V-J Day

Today is the 80th anniversary of V-J day. The day that Japan offered their unconditional surrender to the Allies, and the end of World War 2.

Japan surrendered after the Allies conducted a months long conventional bombing campaign of 64 Japanese cities, and dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima (August 6, 1945) and Nagasaki (August 9, 1945).

Starting with the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, over 111,600 US service members were killed in the war with Japan. 26 Edison Heroes are included in that total.

It is estimated that over 36 million people (civilian and military) died in the war with Japan.

Had Japan not surrendered, a planned land invasion of Japan would have likely extended the war by over a year, and resulted in up to 800,000 additional deaths of US personnel.