May 8 marks one of the greatest American triumphs that shaped the world we live in today.
But many young Americans have no idea what happened on this day.
And Americans just commemorated this major victory that liberals want erased from history books.
The day that changed the course of world history
On May 8, 1945, Victory in Europe Day (V-E Day) was celebrated across the United States and allied nations as Nazi Germany formally surrendered, ending World War II in Europe.
This monumental day saw celebrations erupt across American cities as citizens took to the streets waving flags, holding impromptu parades, and rejoicing that the nightmare of fascism had been defeated.
Cities across America were draped in red, white, and blue as crowds gathered to celebrate the triumph of freedom over tyranny. Tens of thousands of people filled the streets of New York, New Orleans, London, and cities in Canada, Australia and other Allied nations.
The surrender itself happened in two stages. First, on May 7, 1945, German Col. Gen. Alfred Jodl signed Germany’s surrender on all fronts in Reims, France. Then, at the insistence of Soviet Premier Josef Stalin, German Field Marshal Wilhelm Keitel signed a second surrender document the next day in Berlin.
The news of Germany’s unconditional surrender spread quickly across the nation, with President Harry Truman announcing to the American people that the war in Europe had come to an end.
In his radio address to the nation, Truman struck a somber but hopeful tone: “Our rejoicing is sobered and subdued by a supreme consciousness of the terrible price we have paid to rid the world of Hitler and his evil band. Let us not forget, my fellow Americans, the sorrow and the heartache, which today abide in the homes of so many of our neighbors – neighbors whose most priceless possession has been rendered as a sacrifice to redeem our liberty.”
For millions of Americans who had sacrificed during the war years, who had sent sons, husbands, and fathers overseas to fight against the Nazi war machine, this day represented the culmination of years of struggle, sacrifice, and determination.
A victory won through American sacrifice and leadership
The Allied victory over Nazi Germany didn’t happen by accident. It was secured through the blood, sweat, and tears of the Greatest Generation who answered the call when freedom was threatened around the globe.
American forces played a decisive role in the defeat of Hitler’s regime. The war had been raging for almost five years when U.S. and Allied forces landed on the beaches of Normandy, France, on June 6, 1944. This invasion signaled the beginning of the end for Adolf Hitler and Nazi Germany.
From the D-Day landings at Normandy to the Battle of the Bulge, American troops demonstrated unparalleled courage in the face of terrible odds. They slugged their way across the Norman countryside until the breakout from the hedgerows in August, and then pushed ever deeper into enemy territory despite fierce resistance.
The fighting in Europe claimed tens of millions of lives, including about 250,000 American troops killed in the European theater alone. In total, more than 400,000 Americans made the ultimate sacrifice during World War II, with countless others returning home wounded in body and spirit.
Among the victims were also 6 million Jews murdered by Nazi Germany during the Holocaust – a staggering number that many young Americans today cannot correctly identify according to recent surveys.
The American industrial machine had turned out an astounding amount of war material that helped secure victory. U.S. factories produced a staggering 297,000 aircraft, 193,000 artillery pieces, 86,000 tanks, and 2.4 million military trucks.
The might of American production combined with the bravery of American soldiers helped bring about the Nazi surrender that was celebrated on May 8, 1945.
The hidden cost of victory our children aren’t taught
While V-E Day celebrations erupted across America and Allied nations, the true cost of victory went far beyond the numbers of casualties or dollars spent on war materials. It was etched into the very souls of the men who fought.
The Greatest Generation didn’t just win a war – they carried the burden of that victory for the rest of their lives.
“Death was a daily companion,” wrote historian Seth Paridon, who interviewed hundreds of World War II veterans. “It was something that while they never got used to it, they got complacent about it. They accepted death as just part of another day. A hazard of the job.”
When these young Americans returned home, they brought the war with them – in their wounds, in their memories, and in their nightmares. The invisible scars of combat followed them back to American shores and shaped the rest of their lives.
Many veterans never spoke about what they had seen and done. They kept the horrors to themselves, because that’s what society expected of them. Instead, they channeled their energy into building the strongest economy and most prosperous nation the world had ever seen.
As President Roosevelt had called them, these men were truly “the pride of our nation.” Having faced down pure evil abroad, they came home to build a better America.
War correspondent Ernie Pyle captured the weight these men carried when he wrote: “There are so many of the living who have had burned into their brains forever the unnatural sight of cold dead men scattered over the hillsides and in the ditches along the high rows of hedge throughout the world. . . Those are the things that you at home need not even try to understand.”
A nation that forgets its past has no future
The victory celebrated on V-E Day represented more than just a military triumph – it was a vindication of American values and the American way of life.
The men and women who fought and sacrificed during World War II did so not just to defeat an enemy, but to preserve the freedoms and opportunities that define our nation. Although the fighting ended in Europe on V-E Day, as President Truman cautioned in his address, the war continued in the Pacific where U.S. and Allied forces fought the Japanese in Okinawa, the Philippines, and other places.
The outcome of World War II reshaped the world in ways that continue to impact us today. While Western Europe, liberated by American and Allied forces, would become thriving democracies, those nations liberated in the East would be occupied for decades by Soviet forces.
Today, as debates rage about how American history should be taught in schools, we should remember that understanding our past – including triumphs like V-E Day – is essential to charting our nation’s future. Memorials around the world, including the National World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C., stand as testament to those who served and paid the ultimate sacrifice.
The sacrifice of those who secured victory in Europe deserves to be remembered and honored, not relegated to footnotes in history books or eliminated from curricula entirely.
Former President Donald Trump has frequently emphasized the importance of teaching American achievements, saying during a 2020 speech at Mount Rushmore: “We must demand that our children are taught once again to see America as did Reverend Martin Luther King when he said that the founders had signed ‘a promissory note’ to every future generation.”
As we mark another anniversary of V-E Day, we should ask ourselves whether we’re doing enough to ensure that future generations understand the significance of this day and the lessons it holds for our nation.
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