VJ Day Marks End of WWII

Today is VJ Day, or Victory over Japan Day, marking the day Japan surrendered in World War II, effectively ending the war.

In recent years, the day has not been celebrated like other holidays, as other holidays have been used to mark America's wars and honor those who fought for our country. Memorial Day, which started as a day to remember the soldiers in the Civil War, is now set aside to remember all those lost in battle. Veteran's Day, likewise started as a day to remember the end of WWI, but now honors all who serve in the armed forces.

One of the last parades celebrating VJ Day took place Sunday in Moosup, Conn. Parade organizers say the event honors America's war heroes, though some acknowledge that it can be offensive to Japanese-Americans and to a country that now is one of the United States' closest allies .

Rhode Island is the last state that still keeps the day as a holiday. "Victory Day" is marked on the second Monday of August, though many feel the day is, in effect, used to maintain a summer holiday rather than to recognize events from 60 years ago.

But some veterans want the nation to remember VJ Day, including Albert Perdeck who wrote a letter to The New York Times in 2008 after the newspaper failed to have any mention of the day. He also recently sent letters to other newspapers and TV station about the date.

In Japan on Aug. 15, 1945 (Aug. 14 in America), the emperor announced that Japan would accept the terms of the Potsdam Declaration . The emperor sent a cable to U.S. President Harry S. Truman saying that the country had surrendered. The formal signing of the surrender terms took place on board the battleship USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay on Sept. 2, 1945.

After the Battle of Okinawa , which had thousands of casualties and lasted for months, on Aug. 6, 1945 the U.S. dropped the first atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. That was followed on Aug. 9 with another bomb dropped on Nagasaki. The war in Europe had ended three months earlier on May 8, 1945 with the surrender of Nazi Germany.

The news of the Japanese surrender sent the U.S. into a jubilant frenzy. The famous photo of a sailor impromptu kiss of a girl in New York City's Times Square has become iconic for the end of the war.

3 More Talkers You Should See

• 18-Karat Gold Sex Toy Sells for $1500
• Doll Pulled as Racially Insensitive
• World Population to Hit 7B by 2011