VE Day

So this is VE Day + 60 years. It marks the end of the war in Europe, the beginning of which I had been in the process of describing in earlier postings through my personal experience. It seems better to remember the end of war than its start or its battles. In Vancouver, many restaurants offered special menus; but that was for people who want to celebrate Mothers Day. Hurrah for motherhood. Mothers are probably happier than most about wars ending, too. But everyone ought to be happy about that victory over fascism, certainly including the people in the fascist countries.

In Ottawa there were some events yesterday, but most celebrations are in the Netherlands, where Canadian troops had been fighting some of the last battles of the war. Some fanatical Nazi held positions there actually resisted beyond the formal surrender.

While the official surrender led to wild jubilation in London and New York on this day, in the British army in Italy it was no big deal. The German Army in Italy had already surrendered in April. Mussolini, the originator of fascism had been summarily executed by Italian partisans about the same time. And we were aleady more worried about being sent to Burma, where most casualties came from jungle diseases rather than Japanese fire.

The main commemorative events are to take place tomorrow in Moscow, not without justification.