May 8th is the 72nd anniversary of Victory in Europe (VE) Day, a day in which cities in Great Britain, the United States, and formerly occupied territories in Western Europe, put out flags and banners to rejoice in the victory of the allied forces.
On May 8, 1945, German troops throughout Europe finally laid down their arms, ending the European theater of World War II.
Pockets of German soldiers would continue the confrontation with the Soviets into the next day. On May 9, the Soviets would lose 600 more soldiers in Silesia before the Germans finally surrendered.
Because of that, VE Day was not celebrated until the ninth in Moscow, with a radio broadcast salute from Stalin himself: “The age-long struggle of the Slav nations…has ended in victory. Your courage has defeated the Nazis. The war is over.”
In 2006, the House of Representatives passed H. Res. 195 to commemorate the 60th anniversary of VE Day and the liberation of Western Bohemia. On govinfo.gov you can also find several announcements in the Congressional Record recognizing heroes and survivors of WWII:
- HONORING THE LIFE OF ZOYA ROISMAN STEINBERG Congressional Record Volume 151, Issue 153 (November 17, 2005)
- TRIBUTE TO THOMAS EDWARD PINELLI Congressional Record Volume 156, Issue 53 (April 15, 2010)
- HONORING THE 257TH ORDNANCE COMPANY Congressional Record Volume 146, Issue 55 (May 8, 2000)
The U.S. Government Publishing Office’s (GPO’s) Catalog of U.S. Government Publications offers access to a wide variety of related publications and resources from across the Federal Government about WWII and VE Day. Here is just a small sampling:
- Battle for Iwo Jima by Kimberly J. Miller, published by the Navy & Marine Corps WWII Commemorative Committee, Navy Office of Information, in 1995.
- The Supreme Command by Forrest C. Pogue, published by the Center of Military History, U.S. Army, in 1996.
- The Ardennes : Battle of the Bulge by Hugh M. Cole, published by the Center of Military History, U.S. Army, in 1994.
- Our war effort : address by M.S. Szymczak,
Inside GPO, we have a Veteran’s Memorial honoring all of those who worked at GPO and answered their Nation’s call to defend democracy and freedom during WWII, but sadly never returned.
If you’re interested in learning more about WWII and the sacrifices our soldiers made to protect freedom around the world, visit the GPO bookstore and pick up a copy of Command Post at War: First Army Headquarters in Europe, 1943-1945. It shows the army headquarters of WWII, the First Army headquarters, in the European theater from its activation in October 1943 to V-E Day in May 1945. It depicts the command as a complicated organization with functions ranging from the immediate supervision of tactical operations to long-range operational planning and the sustained support of frontline units during the war.
Also, the GPO bookstore has United States Army in World War II, Pictorial Record, War Against Germany: Europe and Adjacent Areas. The book is a collection of photographs and text written by Kenneth E. Hunter and edited by Mary Ann Bacon. It deals with the European Theater of Operations, covering the period from the buildup in Britain before the D Day invasion throughout the war to include V-E Day.
HOW DO I OBTAIN THESE RESOURCES?
Click on the Links: For the free resources, click on the links above in the blog post.
Shop Online Anytime: You can buy eBooks or print publications —with FREE Standard Shipping worldwide— from the U.S. Government Online Bookstore at http://bookstore.gpo.gov.
- Click here to purchase Command Post at War: First Army Headquarters in Europe, 1943-1945
- Click here to purchase United States Army in World War II, Pictorial Record, War Against Germany: Europe and Adjacent Areas (Paper)
- Click here to purchase The Bismarck Archipelago: The U.S. Army Campaigns of World War II
- Click here to purchase Anzio: The U.S. Army Campaigns of World War II
- Click here to browse our World War II collection
Shop our Retail Store: Buy a copy of any print editions from this collection at GPO’s retail bookstore at 710 North Capitol Street NW, Washington, DC 20401, open Monday–Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., except Federal holidays, Call (202) 512-0132 for information or to arrange in-store pick-up.
Order by Phone: Call our Customer Contact Center Monday through Friday, 8 am to 5:30 pm Eastern (except US Federal holidays). From US and Canada, call toll-free 1.866.512.1800. DC or International customers call +1.202.512.1800.
Visit a Federal depository library: Search for U.S. Government publications in a nearby Federal depository library. You can find the records for most titles in GPO’s Catalog of U.S. Government Publications.
About the author: Blogger contributor Scott Pauley is a Writer and Editor in GPO’s Library Services and Content Management office.