Latest news with #JapanSurrender
The Australian
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Australian
Victory in Pacific Day: PM reflects on Australia's WWII sacrifice
Anthony Albanese has spoken of the debt the country owes to those who served the nation in a speech on the 80th anniversary of the World War II victory in the Pacific. Japan unconditionally surrendered on August 15, 1945, the message making its way to Australia via the broadcast of a code word: Neon. The Daily Telegraph reported 'Neon' was the perfect combination of a short word, few Morse code signals and easily understood. After dispatching the message of Japan's surrender from London to Canberra, the paper reported, High Commissioner Stanley Bruce went out for a 'much-needed drink'. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition Leader Sussan Ley attended the 80th Victory in the Pacific Day commemoration at Martin Place on Friday. Picture: NewsWire / Nikki Short Mr Albanese, speaking at Sydney's Cenotaph, paid tribute to veterans and those who fell in conflict. 'Part of the debt that we owe to all who served our nation is to remind ourselves how close history came to taking a very different path, and to remember and honour every Australian – and every friend and every ally – who gave everything to ensure that it did not,' Mr Albanese said. 'We think of all the stories of courage. Of resilience and exhaustion, of fear and elation, and an endless longing for the home that so many never saw again. 'These are not stories rendered in bronze or marble, but written in flesh and blood.' Anthony Albanese paid tribute to WWII veterans at the 80th Victory in the Pacific Day commemoration at Martin Place on Friday. Picture: NewsWire / Nikki Short Mr Albanese added the 'nightmares made real' of the war was a weight, but that Australians stood against 'human beings in a grotesque perversion of humanity' lifted hearts. 'Amid the shadows of war, the power of their courage and the strength of their character is a light that is a beacon to us still. 'They showed us what it is to remain true to ourselves, no matter what. 'They showed us what it means to stand shoulder to shoulder with friends and allies. And together, they turned the tide.' Shadow Minister for Defence, Angus Taylor said Victory in the Pacific showed Australia could play a role on the world stage. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman 'Fear was real' The surrender of Japan came days after the US dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, killing thousands. News of the surrender, and the end of the war, came at 8.44am with then Prime Minister Ben Chifley starting a speech less than an hour later: 'Fellow citizens, the war is over.' The formal surrender of Japan took place on 2 September. Opposition defence spokesman Angus Taylor said victory in the Pacific showed Australia 'could play a pivotal role on the world stage'. 'In those early days of 1942, fear was real,' he said. 'A full-scale Japanese invasion was not just imagined, it was planned for. Australians dug trenches, volunteered for civil defence, and braced for the worst. 'But over the course of the war, our servicemen and women stood firm. 'Victory in the Pacific was not just a military triumph. It was a national achievement. 'It proved that even as a small nation, we could play a pivotal role on the world stage. Australia did not choose this conflict. 'But when the threat came to our shores, we met it with determination and resolve. We stood with our allies, and we did so not out of obligation, but out of conviction. 'Today, we reflect on the legacy of those who served in the Pacific and recommit to the values they defended.' Read related topics: Anthony Albanese
The Independent
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Watch: King Charles's VJ Day message commemorating 80th anniversary
King Charles III has marked the 80th anniversary of VJ Day, vowing that the service and sacrifice of heroes "shall never be forgotten". The King 's message commemorated the date in 1945 when Japan surrendered to Allied forces, ending the Second World War. His Majesty made a direct reference to the suffering in Hiroshima and Nagasaki, acknowledging the impact of the nuclear attacks there. He said it was right to recognise the effect of the "war's final act" on the people of those cities and the grievous hardships faced by innocent civilian populations in occupied territories. Watch the video in full above.
