy" is dropped on Hiroshima.
August 8: USSR declares war on Japan.
August 9: Another atomic bomb, "Fat Man" is dropped on Nagasaki.
August 15: Japan surrenders.
Famous photograph
One of the most famous photographs ever published by Life, V–J day in Times Square was shot in Times Square on V-P Day. Alfred Eisenstaedt was in the square taking candids when he spotted a sailor "running along the street grabbing any and every girl in sight," he later explained. "Whether she was a grandmother, stout, thin, old, didn't make any difference. I was running ahead of him with my Leica looking back over my shoulder... Then suddenly, in a flash, I saw something white being grabbed. I turned around and clicked the moment the sailor kissed the nurse." Eisenstadt was very gratified and pleased with this enduring image, saying: "People tell me that when I am in heaven they will remember this picture."
The participants in the kiss were never confirmed by Eisenstaedt, whose notes on the photo were not found after his death in 1995. Life, however, accepted nurse Edith Cullen Shain's claim to this honor in a handwritten letter to Eisenstaedt 35 years later. Shain was 27 on V-P Day. Over 20 men have claimed to be the sailor, but none has been positively identified. The sailor was identified by the Naval War College in August 2005 as George Mendonça, of Newport, Rhode Island, although many other men have claimed the honor.[2] However, Shain has said she believes the man to be former New York City police detective Carl Muscarello. Houston Police biometrics expert Lois Gibson identified the sailor in the picture as Glenn McDuffie.[3]
Dancing Man
The Dancing Man was a short piece of footage that was taken of a man joyously dancing amongst the singing, cheering and celebrating crowds. It was taken on George Street, Sydney, Australia on August 15 1945, and has come to symbolise the end of World War II for the Australian people. Many men have claimed to be the Dancing Man, but none has been positively identified.
See also
- Japanese Instrument of Surrender
- Gwangbokjeol, celebrating the end of Japanese rule in Korea
- Victory in Europe Day
External links
- Original Document: Surrender of Japan
- Japanese Sign Final Surrender Video
- Life magazine: V-J Day Kiss
- V-J Day Proclamation, 1945 — from the State Library and Archives of Florida.
- VJ Day in New Zealand
- Exploring 20th century London - VE and VJ days 1945 Objects and photographs from VE and VJ days in London
