Wednesday, August 14, 2013

My take on V-J Day

Today, August 14, is the 68th anniversary of  Victory over Japan , celebrated as V-J Day.  As I have written on this blog before, I was in San Francisco on board the USS Pickens, which was taking on board the Blackhawk Division, which would be a participant in a planned invasion of Japan.

I was alone on a rare liberty when rumors were confirmed that President Truman had announced that Japanese leaders had agreed to surrender terms, ending the war.  I went into a crowded restaurant and was seated at a table with strangers.  I was the last customer allowed in as the restaurant, like many businesses, was closing.

When I went back outside, wild celebrations were beginning.  A girl snatched my hat and ran.  A guy yelled, "She just wants you to kiss her."  I chased her and got my hat back; MP's were everywhere making arrests for being out of uniform if for no other reason.

Somehow I did not feel like a wild celebration, and there was no place to celebrate and no one to celebrate with so I returned to the ship to quietly mark the end of the war with shipmates, who, like me, knew what the surrender meant to us personally -- no invasion of Japan.

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