V-E Day - 70th Anniversary
Journal Staff Photo by Ivan J. Mashek
"Serious faced youngsters recite the pledge of allegiance in thankful and prayerful
observanceof V-E day Tuesday in their 2-A class at the Eighteenth Street school."
Every year on May 8th, the United States celebrates V-E Day, marking the surrender of Nazi Germany and the end of World War II in Europe. Here in Milwaukee, The Milwaukee Journal's front page on May 8, 1945 featured the above photo of students at the Eighteenth Street school pledging allegiance to the flag of the United States of America in solemn observance of the momentous day.
The previous day's newspaper, before V-E Day had been officially declared, proclaimed the surrender and went on to offer pages of a sort of "war in review," tracing major milestones and including photographs, maps, and historical analysis.
The iconic images of jubilant celebration at the news of Germany's defeat come from New York City, especially from Life magazine. View a sampling of them in this online gallery.
Central Library's 2nd floor rotating display on the 70th anniversary of the end of WWII that we mentioned in this blog on April 21st has entered its V-E Day phase, featuring Gertie the Duck, Milwaukee demographics in 1945 compared to today, and Charley Thau, a Polish Jew drafted into the Russian army who wound up owning a gas station in Milwaukee. Thau appeared in a famous photo that marked the moment when U.S. and Russian forces met at Torgau on the Elbe River in Germany during the final days of the War in Europe. World War II continued in the Pacific theater throughout the summer of 1945 until Japan, too, surrendered. The display will continue to be updated throughout the summer, as well.