On September 2, 1945, representatives of the Empire of Japan formally surrendered to the U.S. and the Allies aboard the Battleship U.S.S. Missouri, formally ending World War II. The United States was forced into World War II on December 7, 1941, when the Japanese bombed the U.S. Navy base at Pearl Harbor.
The Allies had defeated Nazi Germany months earlier. German Chancellor Adolf Hitler was dead, and the Nazi leadership was in custody: but Japan fought on alone, still holding large portions of China, Korea, Indochina, and Formosa (today Taiwan).
On August 6 and 9, the U.S. dropped atomic bombs on the Cities of Nagasaki and Hiroshima. On August 15, Japan announced its surrender, with the formal signing of the surrender paper coming on September 2. General Douglas MacArthur signed the surrender papers on behalf of the Allies. This date is remembered in the U.S. as Victory over Japan Day (VJ-Day). The British commemorate August 15 as Victory over Japan Day.
U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-Alabama) remembered the veterans who won World War II.
“On September 2, 1945, Japan officially surrendered aboard the U.S.S. Missouri, ending one of the bloodiest wars in history,” Sen. Tuberville wrote on Twitter. “78 years later, we remember the courage, selflessness, and sacrifices of all our World War II veterans.”
Congressman Barry Moore (R-AL02) acknowledged the historical significance of the date on Twitter.
“On this 78th Anniversary of the Victory over Japan, we celebrate the Japanese surrender to allied forces, marking the end of World War II,” Rep. Moore said on Twitter. “Let us never forget those who sacrificed everything to defend our country and protect our freedom.”
Sen. Katie Britt (R-Alabama) also honored the World War II vets.
“Today, we remember the service and sacrifice of the heroic Americans who won the victory in the Pacific and brought an end to the largest war the world has ever seen,” Sen. Britt wrote on Twitter.
World War II was the largest, bloodiest war in the history of the world and second only to the Civil War in American deaths.
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