V-E Day

8May2025 is the 80th anniversary of V-E (Victory in Europe) Day. The unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany and the end of fighting in Europe.

World War 2 started on 1Sep1939 with the German invasion of Poland. The United States officially entered the war in Europe on 11Dec1941 when the United States Congress declared war on Germany.

In just under 6 years, it is estimated that the war in Europe killed between 15 million and 20 million civilians. Total military deaths (from both sides) are estimated at 13.7 million and 18.1 million.

An estimated 140,000 US soldiers, sailors, and airman died in the European Theater of Operations (ETO).

56 Edison Heroes are included in that total.

Robert Will was the first Tommie to die when he was killed in an accidental explosion on 8Mar1943 while serving in Tunisia.

Dayhart Jacob was the last Tommie to die when he was killed in Austria on 30Apr1945, just 8 days before the war was over.

25 of the 56 Edison Heroes killed in the ETO have been featured on this site to date. Learn more about them here.

Robert Will
Fred Robinson
Walter Wojcik
Robert Stevens
Earl Meister
Charles Perlick
George Coe
Robert Sorenson
Clayton Fitzgerald
Morris T. Johnson
Lucien Houle
Ed Caputa
Anthony Sohorowich
Walter T. Anderson
Paul Raupach
Robert Irmen
Richard Picore
Roger Nielsen
Irving Knealing
Casimir Karbowniczek
Steve Kovalitsky
Gordon Stoen
Boleslas Horowicki
Carl Ezuck
William Rogers
Orlando Mancuso
William Mueller
Charles Knaeble
John Haglund
Richard Fick
Winston Fisher
Stanley Swanson
Ervin Hegre
Sigurd Fagerlee
Milton Nelson
Robert Borchardt
Martin Kostik
Philip W Anderson
Bjarne Xavier
Lincoln Abraham
Floyd Doncaster
William Nelson
Henry Nadeau
George Selinsky
Adolph Karkula
Frank Leba
Donald Grisen
Clyde Sloss
Edward Cisek
Joseph Barres
Charles Randolph
George Thomas
Robert Stromberg
Lloyd Olson
Harry Super
Ivert Olson
Frank Warpeha, Jr
Dayhart Jacob