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Showing posts from April, 2017

VE Day--Remember our Veterans

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VE Day or Victory in Europe Day commemorates the Victory of Allied forces over Nazi Germany and the Axis powers. German forces had actually ceased fighting on May 2 and formally surrendered on May 7. The surrender of all German forces was scheduled for May 8 at 11:01 a.m. The original schedule had been set for May 9, but when reporters learned of the planned date, the U.S. and Britain moved the date to May 8, 1945. However, Russia continues to celebrate VE day on the originally planned date of May 9. VE day is especially significant for me personally. My father, Billy E. Bays, was in the U.S. Marine Corps. Although he was fortunate never to have seen combat in Europe, a few months later he had his orders to ship out to fight in the Pacific Theater, but again he was fortunate that the war against Japan ended before he had to ship out. My uncle Benny Bays served as a paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne division. He fought in North Africa, Sicily, and in the Normandy invasion. He was wou