While preparing the weekly Did You Know newsletter, I learned that Sept 2 is known as V-J Day. Although the day is meant as a celebration for the fall of Japan in WWII, it comes during a time another war ends, without celebration but certainly with pain and sorrow.
Many pubs, bars and restaurants, as well as other businesses are showing their support for the fallen Military of the recent attack on our troops in Afghanistan.
I’ve included in this email the information on V-J Day, as well as more information on how to show your support for the families and the troops who face coming home to uncertainty, loss, and feelings that are all over the place. Below is that information. I encourage you to join the many others who will be donating and do whatever you can, in whatever way you can.
If you live in an area with returning soldiers, or near the families who have lost loved ones in this war, I urge you to learn how you can show your active support to them. We all need a listening ear, a hand on the shoulder, or a hug at some point in our lives. Here are a few ways you can Pay It Forward now.
V-J DAY is celebrated every September 2 in the U.S., this day stands for Victory over Japan Day, commemorating a shift in the Second World War in favor of the Allies (the U.S., Great Britain, France and other nations) that spelled the end of the massive conflict. It is commonly accepted knowledge that what precipitated the Japanese Empire’s ultimate surrender was the U.S. having bombed two major Japanese cities (Nagasaki and Hiroshima) with atomic warheads, causing such a concentrated and gigantic loss of Japanese lives that there really was no hope of a victory for the island nation thereafter.
In much the same way as a statement like, “I’m not a hero, I just did what anyone would have done,” has come to sound trite, we’re sure that in the mid-20th century, the phrase “ultimate sacrifice” held a power that was more raw and personal than it may hold now. Americans had seen nothing like it. The First World War was, until that point, considered “the war to end all wars,” but in terms of death tolls, WWII saw the demise of around three times more than its predecessor (50-80 million souls lost in WWII, around three percent of the world population).
The iconic images, too, are unforgettable. The famous scene of a sailor sweeping a Navy nurse into his arms and kissing her during the Times Square public celebration of V-J Day, as it happens, is actually two very similar photographs taken of the same couple by two different photographers who had their work published in two different national periodicals.
For now, though, let us all agree that the celebration of V-J Day every September 2 is not a thing to be taken lightly, considering the true costs of war, and yet it should be a source of positive pride and the relief brought by the end of a trying labor, passed down through generations.
This year, 76 years later, September 2 is another milestone of war. Restaurants and businesses across the country are choosing to reserve a table and 13 beers to honor the service members who died during Thursday’s bombing near Kabul’s Hamid Karzai International Airport.
In Ohio, Niko Moulagianis said he felt compelled to do something, too. He called his bar’s general manager and told her about reserving an entire table for 13 beers to honor the service members.
“She told me, ‘You do realize it’s a Friday night, right?’ I said, ‘Yeah, but you do realize these people are not coming back to the families?'” Moulagianis, owner of Niko’s Bar & Gyros, told USA TODAY.
He didn’t stop there. Until Sept. 11, Moulagianis will donate a dollar for every beer they sell. The proceeds will go to military charities, or specifically to the families of the 13 who died.
On top of beer sales, he said they’ve received cash donations from local customers. Moulagianis hopes veterans, people who have been affected and military families see the 13 beers and feel “supported and seen.” Read the full article HERE
David Y Kim writes: “… the value of their deeds over the last 20 years can never be diminished.” It’s important that we all remember that, no matter one’s feelings about war, and to honor our Service People however we can.
Here are a few ways you can help.
- Sandboxx has a list of 8 military charities helping families and our heroes
- Veterans Advantage has a list of 13 trusted organizations and nonprofits
- MilSpouseFest (founded as MilitaryOneClick) has a comprehensive list of helpful organizations and information from all branches of the Military.
- The Children of Fallen Patriots Foundation supports the children of those who gave their lives for our country. This link takes you directly to their donation page.
- Find a business in your area who is also honoring those who were killed in Afghanistan and support them with your business.