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SALT LAKE CITY — Friday marks the 70th anniversary of the day Americans got the news that Japan had agreed to surrender — World War II was over.
The day Americans had waited for since Pearl Harbor finally arrived at 5 p.m., Mountain War Time, Aug. 14, 1945, with an announcement from the White House.
President Harry S. Truman told reporters he had received a message from the Japanese government.
"In reply to the message forwarded to that government by the secretary of state on Aug. 11," Truman said, "I deem this reply a full acceptance of the Potsdam Declaration which specifies the unconditional surrender of Japan."
Reporters literally raced to get the word out. And millions of Americans soon poured into the streets of cities and towns all over the country. Mad, wild celebrations erupted as the weight of nearly four years of war was lifted off their shoulders.
"So many of the soldiers had orders they were going to redeploy," said Col. Robert Voyles of the Fort Douglas Military Museum. "They had gotten out of Europe, they were here, they were getting ready to redeploy — shift all those forces from Europe to the Pacific. So, there's a huge amount of relief that none of that was going to happen."
Just three months before, Utahns calmly celebrated the surrender of Germany.
"I think people in Utah realized — more than anywhere else, especially back East — that this war was not over yet," Voyles told KSL during the 70th anniversary of V-E Day. "Let's hold off a little bit until the whole thing is done."
But with Japan calling it quits, Utahns finally felt free to let loose in their celebrations.
"It was pandemonium," said photo historian Ron Fox. "It was the end of a great, long period of our history ... where we lost a lot of people."
I think people in Utah realized — more than anywhere else, especially back East — that this war was not over yet.
–Col. Robert Voyles
Fox showed KSL some of his favorite photos taken by newspaper photographers during the V-J Day celebrations.
Those photos include two teen girls dancing the jitterbug; a group of young men making noise by cranking old fire-engine sirens; a young man in uniform with a face covered in lipstick kisses; two young girls not more than 4 or 5 years old watching the celebrations from the roof of a car parked in front of the old Utah Theater.
"Most likely, their father was out in the Pacific or European Theater," said Fox.
For two days, cars packed full of people drove up and down Main Street, waving, cheering and honking horns. A huge platform was quickly built in front of the Telegram-Tribune building where bands and loudspeakers blared music. A congo line of people snaked its way up and down Main Street from South Temple to 300 South. City officials at the time estimated the crowd grew to as many as 50,000 revelers at its height.
The Deseret News reported "firecrackers and small cannon added to the noise, the former accounting for most of the few injuries growing out of the celebration. Burned legs and arms were treated at the emergency hospital. One broken arm was reported."
A Salt Lake Telegram article noted, "There seemed to be no end to the joy-making of the jubilant citizens. They kicked garbage cans around, scattered debris over the streets, threw confetti, and there were others who were throwing torn bits of paper from the windows of downtown buildings, principally the Walker Bank building."
"People also not only reveled in their streets," said Fox. "They went into their houses of worship and gave thanks that the war was over."
Many photos show servicemen in uniform, many wearing civilian ties.
"They knew casualties, after Okinawa and especially any of the fighting that went on in the Pacific," said Fox. "It was going to be a very, costly battle. If there was a combined sigh of relief, this one had to be one of the all-time, loudest sighs heard around the world."
Aug. 14 and Aug. 15 have been generally regarded over the years as Victory over Japan, or V-J, Day. But, officially, Sept. 2, 1945, is considered V-J Day. That's when the Japanese formally surrendered to the supreme commander of the Allied powers, Gen. Douglas MacArthur, aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay.
Contributing: Andrew Wittenberg
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