The 75th anniversary of the end of WWII is mostly virtual amid the virus

A detachment of the U.S. Marine Corps performs a rifle salute aboard the USS Missouri during official ceremonies marking the 75th anniversary of the Japanese surrender that ended World War II, in Honolulu, Wednesday 2 September 2020 (Craig T. Kojima / Honolulu Star- Advertiser via AP, Pool)

HONOLULU – When Japanese military leaders boarded the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay on September 2, 1945, the battleship was packed with American sailors eager to see the end of World War II.

On Wednesday, the 75th anniversary of the surrender, some of those same men who served in the United States were unable to return to Missouri at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii due to the new world war against the coronavirus.

Initially, the commemoration was supposed to be a hugely successful event with parades, movie premieres, galas, and thousands of people honoring veterans aged 90 and over, some who may be marking the milestone for the last time.

Due to the threat of the virus, the ceremony was reduced to about 50 people, with local veterans and government officials gathered on the USS Missouri in masks. The names of the surviving WWII veterans were read out, including 14 who were on the ship the day the Japanese surrendered.

Jerry Pedersen, 95, was one of them and watched the story unfold as a young Marine. He and his comrades who live in the continental US had to watch a live broadcast of the ceremony from home rather than on the decks of the battleship as planned.

“Well, I was very disappointed, yes. I was hoping to see maybe a friend or two, ”he said. “I just want to share at least with my family and a couple of other people some of the feelings I was going to express when I arrived.”

In this file photo from Sept. 2, 1945, servicemen, reporters and photographers alight on the USS Missouri for the onboard ceremony in Tokyo, in which Japan surrendered and ended World War II. Some veterans and US government officials will gather on Wednesday, September 2, 2020, in Hawaii to mark the 75th anniversary of the surrender. (AP Photo, File)

Those feelings are complicated, said Pedersen, who dedicated his life to peace after the war ended.

“The war must not happen again,” he said, remembering the words spoken by General Douglas MacArthur the day the Japanese surrendered. But “we are still oscillating in many of the things that are necessary to bring us peace.”

Pedersen wore a navy blue uniform that was recently sent to her for the ceremony as she watched the event from a laptop at her son’s home in rural West Sacramento, California. His three adult children, their spouses and some grandchildren gathered around the computer, clapping and yelling when they called him by name. Pedersen smiled and punched.

“For me, it was the end of the carnage, the war that had taken millions of soldiers and many, many, many millions of civilians into wars in Europe and finally in the Pacific that came to an end that day. And we were celebrating, ”he told The Associated Press.

“I had the feeling that day. I made a pact with myself that I am going to be a peacemaker in my life, ”said Pedersen, who went to college after the war, earned his doctorate and became a minister.

He watched remotely as WWII era “war birds” flew over Pearl Harbor and video messages were played from veterans and others honoring those who were unable to attend or had passed away.

Defense Secretary Mark Esper said he was honored to “commemorate and reflect on the sacrifices and victories of our service members and allies who helped fight for and secure peace.”

At the end of his opening speech, he built a case for a strong army for the future.

“We honor the legacy of those who came before us and we recommit ourselves to upholding today’s international rules and standards to make the road safer and better for generations to come,” said Esper. “America’s commitment to paper today is the same as it made to the freedom-loving people of the world in 1941 – that we will stand ready to fight any enemy and defend any friend.”

The United States entered the war after Japanese warplanes attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Thousands of service members were killed and injured, about half of them were killed on the USS Arizona, which is still submerged in Pearl Harbor next to the USS Missouri Memorial. , a floating museum.

In this Aug. 11, 2020, file photo, a plaque marks the location where the WWII surrender documents were signed at the USS Missouri Memorial in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. A Pearl Harbor ceremony in Hawaii marking the 75th anniversary of World War II will only feature veterans living in Hawaii after organizers limited those who can attend over coronavirus concerns. The plan had been to allow about 200 people, mostly World War II veterans, their families and government officials, to gather on the battleship USS Missouri, which hosted the Japanese surrender on September 2, 1945 in the Bay of Tokyo (AP Photo / Caleb Jones, file)

Four years later, after massive losses on both sides that included the dropping of atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the Japanese indicated that they would surrender on August 15 and then reunited with Allied forces aboard Missouri on September 2. to sign the Instrument of Surrender. .

Hawaii Gov. David Ige said the country can learn from World War II veterans about how to tackle the problems of our time.

“Some compare fighting a pandemic to fighting a global war,” Ige said. “What I do know is that we cannot go wrong by following her example in the face of any adversity. Their courage under fire, strength of character, endurance over time provides us with a clear roadmap to follow in everything we do, whether we are fighting a social injustice or a virus.

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