V-E Day + 75 years

General Ormar Bradley was asleep when his phone rang at 4:45 a.m. He sat up rubbed his eyes and turned on the light. He had a pistol by his pillow and blackout curtains over the windows in his quarters at Kassel, Germany. General Bradley’s boss General Dwight D. Eisenhower was on the line. Ike was calling from his office in Reims, France. “Brad”, Ike said “it’s all over”. “Nazi Germany surrendered at 2:41 a.m.” Ike continued.

The surrender was Thursday, May 7, 1945, seventy-five years ago. General Bradley got out of bed and went to a map and wrote the notation “D + 335” that’s how many days since the Allied forces had come ashore at Normandy June 6, 1944. May 8, is the official Victory in Europe Day, or V-E Day. British Prime Minister Winston Churchill said the next day, “We may now allow ourselves a brief period of rejoicing.” General Omar Bradley was know as “The Soldiers General” because of his care and compassion for those soldiers under his command.

PLYMOUTH’S REACTION TO V-E DAY

I can remember when the news about V-E Day reached Plymouth on May 7, 1945 as I heard the ringing of church bells that sounded at 8:00 a.m. and I asked my parents what was going on. My dad tuned in the radio and we heard the news. My mom said in excitement “HOORAY! Now maybe we can get REAL BUTTER.” Butter and many other commodities were rationed during WWII. My mother’s reaction was the only evidence I could find of any spontaneous celebration of the victory in Europe unlike that when V-J Day was announced. However there was respect for the victory when most of the stores closed for the day.

Also factories which produced materials for the war effort operated as usual because there was still a war in the Pacific. Students went to their respective schools but classes were cut short and everyone was dismissed by noon. Other towns in Marshall County were on the same schedule as Plymouth and I guess the lack of enthusiasm by the citizens was because the war with Japan was still going on.

1,100 WWII VETERANS DYING EVERY DAY

OK, so how do we really know that, nationally, 1,100 World War II Veterans Die Every Day, Mr. History person? I thought you would never ask. Its because the Department of Veterans Affairs has put together a statistical estimate on the mortality rates of the greatest generation. There is no way for the government to actually track each individual veteran death. The VA estimates are based on the 1990 census data, in which people who received the long form were asked about military service, and on actuarial tables that track the mortality rates of people old enough to have served. Of the 16.1 million people who were in the armed forces during World War II, the VA estimates about 5.45 million are still alive today. They expect that in the 12-month period ending this September, about 419,000 will have died, for an average of 1,147 a day.

LOCAL PLACING OF THE FLAGS

Flags have decorated Veterans’ graves in America for over 150 years “Flags-in” refers to the ceremony of flag placement on graves of those who served their country on Memorial Day - - a tradition first observed in 1868, three years after the end of the Civil War at Arlington National Cemetery.

On May 17, 2020 the Plymouth American Legion, Ladies Auxiliary S A L, V F W, Ladies Auxiliary and D A V replaced 2,200 flag’s on Marshall County graves. As they weaved their way through the weathered gravestones in the cemeteries, they carefully placed an American flag on each grave of those who served their country. They then took a step back and saluted each grave. The old flag’s will be honored in a ceremony at a later date.

Miniature versions of the stars and stripes waving across the green lawns of cemeteries across Marshall County are a visual reminder to each community of their own veterans buried there. So when you pass a cemetery with the flags all flying, take a moment to say a prayer and remember and respect those who served America. Yeah it’s OK to show respect by a salute.

Some gave all, and all gave some. A military person is someone who, at one point in his or her life, wrote a blank check made payable to

“The United States of America” for an amount of “up to and including his or her Life.” MAY GOD BLESS AMERICA.

HAVE A GREAT WEEK-END and

MAY GOD BLESS

Well, that’s it for now . . . So until next time . . . This is my view from the Pilot house.