On this day in 1914, President Woodrow Wilson issues a presidential proclamation that officially establishes the first national Mother’s Day holiday to celebrate America’s mothers. *NOTE: 2014 is the 100th anniversary of Mother’s Day. Read more
8th May 1945: Full-length portrait of three United States Ninth Army soldiers smiling as they hold up copies of ‘The Stars and Stripes’ announcing Germany’s surrender in World War II, Beckum, Germany. The headlines read, ‘NAZIS QUIT! Doenitz Gives Order.’ L-R: Vincent Pellegrino of New York, New York, Oliver Scarselli of Newburgh, New York, and James Spear of Fall River, Massachusetts. They are also holding mess kits. (Photo by US Army/Getty Images)
Storming the Reichstag building in Berlin, Germany (1945/2010)
Sergey Larenkov is a Russian-based artist/photographer who was deeply impacted by World War II. On his Live Journal blog, the Saint Petersburg native has put together a tremendous set of collages of historic World War II photographs blended into the same locations as they currently look today. Read more
Sergeant George Camblair practicing with a gas mask in a smokescreen – Fort Belvoir, Virginia, 1942 (Colorized).
The largest family of the “Blue Star Parents” belonged to Nick and Anna Matthees of rural Goodhue, MN who sent 7 sons (3 Army, 2 Navy, and 2 Army Air Force) to serve during World War II. All 7 survived.
Five brother lost in one day. Sullivan Brothers (Albert, Francis, George, Joseph and Madison Sullivan). Remembered forever. #Sailors
The Sullivan brothers were five siblings who were all killed in action during or shortly after the sinking of the light cruiser USS Juneau (CL-52), the vessel on which they all served, around November 13, 1942, in World War II. For more of their story, continue reading here.
Scenes on both coasts of the US celebrating the end of the World War Two, Marine Ace “Pappy” Boyington and Gen. Wainwright return from Japanese imprisonment, Gen. MacArthur accepts surrender and assumes command in Japan, the Nuremberg Trails end and the Fleet comes home.
I’m sure most of us know there are differences between VE Day and VJ Day, but just in case: VE Day, Germany surrendered, May 8th, 1945. There were widespread celebrations across Europe and US.
VJ Day Japan surrendered to General Eisenhower aboard an aircraft carrier on August 14th, 1945 The nationwide celebrations can be remembered with the many images from that Happy Day. Although today is officially VE Day, I’m adding videos from August of ’45 as well. The War Was Over! and that’s all that matters.
🙂
More than a million people celebrated in the streets to mark the end of the European part of the war.
Representatives of Nazi Germany signed the surrender documents ending the greatest conflict ever to envelope Europe on May 7 in the French city of Reims. The fighting was to cease at 11:01 AM the next day. Six years of bloodshed were over.
I wasn’t able to get the sound on this video, (it may not have sound to begin with), but honestly no sound is needed. The actions and facial expressions make it quite clear what’s going on. 🙂
#sixwordwar
– Thomas Loux
On this day in 1945, both Great Britain and the United States celebrate Victory in Europe Day. Cities in both nations, as well as formerly occupied cities in Western Europe, put out flags and banners, rejoicing in the defeat of the Nazi war machine. Read more
At the time of the surrender on May 7, 1945, Nazi forces had all but disintegrated. Hitler had committed suicide and Soviet forces had already taken Berlin, which resulted in 70,000 Nazi soldiers putting down their arms.
The failure of Nazi troops to check this advance resulted in them having no choice but to sign a treaty of unconditional surrender. The declaration of surrender stipulated that Nazi Germany recognize the authority of both the Soviet Union and the Allied Forces. Nazi forces also had to immediately cease hostilities and remain in their bases.
The signed Act of Surrender (click to enlarge) went into effect on May 8, 1945.
Immediately after the surrender, Supreme Allied Commander Dwight D. Eisenhower sent out a top secret cable announcing unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany and the victory of the Allied Forces.
John S. D. Eisenhower, the son of General Eisenhower, recounts the moment of Germany’s total surrender in his book “The Bitter Woods: The Battle of the Bulge“:
General Eisenhower was sitting in his office awaiting the outcome of the surrender negotiations. Past the desk of his secretary and into the office came the Nazis, erect and cold. Eisenhower stood up. Rigid, and fixing a cold eye on his enemies, he demanded, “Do you understand all the provisions of the document you have just signed?” “Ja!” “You will, officially and personally, be held responsible if the terms of this surrender are violated, including its provision for German commanders to appear in Berlin at the moment set by the Russian High Command, to accomplish formal surrender to that government. That is all.”
The Nazis saluted and left, and Eisenhower relaxed. A few minutes later he sent a message to the Combined Chiefs of Staff: “The mission of this Allied Force was fulfilled at 0241, local time, May 7th, 1945.”
Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/nazis-surrendered-69-years-ago-today-2014-5#ixzz314XDIkDV
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Russia has increased its air activity over the Pacific Ocean since the start of the Ukraine crisis, including flights near the California coast and the U.S. Pacific island of Guam, the head of U.S. air forces in the Pacific said on Monday.
I live in California…
General Herbert “Hawk” Carlisle said the number of long-range Russian patrols around the Japanese islands and Korea had also increased “drastically” and there had been “a lot more ship activity as well”.
Welcome to Six Word War.
Instead of a book about Iraq or Afghanistan that tells one soldier’s perspective, Six Word War is the first ‘crowdsourced’ war memoir that will tell a story different than any other ever told about war. For the first time in history, one book will contain the collective experience of our military at war in their own words.
Sometimes veterans have funny stories to tell and sometimes they’re tragic. Not every story on its own could justify an entire book, but that’s what we think is incredible about this project. The thousands of stories that we’re gathering tell the real story of Iraq and Afghanistan – a story that couldn’t possibly be told by one person.
This project is being run by Shaun Wheelwright and Mike Nemeth, both US Army veterans. Mike and Shaun met as West Point classmates at the United States Military Academy. Shaun went on to deploy to Iraq from 2007-2009 with the 1-27 Infantry, 25th ID. Mike was injured prior to a deployment and left the Army as a 2nd Lieutenant.
We launched this site and a Kickstarter campaign earlier in the 2013 and have been overwhelmed and thrilled with the response. You can share a six word war story with or without a picture using the ‘submit your story’ option at the top of our page. Read more
Maiden on the Midway 
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