75 Years Ago...

[Alex]

Germany surrendered marking the end of the war in Europe. Of course the fighting was not yet over, and there were still battles to be fought in Asia and indeed against holdout pockets of troops elsewhere, but an important milestone had been reached. Thank you to all of those who fought and sacrificed everything they had so we could be free.

[RCMerchant]

[Allhallowsday]

It's V-E Day!  To hell with nazis! 

[indianasmith]

HITLER KAPUT!!!

[ER]

This was sent to me by someone I greatly admire. He got an email from an organization that had printed these words from the last known living eyewitness to Germany's surrender, Louis Graziano, who recently spoke out about that day.

Mr. Graziano said:


There are some moments you never forget... I'll never forget the chaos and carnage I witnessed as part of the third wave to land on Omaha Beach. I'll never forget the sting of the frostbite on my toes during the Battle of the Bulge. And I will never forget what I witnessed on May 7th, 1945. I was standing in Room 119 of the "Little Red Schoolhouse" in Reims, France that served as General Eisenhower's headquarters.


The room was packed with dignitaries from France, Great Britain, Russia, and the U.S.  They were all there to witness representatives from the German High Command sign the official document of unconditional surrender, ending Nazi Germany's reign of terror.

The ceremony was simple and brief.  It only took 17 minutes to officially end the war that had raged for six bloody years.  I don't know how much longer I'll be around to tell my story...which is why I am so grateful to you for supporting the work of the World War II Veterans Committee. You see, the folks over at the World War II Veterans Committee acknowledge what most people refuse to admit: that our nation's schools have failed us.

History textbooks these days barely even mention World War II, and heroes like Audie Murphy and Jimmy Doolittle have become little more than footnotes in history. As a result, most of today's youth know little about how the United States pulled together to defeat the greatest threats to liberty the world has ever known. More importantly, today's youth aren't being taught the values that helped us win the War. This is a shame.  America will only remain strong and free if we remember the sacrifices that were made for our freedom.

No other organization is doing more to preserve the stories and champion the legacy of the Greatest Generation. They are pushing hard to ensure the truth about World War II is taught in our nation's schools.  Not only that, but the World War II Veterans Committee is working overtime to record the oral histories of our aging vets, before their stories are lost forever. It gives me peace of mind knowing that as the sun sets on the Greatest Generation, the World War II Veterans Committee will remain to ensure that our legacy will never fade away.


Thank you for supporting the work of the World War II Veterans Committee.  It means more to us old veterans than you may ever know.


Sincerely,

Louis Graziano


P.S. When I reported for duty in January of 1943, I never thought in my wildest dreams that I would personally witness the unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany.  I am now the last living eyewitness to that historic event.  Hundreds of thousands of the best men America had to offer gave their lives to make that moment possible.