Public transport may operate on a different schedule. Since Victory Day is a state holiday and not a federal holiday, state and local government offices are closed. Day Monday, January 17th Memorial Day Monday, May 30th Independence Day Monday, July 4th Victory Day Monday, August. Rhode Island was the first state to declare independence from Britain in 1776. This means countries like France and the Czech Republic observe Victory Day on 8th May, while countries further east, particularly those who were part of the Soviet Union celebrate Victory day on May 9th. The war in Europe ended late in the evening of May 8th 1945. While Rhode Island may be the only US state to observe the end of the war, in Europe, a holiday to mark the end of World War II is commonplace. Voter Information Handbook Annual Administrative and Financial Report Deadline to Register to Vote, Apply for Mail Ballot & Early Voting for the November 8. In 1990, the state General Assembly sought to clarify the meaning of the holiday and passed a resolution affirming that, though the holiday would continue, it was "not a day to express satisfaction in the destruction and death caused by nuclear bombs at Hiroshima and Nagasaki." It is also a state with strong union representation, so once a holiday made it onto the state list it is difficult to drop it. Indeed, residents of the state suffered a higher proportion of war deaths than nearly any other state. Rhode Island's continuation of this holiday is said to have been reinforced due to the high number of veterans who retired to the state. Arkansas dropped this holiday in 1955, leaving Rhode Island as the only state that marks the end of World War II with a legal holiday. New York observed V-J Day a few times in the late 1940s, and in 1949, Arkansas adopted a new state holiday - "World War II Memorial Day". The official name of this holiday is Victory day, though many residents still refer to it as V-J Day (Victory in Japan Day) Richard Windsor, a long-serving East Providence Republican. Victory Day was established in Rhode Island by lawmakers in the spring of 1948, three years after World War II ended when the General Assembly passed a bill sponsored by Rep. Truman declared 14th August as Victory Day. The official surrender ceremony took place on September 2nd 1945 on the deck of the battleship USS Missouri. The announcement of the surrender was made by the Japanese in the afternoon of August 15th 1945, though due to time differences it was received when it was still August 14th in the US. History of Victory Dayĭays after the US dropped atomic bombs on two Japanese cities, Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Imperial Japan surrendered bringing World War II to an end. It commemorates the end of second world war when Japan's surrender was announced on August 14th 1945. I am more than happy to meet in the upcoming weeks or talk via phone or email.Victory Day is a state holiday in Rhode Island, observed on the second Monday in August. I know I am coming to you late in the legislative process but I hope this letter and project encourage you to start thinking about next year and August 10, 2020. Additionally, I’m making a small postcard explaining the project, and sending this letter to you and other elected officials. The current political climate has intensified feelings of xenophobia this day contributes to negative feelings of difference for myself and others.Īs part of my efforts to encourage Rhode Islanders to reconsider Victory Day, I’m creating a series of posters reimagining the holiday name. Victory Day has always reminded me of this time in her life. My grandmother was relocated to an internment camp during World War II. I feel, however, that this day has become more a day to visit the beach than to remember our veterans. Rhode Island played a critical role in the war, and the veterans who fought in the war deserve to be honored. I do not intend this letter to discredit the sacrifice of those who served in World War II. What is the victory over? What are we commemorating? It is impossible to explain ‘Victory Day’ as a holiday. Rhode Island has technically never celebrated ‘Victory over Japan Day’ (recognized as September 2) we instead celebrate ‘Victory Day’ (as the second Monday of August since 1966 though initially recognized on August 14). Though I have lived here for thirteen years, I still have difficulty explaining why we take ‘Victory Day’ as a state holiday. I have lived and worked in Rhode Island since 2006. “I am writing to you at the height of our Rhode Island summer-hopefully you can read this while at the beach!
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