V (E) -day

[Boris]

I didn't see any posts, but May 8th is the V (E) day and it's a big deal, despite the lack of flower/presents/cards commercials crap on TV and radio. Because the surrender was signed late in the day, it came out as May 9th for some countries.

Well, the reason it's a big deal and worth remembering because a major part of the bloodiest conflict came to an end for millions of people. That applied not only to military but to millions of civilians that were effected, resistance fighters, victims. There were no bystanders.

To me it has a great deal of meaning because most in my family either perished or in some other way were deeply affected. I was named after my great uncle Andrei, KIA 1941. The images and stories of the Great War came to me not from Hollywood stage sets but from first person accounts. So I pray to Gd that no one will have to live through this again and I'll practice my skills so that if we do, I'm ready.

There are very few WWII vets still alive. I really appreciate the projects that try to document first hand accounts. Here is a site of mostly Red Army vets and civilians. There are only a few stories translated into English and I hope that there are similar sites too for other nations and armed forces:
http://english.iremember.ru/
Some interviews are pretty boring, some are incredible stories like the one about a 14yo girl who volunteered to help in a field hospital and ended up in a tank crew that was blown up. Unreal. It really makes me appreciate my freedom and how truly precious is my "boring" life.

 

[TimMcG74]

It's a shame that VE day isn't a major national holiday. I didnt have any Eurpoean theatre vets in my family, but I had an uncle who served in the Pacific during the war. He was a fantastic guy.

 

[MisterHappy]

Meh.

There's no youtube video of it.... it must not be important.

Right?

 

[soloman02]

Russia seems to think Victory day is still a big deal (it is a big deal but we as a country are lost at sea and cannot see this):

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110509/ap_on_re_eu/eu_russia_victory_day

 

[FSTC]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110509/ap_on_re_eu/eu_russia_victory_day

Solo, You beat me to it!

 

[xronik]

It's a huge deal in Russia....I don't see why it should't be?

My great-grandfather was MIA in 1942 fighting the Nazis.

Called my Grandpa today, he fought off ZeGermans all the way to Budapest, with 8 bullet holes, then hospitalized and sent back. Unfortunately he never talked about the actions he's seen. He lives now outside the former USSR, and still gets medals every year from Russian Federation.

Happy Victory Day!!!

 

[mark056]

The Great Patriotic War as it is called in Russia was devastating to the USSR. It estimated that the USSR lost 20 million people in that conflict. I understand its impact on post-war Soviet society, and one could argue that the war against the Nazis in the West was a mere sideshow compared to epic battles on the Eastern Front.

On one hand, while VE Day was a day of rejoicing for the people of Western Europe, I am not so sure about its significance to those of Eastern Europe. For the people of Poland, the then country of Czechoslovakia, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Bulgaria, Albania, the then country of Yugoslavia, Rumainia and Hungary it merely marked the beginning of Soviet domination and oppression that lasted until 1991. In the end, who was the bigger tyrant, Hitler or Stalin? Certainly Stalin was, in many respects the far more successful one. Even after Stalin died, the people of Eastern Europe (with perhaps the exception of Yugoslavia to a degree) were still under the Soviet boot. Remember the Hungarian Revolt of 1956?

Arm chair military strategists will, of course, blame the leaders of the West for not dealing with Stalin in 1945, and there is certainly some validity to this. In 1945 there was but one superpower: the United States which had the ultimate weapon of destruction. The French and British Empires were crumbling and in a few years would disappear to be replaced by new third world countries, most of which were far more wretched places than they were when they were colonies (not PC, but sadly true in most cases).

So what are we really celebrating, when we celebrate VE Day?

This post should not be construed in any manner to take from the valor and sacrifice of the Allies and the USSR in their battles against the Axis Powers, but I am not sure, if in the context of the time we live, if VE Day really should really be more of a day of reflection than celebration for as the American philosopher and writer said "Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it."

Mark L.

 

[Boris]

Russia is not the only country that should remember. I read somewhere that 40% of Ukrainian population was gone, a double scorched earth policy from retreating Soviets, then Nazis. Many other countries like France, Spain, Italy have all been through occupation too. It's not just about vets, everyone, young and old lived in fear, imagine sleeping in bomb shelters, food shortages. During the occupation a military officer in charge of an occupied town may have been your judge, jury and executioner.

That's my point, people who lived through the great depression have completely different outlook on life. People who lived through the WWII had a different view from ours. We forget to appreciate many ordinary things we take for granted.

 

[Boris]

So what are we really celebrating, when we celebrate VE Day?

exactly, I don't think it should be about celebration but reflection and remembering what really happened. So I don't propose a parade, merely a time to stop and think.

Some common things that many already forgotten:

1. Soviet Union allied itself with Nazi Germany and invaded Poland from both sides.

Soviet and Nazi officers shake hands after meeting at the "new border"

most people think that it was Germany alone that invaded Poland and Soviets never were involved. In fact Soviet trains with supplies rolled into Germany up to the hour that Nazis attack the Soviet Union. History books want to oversimplify things.

2. Western Allies agreed to forcefully "repatriate" any ex-Soviet citizens that ended up in Europe either willingly or forcefully, which to many meant firing squad and Gulag at least.

 

[xronik]

Regardless of Stalin's pre-war dealings with Hitler, and the fact that Stalin's oppressions and Gulags killed 22 million people over the years.

The celebration belongs to the people from 8 year olds kids that worked at factories polishing guns to all the brave soldiers that gave their lives, not Stalin.

 

[ZX14]

Spain was neutral

Just a minor correction in case any kids are reading this stream.

Nazi Germany supported the Fascists in the Spanish Civil War during the 1930s. The Fascist, led by Francisco Franco won.

Spain was not direct participant in WWII. As a result, Spain ended up being a hotbed of espionage activity during the war.

Franco remained in power until his death in the mid-1970's.

He remains dead today.