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VJ-Day disgrace

PostPosted: Mon Sep 27, 2004 3:05 am
by ozzy72
This is not a political thread, just I saw this article and I was shocked! The penultimate paragraph sums up the truth...

The Government has been accused of putting summer holidays before the 60th anniversary of the end of the Second World War in the Far East.
The official celebrations of VJ Day has been moved from the actual date the war ended on August 15 to July 10.
Veterans have threatened to boycott the VJ Day event if the date is not changed back.
In a letter to the Daily Telegraph, Colonel John Kenyon, president of The Burma Star Association, which represents the so-called Forgotten Army, attacked the decision as "highly insensitive" to the memory of those who died in the month before Japan surrendered.
He wrote: "On July 10, my division was, like many others, engaged in bitter battles with the Japanese Imperial Army in southern Burma where we were suffering casualties, fighting at the height of the monsoon, struggling with water up to waist height.
"The guns did not go silent in the Far East until August 15, by which time two further Royal Navy ships had been lost to enemy action in the Burma theatre, and the British Pacific Fleet remained heavily engaged off the enemy coasts."
Blasting the Government's move as "shameful", he went on: "Could it be that the correct date was put to one side because Parliament will be in summer recess on that day, thus interfering with dates booked for sunning the body under tropical skies?"
Col Kenyon, from Oswestry, Shropshire, said the association was not consulted about the move and would hold its own celebrations on the correct day.

I for one will recognise it on the 15th of August, as one of my great uncles was fighting in the Far East, and I admire him deeply.

Re: VJ-Day disgrace

PostPosted: Mon Sep 27, 2004 4:23 am
by Politically Incorrect
We do the same stupid sh*t over here, they will take a National holiday that falls on a Sunday and "observe" it on Monday. I guess that is so that the Government Employees get a three day weekend. And that is paid because it is now observed on Monday.

Re: VJ-Day disgrace

PostPosted: Mon Sep 27, 2004 4:40 am
by Hagar
I can't comment without being political so I shall have to be careful. Suffice to say that this is typical of a government whose main policy seems to be to deny us any pride in our heritage. I've already said enough. :-X

Re: VJ-Day disgrace

PostPosted: Mon Sep 27, 2004 10:34 am
by Blackhart
Labor day in the States was on Sept 6. That is the day I was born. My mother went into labor birthing me, hence a national holiday, Labor Day.

I always got my birthday off from school.

They moved it ot the first Monday of the month and screwed all that up.

Re: VJ-Day disgrace

PostPosted: Mon Sep 27, 2004 11:55 am
by Felix/FFDS
Labor day in the States was on Sept 6. That is the day I was born. My mother went into labor birthing me, hence a national holiday, Labor Day.

I always got my birthday off from school.

They moved it ot the first Monday of the month and screwed all that up.



While I appreciate your despair and concern over the injustice done to you, I would suggest that there is a difference in conmemorating a specific incident that happened on a specific day (V-J day, Aug 15) as against a "general" conmemoration of an "idea".  So, I can see a general holdiday, such as "Labor Day" or "Memorial Day" being celebrated on the first Sunday or x-month, etc. as against US INdependence, to be celebrated on the "First Monday in July" when , no, the declared day IS July 4th.

I can see that major celebrations of VJ day might want to be done on a convenient weekend immediately before or after the day, but that would be an accomodation to perhaps provide the celebrations to be open to as many people as possible.

Re: VJ-Day disgrace

PostPosted: Mon Sep 27, 2004 12:12 pm
by Blackhart
It was a joke Felix LOL

Re: VJ-Day disgrace

PostPosted: Mon Sep 27, 2004 2:43 pm
by Wing Nut
If I said what I really thought of what they were doing, Pete would have to ban me, so I'd better let it go... :(

Re: VJ-Day disgrace

PostPosted: Mon Sep 27, 2004 2:54 pm
by Felix/FFDS
It was a joke Felix LOL



:)

"While I appreciate your despair and concern over the injustice done to you,"

and I took it as such and ran with it to make a different point ..