VJ Day 80th Anniversary
Friday 15 August 2025 marks 80 years since the Victory over Japan (VJ Day) marking the end of the Second World War.
While VE Day (Victory in Europe) marked the end of the war in Europe on 8 May 1945, many thousands of Armed Forces personnel were still engaged in fighting in the Far East. VJ Day marks the day Japan surrendered on 15 August 1945, which ended the Second World War.
Epping Forest District Council will be marking the day by joining the national 2-minute silence and lighting the Civic Offices in red.
Celebrations across the nation
On this 80th anniversary of VJ Day, we pause as a community to honour the courage, sacrifice, and resilience of those who served in the Far East during the Second World War. While the guns fell silent in Europe months earlier, the conflict continued in the Pacific.
The Second World War in South East Asia was fought by one of the most diverse forces in history with troops drawn from across the British Empire. Over 40 languages were spoken by this multi-national force which was instrumental in bringing the war to an end, and this diversity is the central theme threaded throughout the commemoration.
The 80th anniversary of VJ Day is a time for a nation to come together and remember the bravery of the men and women, who fought in some of the harshest conditions imaginable. We also reflect on the families who waited, the communities who supported from afar, and the many who never returned.
I invite everyone in our community to take a moment to reflect on the legacy of the VJ Day generation. Their service helped shape the freedoms we enjoy today, and their stories must never be forgotten.
Councillor Louise Mead, Chairman of Epping Forest District Council
Find out about VJ Day
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