“They risked their lives, and gave their lives so that we, the people the world over, could live free,” President Barack Obama said, noting the sacrifices of women, including his grandmother, who “stepped up in unprecedented numbers” on the homefront. "This was the generation that literally saved the world — that ended the war and laid a foundation for peace.” He specifically praised minority soldiers from special units, including the Tuskegee Airmen, the Navajo Code Talkers, and Japanese-Americans who fought in the 442nd Regiment.
Obama pivoted to the present by asking Americans to honor the legacy of that generation by fighting for the “freedoms for which they fought,” connecting the lessons of World War II to make a call against racism and gay rights.“Let’s make sure that we keep striving to fulfill our founding ideals,” he said.“We’re a country where no matter who we are or where we’re from or what we look like or who we love, if we work hard and take responsibility, every American will have the opportunity to make of our lives what we will.”
V-E Day, or Victory in Europe Day, marks the end of the war on the European front with the surrender of the Axis forces led by Nazi Germany on May 8, 1945. Fighting still continued for three more months after V-E Day, with the end of the war coming in August on V-J Day, or Victory over Japan Day. EXCERPT from article at http://thehill.com/
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