Rhode Island's Victory Day

Today I am the envy of my Connecticut neighbors and Massachusetts family: I work in Rhode Island and today is a holiday. A holiday in August is in itself something to celebrate. Usually the question that follows is, what holiday is in August?

Rhode Island, long a symbol of rebellion and a middle-finger-up sort of attitude, is the only remaining state that observes Victory Day -- formerly Victory Over Japan, or VJ Day. Back in the 1990s, bowing to objections that the holiday was no longer politically correct, the legislature renamed the day and removed the reference to Japan. Some years after that, Governor DiPrete attempted to rename the holiday to "Governor's Bay Day" or some such non sequitur. That didn't stick, either. Everyone I know in Rhode Island, and I lived there for decades, calls today VJ Day.

As the holiday's name connotes, this marks the surrender of Japan and the close of World War II in 1945, 70 years ago this year. Everyday citizens of almost every country around the world took to the streets when the news spread on August 15. Newspaper headlines in the United States, New Zealand, Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia heralded "V-J Day". President Truman named September 2, 1945 and the formal surrender ceremony "VJ Day".

Why is Rhode Island the only remaining state to observe Victory Day? For starters, the tiniest state in the union sent over 100,000 of its residents to war and 10,000 of them were killed, wounded or missing in action.

In 2010, Scott McKay of Rhode Island Public Radio wrote in an essay:

If ever a state was at the center of the American war effort in World War II, it was Rhode Island. From Westerly to Woonsocket and everywhere in between, Rhode Island was focused on winning what has become known as, in Studs Terkel's famous words, "The Good War". Newport was home to the Atlantic destroyer fleet, where thousands of sailors trained for service abroad. Quonset hosted thousands of troops who built Quonset huts and trained engineers and Seabees to work on ships. PT boats were built on Bristol and the man who was to become the most celebrated PT commander i history, John F. Kennedy, received his training at the Navy's station in Melville....A state that suffered through the Depression suddenly blossomed into an industrial powerhouse when war came. Liberty ships were made in Providence, torpedoes in Newport, army blankets and uniforms in textile mills all over the state. The machine shops of the Blackstone Valley thrummed with parts for guns. Even the jewelry makers flourished, turning out medals for the arms forces.

So the Rhode Island legislature has repeatedly and stubbornly close to keep observing Victory Day, indicating that to stop celebrating it would be an insult to veterans. As the greatest generation slowly fades into history and memories, Rhode Island continues to carry the torch, remembering its soldiers, World War II and the joyous end of that dark, frightening time. I hope that never stops.