Today Europe observes the 69th anniversary of the end of World War II. Victory in Europe (V-E) Day was celebrated on May 8th 1945.

A document of unconditional surrender was signed by German General Jodl, Cheif of the Operations Staff in the German High Command at General Eisenhower’s Headquarters in Reims, France on May 7.  Joseph Stalin insisted that the surrender be signed again at another ceremony in Soviet-occupied Berlin, because, well… Stalin, Russia, Soviets, he said so.  The second signing happened on May 9th.

By the evening of the 7th, no official announcement of the surrender had been made.  The German soldiers had been notified.  But Stalin had his own views on how the end of the war should be announced. (Maybe on the back of a bear – I wonder where Putin gets these ideas.)  Churchill didn’t want to give Stalin the satisfaction.

 “In accordance with arrangements between the three great powers, tomorrow, Tuesday, will be treated as Victory in Europe Day and will be regarded as a holiday.”

The celebration began. The next day, May 8th, neighbors and neighborhoods rallied together to pool their food for feasts and picnics and parties, after almost six years of rationing.  The war was over and it was a time to celebrate, the nightmare of those 6 hellish years of misery was over.  There was relief that the shadow of war had finally been lifted.  For many, though, there was mourning over the lives that had  been lost.  For some I suspect it was a day of quiet contemplation.

The lights came back on.

The last official event of VE Day was a broadcast to the nation by George VI at 21.00. Buckingham Palace was lit up by floodlights for the first time since 1939 and two searchlights made a giant ‘V’ above St. Paul’s Cathedral. It was a highly symbolic gesture for a city that had spent years in blackout. People built street fires out of whatever flammable materials they could find. Witnesses reported that London had the same red glow to it as during the Blitz – but this time it was in celebration.

The Allies stood up to Hitler and his mighty war machine, the Third Reich.  Could we do that now?  Could we make the sacrifices that our grandparents and great-grandparents once did, in order to defeat a terrible force intent on reshaping the world in its own image?  Europe is no longer at peace.  With the encroachment of radical Islam into the communities and laws of the countries who once formed the Allied nations, western Europe no longer looks like or acts like it once did.  Russia’s bold, aggressive actions – taking Crimea in just a day or two, and then the lies about the vote regarding secession, along with the continued show of force at the Ukrainian border – are starting to look like the creation of a new Soviet Empire.  Our president would rather ignore the weakening of western Europe, and handle the Ukraine crisis with sleeping bags, flashlights, and MREs.  Our State Department would rather send out hashtags than confront the hard work of real diplomacy, which usually means following Teddy Roosevelt’s advice.

I just perused Patton’s diary again.  The State Department should have taken his advice, too.

Patton said to (U.S. Secretary of War) Patterson: “Let’s keep our boots polished, bayonets sharpened, and present a picture of force and strength to the Red Army.  This is the only language they understand and respect.”