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.

Richard Davis

Remember Richard Davis today. Richard was a 1961 graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point. He was killed in action by sniper fire on 10May 1967 while serving with the Army in Vietnam.

Learn more about Richard here.

Richard Davis

Richard is the first of 11 Edison Heroes who died in service during the Vietnam War to be featured on this site.

He is the 61st of 134 Edison Heroes profiled to date.

Learn about the others here.

The Fallen

Korea

Vietnam

Independence Day

Today is a good day to remember the 134 Edison Heroes who gave their lives in service to our country. It is also a good day to think about the thousands of Edison men and women who have served in the armed forces since 1922. Whether drafted, or enlisted voluntarily, they’ve all answered the call to serve our nation. They put their lives on hold, and at risk, so that we can enjoy the holiday weekend, spending time with friends and family, and celebrating the 249th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independance.

The Fallen

Korea

Vietnam