Esper and joint chiefs of staff chair general mark milley. Hello. Im honored to host this ve day commemorati commemoration. This day ended over five years of brutal fighting. President harry truman called it a solemn but glorious hour. Celebrations erupted all over the United States. Americans gathered together to express a range of emotions. Their euphoria that friends and family would be coming home and their grief for those who would never come home again. For a moment the world celebrated a hope of peace. I wish that franklin d. Roosevelt lived to see this day. [ gunfire ] general ieisenhower informs e they have surrendered. The war came to an end on may 8, 1945. The flags of freedom fly all over europe. The power of our people to defend themselves against all enemies will be proved in the pacific war as it was proved in europe. To those watching from home who fought for global peace 75 years ago, whether you wore a uniform, built a plane or grew vegetables, we want to thank you for your sacrifices to our nation. When i was a kid, almost every adult over the age of 30 was a member of the greatest generation. In fact, my uncle john was a lifelong army career guy. He used to put on the uso shows during word war ii. He got stars like sinatra and bing crosby to go around. When i got to do uso shows, it was a huge honor. I learned a lot about the greatest generation. When i was a kid, people didnt talk about their war experiences. It wasnt until you went through a dresser drawer or attended a funeral you found out uncle mike was a purple heart recipient or uncle joe a silver star. They didnt talk about it. They were ordinary americans who did extraordinary things until terrible circumstances. When you think about the young men and women that served during world war ii, they walked away from their homes all across america, from their jobs and careers, their hopes and dreams, they volunteered in the millions to go defend their country abroad. I served abroad in europe for many years. I got to understand the ability to live in europe and walk the battlefields. When you look at that and study the war, you have to be inspired by men and women who served for many years, oftentimes wounded and going back into combat. More importantly, having no idea when the war would end. It went on for years. Then on top of that, what we saw is young men and women go home, return to the United States, take their uniform off and just pick up their lives in many ways where they left them in their hometowns going back to work. Maybe pursuing a career, or college and getting married and building their families. They inspire me and remind us all they were the greatest generation. People around the world today are fighting a different battle, one that pre venvents us from joining together to celebrate ve day. It wont stop us from paying tribute to the greatest generation. To our world war ii heros, were blessed to have had you. We salute you. Our nation and the world will forever be in your debt. In these uncertain times, as ever, we are eternally inspired by your grit, Selfless Service. Victory in europe was gained through an allied force made up by countries with a common goal to defeat evil and defend freedom. Introducing the man that coined the phrase the greatest generation, tom brokaw. Ve day, i was 5 years old. Victory in europe and world war ii. An enormously important celebration. We had taken on hitler and europe and prevailed with the help of our allies when a lot of people didnt think it was possible. Now is the time to remember the glory of ve day. My dad was a imagimajor infl to join the United States marine corp. He inspired me to wear the uniform myself. The most senior officer in the military was also inspired by his mother and father to serve our country. I would like to introduce the chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, general mark milley. Both my parents were part of the greatest generation and proudly served in world war ii. My mother served with the navy at a hospital in seattle taking care of wounded. My father was with the 4th Marine Division and made assault landings. Both have passed on, but i carry their example of integrity and Selfless Service as daily inspiration. Since the mid 90s weve been losing these heros at the rate of about 1,500 a day. Now were down to just a handful. Im glad we have that handful here to thank. If you are more fortunate, you can hear a lot of them in their own words. The british flew us into brussels. We had been cleaned up from the prison camp. We had been fed. I remember getting into brussels. They gave us a couple hours off. We went into a bar and drank some beer. Then we went to sleep. That was true liberation. I had absolutely no fear that we were going to lose the war. We were going to win. Ve day was the end of ta lo of struggle and heart ache. I was thrilled it was all over. I was on a b17 crew. We gathered up all these red flares and there was a small village behind their camp. They plugged these in all over the hill. They hit them all at the same time. It was quite a display. Within 20 minutes they came back with a beer. They had gone hunting and we had venison on ve day. We saved western culture, western civilization. World war ii veterans have been the subject of countless books, tv shows and block buster movies. If youre lucky to have had a veteran in your life, you know why. Their stories of courage continue to inspire generations that follow them. Take a listen to what made this the greatest generation. Flying for your country was probably the high point of our lives. 16 million of us served in the military. 8 million young women became rosy the riveters and built the airplanes and boats. Everybody was involved in the war to eliminate evil. We did that, all of us. I built b17 and b29s. I was a riveters. They didnt realize how capable American Woman were. Hitler said he wouldnt have trouble defeating us because he said american women couldnt produce. He said we spent too much time on cosmetics. We showed hitler what american women were made of. Wars are won theyre not won by bombing. Theyre won with a grunt who moves forward, plants the flag and says we are in charge. In the spirit of that 18yearold marine, they brought us to what we are today. The Tuskegee Airmen were black pilots who when our country declared war against hitler came forward and dispelled the biases and generalizations that because of the color of our skin we couldnt support our country in a technical area. The task was to keep the air clear of german fighters that were destroying many of our bombers. We thought we had enough guns on the b17s to protect them. That wasnt so. Thats why we began. We destroyed a lot of germanys war making protection on the ground. Im the proud daughter of lawrence e. Roberts who was a member of the Tuskegee Airmen. I have an immense appreciation for this broadcast to honor our world war ii veterans. Thank you and bless you. May 8, 1945 will forever be known as ve day, a