Is VJ Day dead?

[ajg6989]

I heard the powers that be want to change the name to something less offensive to the Japanese. No body seems to celebrate Aug 14 th any more

 

[101ABSniper]

it seems to have been misplaced some where down the line

 

[rideni]

screw those powers that supposedly be

 

[73X]

X2 on screw them

 

[Carl_in_NH]

Just noticed on the History Channel HD the little logo in the lower right corner says "Happy VJ Day" above the big "H".

At least they remembered.

-Carl

 

[USAFSS-ColdWarrior]

I fly my flag on EVERY V-J Day (as well as many other not-so-well-celebrated anniversaries).

I salute the victories and service of those who have won our freedom.

Now who are these "powers that be" and what flag do they fly

DO NOT rewrite history but learn from it

 

[papercu]

http://www.boston.com/news/local/rhode_island/articles/2009/08/09/ri_to_mark_victory_day_state_offices_closed/

 

[clinto]

I looked all over the web and couldn't find much other than tiny blurbs about the occassional municipality who considered changing it but not much National other than Truman's decision in 1946. No mainline websites, just small personal sites, so who knows how credible they are.

Here is a pretty in-depth article, but it does mostly concern Rhode Island.

V-J Day

Excerpt:

In what was perhaps an early effort to maintain annual observance of World War II, but to remove Japan as the target of its commemoration, President Harry S. Truman shortened the designation to “Victory Day” in 1946. Several states followed up in subsequent years with official declarations of Victory Day as a legal state holiday, including Rhode Island in 1948. However, over the next three decades, every state that had legally designated the holiday repealed it, Arkansas being the last state to abolish Victory Day in l975—except Rhode Island.

Again, this is someone's personal site, but he does have a pretty decent list of footnotes at the end of the article.

According to Wikipedia (meaning take with a grain of salt):

V-J Day is recognized as an official holiday only in the U.S. state of Rhode Island. The holiday's official name is "Victory Day",[11] and it is observed on the second Monday of August. There have been several attempts in the 1980s and 1990s to eliminate or rename the holiday on the grounds that it is discriminatory. While those all failed, the state legislature did pass a resolution in 1990 "stating that Victory Day is not a day to express satisfaction inruction and death caused by nuclear bombs at Hiroshima and Nagasaki."


Do you have a link to an article regarding this? I'd be interested in reading it.

 

[jatonka]

Comvec attended a nice VJ Day parade in Connecticut this past weekend. Guess it's not dead there. JT

 

[jasonjc]

Per my Military Vehicle calendar it's observed on the 13th.?.?.?.

 

[ralbelt]

Being from Rhode Island we still observe "Victory Day". It is observed on the monday before, hence this past monday all state offices were closed. Some business's were closed but probably less than 5%. Mail was delivered and most banks i believe were open.

 

[a68cudas]

They started it and we finished it. screw them. my grandfather fought in battle of pacific on a destroyer around iwo jima okinawa

 

[citizensoldier]

There is one place here in Michigan that celebrates it every year.. Hillman, Michigan. I think they are the only place in the state that officially does.. A bunch of the museum folks and us GLMVPA members try to make it every year.. Big parade, and lots of events.

A few pictures from 07..

 

[Capt Pat]

The major problem is all these 'limp-wristed morons" who are afraid they may offend someone with the real story of what happened during the war. They are re-writing history everywhere, not just re-naming days. Where did Armistice Day go? Yeah, Yeah, its "Veterans Day", well, Veteran's Day could and should have been a day unto itself. Eliminating Armistice Day, eliminated a serious piece of history from the schools, and if our youth do not learn for our and our fathers and grandfathers mistakes, they too are doomed to repeat them. And if you think they are learning about this, you'd better take a look at the books they are using in the schools today. Our founding Fathers are no more.
Look at what happened on the 60th Ann. of the Hiroshima Bombing, the Smithsonian, displaying the fwd end of "Enola Gay" had signs and posters in the display explaining how WE caused the Japanese to attack us to protect themselves. Yeah, like the Chinese also caused them to attach them, "The Rape of Nanking" was BEFORE Pearl Harbor along with plenty of other atrocities.
But we MIGHT offend somebody, so lets rename everything. OK, how about "French Fries", doesn't that offend some 'frog'??? Its a vegetable that hides in the ground, soaks up fat and is dangerous to your health. Sounds like World War Two in France.... So where does it stop, when "We the People" stand up and tell the 'Bureaucreeps" ENOUGH.
Sorry, its a touchy subject with me.

 

[wreckerman893]

When I was stationed in Korea (the Koreans despise the Japanese) I had a T-shirt that had an atomic blast cloud rising above a city. The caption read "DON'T START A WAR IF YOU CAN'T TAKE A JOKE".
One of the women in my unit (Signal) told me I was insensitive.
I reminded her of the Batan Death March, the "Rape of Nanking" and other Japanese atrocities.
Unlike the Axis Powers (European front) many of the Japanese leaders were never held accountable for the treatment of military and civilan prisoners.
I have met several former POW's that were held by the Japanese and to a man none of them had forgiven them or our govenment for allowing them to evade prosecution.
Just my rant of the day.

 

[USAFSS-ColdWarrior]

Wreckerman:
I applaud your frankness. You recall the FACTUAL history as originally documented rather than currently "rewritten" versions.

 

[waayfast]

My former father-in-law was an employee of Morrison-Knutson just before the war,and along with a LARGE number of other local(McCall ID) young men, was on Wake Island Dec.8.1941.Yep ,one of those!
Don passed away a couple of years ago but there are still some of those fellas around here,if anyone wants to know the truth about that period of time,chat with one!Sensitivity to other's feelings did not seem to be an issue to the enemy when they hammered off my High School Janitor's thumbs for punishment one day!!!
Yeah this "Politically Correct" crap makes me vomit!!!Coldwarrior- you are right on--our kids don't understand nor care-how could they, they have'nt been taught the real story,and on purpose.
More people were killed during WWII by the Samauri sword than by both Atomic Bombs dropped on Japan,but conveniatly no one ever brings that up now do they!!

 

[swbradley1]

I had a T-shirt that had an atomic blast cloud rising above a city. The caption read "DON'T START A WAR IF YOU CAN'T TAKE A JOKE".

WM
Reading this while watching the game I laughed so hard I almost wet myself.

Political correctness seems to make the pinheads feel good or at least a little bit better.


I am so anti-pc it's a wonder anyone can put up with me.


sw

 

[waayfast]

I consider my M-35 Gasser to be "my frontline tactical vehicle in the war on Political Correctness"

 

[wreckerman893]

I am currently enrolled in courses in a local community college and am taking American history.
The watered down palp they are teaching is an affront to the people that founded this country and those that have fought to keep it free since its inception.
The big push seems to be to highlight the "evils" of the early explorers and founders of our nation......this is not to say that history should be sugar coated....but if you are going to show the atrocities of Christopher Columbus then give equal time the the horrors visited on our soldiers and other victims of the Japanese, North Koreans, Communist Chinese and the Viet Cong.

Political correctness is the refuge of political cowards...you can call a spade a spade (that refers to playing cards...not an ethnic group) and not be a racist.
The recent media frenzy about remarks Harry Reid made is a classic example.....what he said is his opinion and he has the right to espouse it without being crucified in the court of public opinion.....if a Republican had said it he would have been hanged from a light pole...and that is my opinion.