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Seventy Years Ago, Wisconsinites Celebrated End Of World War II

Vintage Wisconsin: Remembering V-J Day In Madison

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Wisconsin Historical Images

On Aug.14, 1945, Wisconsinites learned that Japan had surrendered to the Allies, effectively ending World War II. The news of Japan’s surrender was greeted with massive celebrations across the country like the one pictured above in Madison, where soldiers and citizens gathered with confetti, noisemakers and in this case, liquor, to commemorate the day on the Capitol Square.

The official surrender took place a few weeks later, on Sept. 2, 1945, in Tokyo Bay.

Although fighting ended in Europe in May 1945, the celebrations were subdued as war still raged in the Pacific. More than 330,000 Wisconsinites served in World War II, nearly 10,000 of them women. Wisconsinites distinguished themselves in both theaters of the war and at home. The 32nd Division of the Wisconsin and Michigan National Guard spent 654 days in combat, more than any other Division during the war, beginning with the Buna Campaign in New Guinea in 1942. At home, Wisconsin farmers produced the largest amount of vegetables for canning in the nation. John Bradley of Antigo was one of the six Marines pictured in the famous photo of the flag raising on Iwo Jima in 1945.

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President Truman initially declared September 2nd as “Victory Over Japan” day, or V-J Day, but when the United Kingdom announced that their V-J Day would be August 15th, Americans exuberantly joined in.

Check out the celebrations in Milwaukee in this video.