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Monday is a Rhode Island state holiday that marks the anniversary of the end of World War II. Victory Day, also known as Victory over Japan Day or V-J Day, honors the sacrifices soldiers of that war made for the country.
V-J Day was a nationally recognized holiday, but it has since been removed because of the nature of the war's ending, following the dropping of the atomic bomb on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima on August 6 and Nagasaki on August 9, 1945.
Rhode Island retains the holiday in tribute to the number of sailors it lost in the Pacific front.
Middletown has a unique connection to the exuberant celebrations that immediately followed President Truman’s announcement to the surrender.
Eighty-nine-year-old George Mendonsa, then a 22 year old soldier, kissed a nurse he had never met on the streets of Time Square on August 14, 1945.
The candid photo captured by Alfred Eisenstaedt became one of the most iconic photographs of the 20th century. Although 11 men and three women claimed to be the people in that photo, Mendonsa officially received credit this summer, when a book came out titled “The Kissing Soldier.”
Tell us in the comments: Now that 67 years have passed since the end of the war, should Rhode Island change the name of the holiday?
Jim L
8:03 am on Friday, August 10, 2012
NO NEVER
Melissa M. Pineault
9:59 am on Friday, August 10, 2012
NO !!!!!!!
Jack Baillargeron
11:10 am on Friday, August 10, 2012
Hell no!!!!! What is it with these people who want to change history? Remember Pearl Harbor anyone? The Navy was started in RI. it is a disgrace to want the name changed. If you have guilt about it, then don't have a cook out or celebrate it. Was it not a Victory of out armed forces? Hense the name "VICTORY OVER JAPAN".
Japan brought it on itself, and how it ended was by Victory period. We have nothing to appologize for. They attacked us. Whats next it was our fault for them attacking us?
This is no different than the numbnuts who want to change the States name. The Bombs were dropped for 2 main reasons, one to end the Japanese industrial War machine factories, and two to prevent having to invade by land, which would have been very costly to both sides period.
Think about this. They had to drop a second one, because the Japanese would not surrender after the first. Nothing was done wrong, you fight a war to win, not by dying for your Country, but making the other person die for theirs as Patton said. Well they got what they deserved, end of Story.
jim
11:29 am on Friday, August 10, 2012
it is what it is. keep it as it is. forever remembering those who served and gave there all so we can say" CHANGE IT" what is it with these people who want to forget what they did to us on that peacefull sunday morning 12/7/41
what is wrong about remembering what those cowardly bastads did to us and the world.
we can;t please everybode all the time. some times we shouldan't FORGET either.
Chowda Head
6:29 am on Saturday, August 11, 2012
Not sure as I write this on a Toshiba laptop, watching my Panasonic TV and will be driving my Honda Truck.
frank maloof
6:01 pm on Tuesday, August 14, 2012
hey paul thats pretty funny
2nd Beach
10:52 am on Sunday, August 12, 2012
I'm not celebrating the 4th of July next year... wouldn't want to upset the Brits
frank maloof
6:02 pm on Tuesday, August 14, 2012
hey bob thats also funny good job
E.B.
10:58 am on Thursday, August 16, 2012
YES!!!!! Yes, regardless of the reasons why the use of the word "Victory" is celebatory and doesn't recognize the horror the Japanese suffered to achieve this victory. I am not saying we should forget history or this day of rememberance...maybe just change the name to honor both sides who suffered.
Youi all sound like a bunch of school kids yelling, 'fight, fight, fight'.
War happens and probably always will but we should strive for Peace none the less.
Jack Baillargeron
11:35 am on Thursday, August 16, 2012
In order to have peace you must prepare for war, that is the reality of humans.
To your Horror, perhaps you should read up on exactly why hey had to be stopped the way they were. Ask the Chinese, Koreans, and every other Southeast Asia Country they attacked; ask about what they did to women and Children and the human experiments they performed. How about how they treated Prisoners of War?
Why would anyone want to honor the so called other side? This was not some school yard spat where you get the little ones to hopefully shake hands and see the futility of fighting over a lollypop. You do not disregard the reason for victory either. That’s the same thinking of people who cry the blues over people wanting the death penalty when someone slaughters your family members like what happened in CT.
Taking Self responsibility for ones actions is fast becoming lost in this Country as well as the mentality of not allowing our children to see that there are losers and it makes you strive to improve. Instead we have the mentality that everyone gets a medal, sport games for children have no losers, etc. That is not the reality of life and neither is your idea of mutual blame in my opinion. We were not wrong in our actions period. There are consequences to every action. Just saying