Why the 80th Anniversary of VE Day Still Matters

Quick answer: What was VE Day and why does it still matter?

Victory in Europe Day, May 8, 1945, marked Nazi Germany's unconditional surrender, signed at Reims on May 7. John argues it still matters because the world that came after was built deliberately by people who had seen the cost, and that work now passes to us.

Eighty years ago, the guns went quiet across Europe. For the men who had slogged through mud and snow, there were few parades. Most just sat down, lit a cigarette, read Stars and Stripes, and listened to a silence they hadn't heard in years. Germany signed its unconditional surrender at Reims on May 7, 1945, and May 8 became Victory in Europe Day. More than 70 million people died in the Second World War, soldiers, civilians, and victims of genocide. John's point is that the world of 1945 did not fix itself. The institutions and alliances that followed were built by people who knew what the alternative looked like. With fewer World War II veterans left each month, he writes, the job of remembering, listening, and teaching has passed to us. Their legacy was handed down with calloused hands and tired eyes, and what we do with it now matters.

Why it matters for leaders: The peace that followed 1945 was built on purpose by people who had seen the cost, and keeping it takes the same deliberate effort.

Q: When and where did Germany surrender?

A: Germany signed its unconditional surrender at Reims, France, on May 7, 1945. It took effect on May 8, VE Day. A second signing took place in Berlin late on May 8.

Q: How many people died in World War II?

A: Estimates run from about 70 million to more than 80 million, including soldiers, civilians, and victims of genocide.

Read the full article on LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/why-80th-anniversary-ve-day-still-matters-john-fenzel-3bize

By John Fenzel, founder and CEO of Heroes' Path Foundation