V-J Day, the forgotten one.

Today, the 15th of August 2011 marks the 66th aniversary of the victory over Japan.
This date marks the end of combat in the Second World War (WWII) and the surrender of the Japanese troops.

The surrender to the Allied Forces actually took place on the 14 August 1945 but the next day, Wednesday 15 August, is celebrated as VJ (Victory over Japan) Day.

Lest we forget, well it seems we do quite often.
Last year there was a short service at the Cenotaph to mark the 65th year, very little evidence this year, there must be other pressing matters, although a nice service was held at the National Memorial Arboretum today.

As every year, here's to you uncle Harry, God Bless and keep smiling.

Nimrod

Re: V-J Day, the forgotten one.

It was pretty much ignored here too; nothing in the paper nor on the noon or 6 pm news .... how soon we forget.

Re: V-J Day, the forgotten one.

This anniversary seems to be sadly falling into the mists of time . . . I noted it was never mention on TV like the European armistice was . . . a dear friend of mine who passed away a few years ago spent 4 years in the Burmah jungles . . . he was in the "forgotten 14th army" . . . he used to say the soldiers fighting in Europe had it relatively easy in getting the odd spot of leave occasionally . . . . in the jungle they did'nt have that bit of respite . . . disease was a bigger killer than the Japanese.

Re: V-J Day, the forgotten one.

Nothing in our papers either that I saw....Maybe get a mention on the Scottish News. Will wait and see.

Re: V-J Day, the forgotten one.

I don't recall it being mentioned on the news though there were a number of programmes on the radio last week about the liberation of the prison camps run by the Japanese .

I am pleased to hear there was a service at the National Memorial Arboretum, my Sister in Law has been there and says it will be a wonderfull place one day when the trees are fully grown...

Re: V-J Day, the forgotten one.

The service was by the MVG, The Malayan Volunteer Group at the MVG plot.
The whole site is both stunning and deeply moving, all the memorials are special in their own way. It has an air about the place that is hard to put into words.

I have felt this only once before, at the Gravenzande General Cemetery (CWG) in Holland.

Re: V-J Day, the forgotten one.

I have good cause to remember VJ Day because of the bitterness that my father felt about the "forgotten army" and, to many, the forgotten war.
My father spent most of WWII in the Far East in the Royal Navy but even so, he saw so many terrible things that he barely ever mentioned to me - except when we were near VE Day or VJ Day when he'd invariably say the same thing regarding the Japanese - "One more bomb, that's all it needed, just one more to finish them off for good!".

My father was a good man, a gentle man, a kind man so hearing this coming from him, and many others that I've met over the years who had this "experience" came as a shock; we should NEVER, EVER forget all those who died either fighting or at the hands of one of the most cruel, barbaric nations in history, a nation that has never apologised for their deeds. stevmk2

Re: V-J Day, the forgotten one.

Sorry to disagree but that statement is simply untrue, the list of war apology statements issued by Japan spans decades.
They have apologized for almost every single war crime they committed in WWII to various nations.
Some of them on several occasions. There was an official attempt made for the attack on Pearl which was rejected out of hand by the US.
It is not surprising that they gave up saying sorry.

When we talk of barbarism and cruelty, we should perhaps include the americans as they are to date still the only people to have used nuclear bombs on another country. Maybe they should have also apologized, long before Obama did in his wishy washy way.

At the very least, the US government should apologize about the many thousands of innocents killed and maimed in the raids on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Also, to the survivors of the atomic bombs whose lives were ruined due to the radiation, which continues to manifest its self today

It is well documented that the attack was unwarranted as Japan had already had been defeated militarily by June 1945, not only that, the second raid was totally without reason.

Re: V-J Day, the forgotten one.

That's debatable Hammer. Japan still officially maintains that no international law nor treaties were violated. Some members of the Liberal Democratic Party in the Japanese government, including former prime ministers Junichiro Koizumi and Shinzo Abe, have prayed at the Yasukuni Shrine, which includes convicted Class A war criminals in its honored war dead. Some Japanese history textbooks only offer brief references to the various war crimes, and members of the Liberal democratic party such as Shinzo Abe have denied that atrocities ever occurred. stevmk2

Re: V-J Day, the forgotten one.

With great respect, you have looked at one article from Wikipedia and reproduced some of it here. There are a good many articles from the same source that will give a completely different view. The reliability in all of them is never going to be historical fact by the very nature of Wikipedia.
There are also many conflicting views on the US use of Atomic Bombs but that does not seem to interest folks.

I do however know for a certaintly that on V-J Day a few years ago Japan's prime minister expressed deep regret over the suffering his country inflicted on Asian and other countries during World War II.
"Our country inflicted tremendous damage and suffering on many countries, particularly people in Asia. As a representative of the Japanese people, I humbly express my remorse for the victims, along with deep regret," he said. The prime minister also vowed that Japan would never repeat the tragedy.

Emperor Akihito — whose father Hirohito announced Japan's surrender in a radio broadcast on Aug. 15, 1945 — said he hoped Japan would never again wage a war, saying.

"I mourn for those who died in the war and pray for world peace and further development of Japan,"
Neither the Emperor or the Prime Minister did attend a controversial war shrine located near the national cemetery. The Yasukuni Shrine is a memorial to Japanese soldiers who died in wars, including yes indeed, convicted war criminals.

A very short paperback worth reading is, Hiroshima: by John Hersey it has been out for a while but it just might give a reader a different viewpoint.