The Independent
2 days ago
- General
- The Independent
King vows sacrifices of VJ Day heroes will ‘never be forgotten' in historic message to nation
King Charles III has vowed that the service and sacrifice of VJ Day heroes 'shall never be forgotten' on the 80th anniversary of the date in 1945 when Japan surrendered to the Allied forces during the Second World War. His Majesty, in what is believed to be the most direct reference by a British monarch to the suffering in Hiroshima and Nagasaki following the nuclear attacks which led to Japan's surrender, said it was right to pause and acknowledge the impact of the 'war's final act' on the people of the cities. 'Innocent civilian populations of occupied territories faced grievous hardships, too,' he said in the broadcast released at 7.30am on Friday, 15 August.
News.com.au
3 days ago
- General
- News.com.au
Anthony Albanese pays tribute to fallen on 80th anniversary of Victory in the Pacific
Anthony Albanese has spoken of the debt the country owes to those who served the nation in a speech on the 80th anniversary of the World War II victory in the Pacific. Japan unconditionally surrendered on August 15, 1945, the message making its way to Australia via the broadcast of a code word: Neon. The Daily Telegraph reported 'Neon' was the perfect combination of a short word, few Morse code signals and easily understood. After dispatching the message of Japan's surrender from London to Canberra, the paper reported, High Commissioner Stanley Bruce went out for a 'much-needed drink'. Mr Albanese, speaking at Sydney's Cenotaph, paid tribute to veterans and those who fell in conflict. 'Part of the debt that we owe to all who served our nation is to remind ourselves how close history came to taking a very different path, and to remember and honour every Australian – and every friend and every ally – who gave everything to ensure that it did not,' Mr Albanese said. 'We think of all the stories of courage. Of resilience and exhaustion, of fear and elation, and an endless longing for the home that so many never saw again. 'These are not stories rendered in bronze or marble, but written in flesh and blood.' Mr Albanese added the 'nightmares made real' of the war was a weight, but that Australians stood against 'human beings in a grotesque perversion of humanity' lifted hearts. 'Amid the shadows of war, the power of their courage and the strength of their character is a light that is a beacon to us still. 'They showed us what it is to remain true to ourselves, no matter what. 'They showed us what it means to stand shoulder to shoulder with friends and allies. And together, they turned the tide.' 'Fear was real' The surrender of Japan came days after the US dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, killing thousands. News of the surrender, and the end of the war, came at 8.44am with then Prime Minister Ben Chifley starting a speech less than an hour later: 'Fellow citizens, the war is over.' The formal surrender of Japan took place on 2 September. Opposition defence spokesman Angus Taylor said victory in the Pacific showed Australia 'could play a pivotal role on the world stage'. 'In those early days of 1942, fear was real,' he said. 'A full-scale Japanese invasion was not just imagined, it was planned for. Australians dug trenches, volunteered for civil defence, and braced for the worst. 'But over the course of the war, our servicemen and women stood firm. 'Victory in the Pacific was not just a military triumph. It was a national achievement. 'It proved that even as a small nation, we could play a pivotal role on the world stage. Australia did not choose this conflict. 'But when the threat came to our shores, we met it with determination and resolve. We stood with our allies, and we did so not out of obligation, but out of conviction. 'Today, we reflect on the legacy of those who served in the Pacific and recommit to the values they defended.'
Bloomberg
3 days ago
- Politics
- Bloomberg
Abe Made the Perfect WWII Declaration. It Should Stand.
Today marks the 80th anniversary of Japan's surrender in World War II — and a decade since the late Shinzo Abe's defining statement on the country's past mistakes and future hopes. In August 2015, the world's focus was on what Abe, then prime minister, would say. Following past leaders' examples, including the groundbreaking apology by then-premier Tomiichi Murayama on the 50th anniversary and its reaffirmation by Junichiro Koizumi 10 years later, expectations ran high — as did tensions with China and South Korea. Beijing, Seoul and the international media fretted over whether he would repeat specific phrases dubbed vital to past apologies such as 'invasion' or if he would attempt a mealy-mouthed workaround. Would Abe, then frequently mischaracterized as 'revisionist' or 'ultra-nationalist,' seek to undo past expressions of remorse?
