[dbacks]

I was shy of 4 months old on that fateful day, and celebrated my 4th Birthday on August 14, 1945, VJ day!

[tommix2]

I remember that day well. I was about fifteen and we all gathered around the radio listening to FDR speech. My Dad and my uncles were World War I veterans and they remembered how terrible World War I was and they knew what was coming and we all sat there silently after FDR finished speaking. I enlisted along with my friends as soon as we were old enough. Then for several years until Aug 9, 1945, we expected to be at war for many years. And the people and the media were 100% behind the war. We thought the war would never end, but we all knew we would be victorious in the end. Our male teachers in high school that were young enough enlisted right away, and we had an assembly at school to say goodbye to them.

[Peter W. Kessler]

Here’s what Americans heard if they were listening to the radio:

http://ia340903.us.archive.org/1/items/WWII_News_1941/1941-12-07_1432_NBCB_Bulletin_On_Pearl_Harbor_Attack.mp3

And, in honor of your birthday, here’s what Americans on your 4th:

http://ia311534.us.archive.org/2/items/WWII_News_1945/1945-08-14_MBS_Bulletin_-_Japan_Surrenders.mp3