victory in europe day. Its the day world war ii in the european theater of operations officially ended. By the middle of april 1945 the United States armies 69th Infantry Division linked up with the soviet union. The third army penetrated deep into german. As the allies closed in, Adolph Hitler committed suicide on april 30th. Knowing the war was lost, germany ordered colonel yodel to sign the surrender. That officially ended six years of brutal warfare in europe. In june of 1944, as my father hit the beach at saipan with the marines his brother was at normandy. Its an incredible tale of courage and illustrates the scope and scale of the conflict our nation was fighting. Those who stepped forward to fight in word war ii, each served a cause bigger than themselves. The greatest generation understood we live in an exceptional country, a country worth defended. The massage i would like to pass along to the word war ii veterans and their families is i simply want to say thank you. Hello. Im president of the uso. Our mission of strengthening our armed forces by connecting them to family, hope and country began in world war ii. During that war more than 1 million americans volunteered for the uso. On behalf of all uso employees and our 30,000 volunteers around the globe, we proudly commemorate your service and sacrifice on victory in europe day. Thank you to all the veterans who courageously served during word war ii. Like a lot of americans i had f forefathers who served in world war ii. Im grateful to the veterans still here today for the United States today we live in. Thank you. I wanted to take a moment to say thank you for all your incredibly levselfless and hero acts of service. The world remains in your debt. Theres a reason youre called the greatest generation. You set the standard. Thank you for your service and thank you for the victory that you secured 75 years ago. God bless you all and your families. In democratic america everybody is doing his bit. Theres Jimmy Stewart on his way to enlist. Win of the most popular stars on the screen. Jimmy has now one promotion. Today hes lieutenant stewart, usa. Joe lewis, the army can use that fighting spirit. Joe lewis is a corporal. A movie star of modern times is sworn into service. Hell now play his greatest role as a marine. Franklin roosevelt jr. Is in uniform. His fellow officer is Douglas Fairbanks jr. Young doug is serving with the fleet. Clark cable joins the United StatesArmy Air Force enlisting as a private. His ambition to become an aerial gunner. This is the peoples way of saying from movie stars to sales clerks, americans citizens are in the war. Enlisted servicemen are the backbone of the military. They have an advocate that didnt exist in world war ii. The senior enlisted adviser to the jonassai joint chiefs of staff. Our nation has faced many challenges and our purpose remains the same, to protect our freed freedom. Ask the greatest generation for the ideals set forth in our constitution, we know it is our turn. The greatest generation did this for our country and we shall do the same. I salute you and your families and trust we will keep the torch burning and trust that we will keep america free. I want to give a shout out and a thank you to the world war ii veterans. Your Service Allows us to serve today. Thank you so much. We as a society cannot thank you enough. Thank you for showing me what valor looks like. Thank you for your bravery, your sacrifices and for paving the way for us. We appreciate your service and everything youve done for our country. God bless you. Youre truly national heros. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. The legacy of our greatest generation lives on. Many of those serving in the United States today were inspired by veterans in their life a father, grandfather, mother, an aunt. It was my father who sin spiinse to join the marine corp. To those currently serving and those whose boot steps we follow, thank you. Oh say can you see by the dawns early light what so proudly we hailed at the twilights last gleaming whose broad stripes and bright stars through the perilous fight or the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming and the rockets red glare the bombs bursting in air gave proof through the night that our flag was still there oh say does that star spangled banner yet wave for the land of the free and the home of the brave thank you for joining us. Even though were apart for now, were never alone. The greatest generation showed the world that no matter the sacrifice required, americans will face any challenge with grit, ingenuity and the cando attitu attitude. Americans First Responders and health care have showed that spirit is alive and well. Announcer this is American History tv on cspan3 where each weekend we feature 48 hours of programs exploring our nations past. Announcer each week American History tvs real america brings films that provide context for todays Public Affairs issues. Some years ago war reached into the American Home and the farewells were everywhere. The farms, the shanty on the tracks, the lavish apartments, the uptown flats, the shrubbed estates, the modest houses of the suburban streets. Everywhere the men were borrowed or taken for keeps. The youngest, the cleanest, the best. Each man went into battle in his own way, to do his own job. More than half of them saw combat service. A small percentage of these, not nearly as many as you may imagine, were in the frontlines within bullet shell range of the enemy. For anyone in the this latter group, a very special experience. He was at any moment expendable. For him the baseball parks were full of late exciting rallies. For him the beach parties were not as pleasant as thatey had bn summers before. For him the rivers ran high and the boating was not so good. For him the flight decks were not as wide as the fields of texas. For the rest, there were a thousand odd military jobs, each dependent on the other. Each vital to the winning of the war. Each made memorable by the fact it represented the protection of the livines and security of allf us. Whether in combat or a switch board operator, the serviceman learned about war. He knew the loneliness of it. He knew the unending boredom of it. He knew the mud of it, the dust of it. He knew the food of it. He knew the coffee of it. Whether in the heat or the cold, through it all he worked and waited and suffered and endured until one day he heard the bells of peace. Turned his back on the darkened battlefields and raised his arms to the bright new future. Announcer up next the National WorldWar Ii Museum hosts an online discussion about the crises World Leaders faced after world war ii. They talk about the visions and strategies debated by leaders as they try to decide on how to deal with destroyed economies, failed empires and competing ideologies. I want to extend a welcome to all viewers joining us. Its a great pleasure for me to be able to talk to my friend and onetime colleague mike