The day the music started again

This was posted at shorpy.com (Page 302) commenting on a photograph made Sept. 2, 1945, aboard the USS Missouri.

Submitted by OTY on Wed, 09/02/2015 - 2:15pm.

This was on a Sunday, just three years and nine months since the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. In reality to a child, WW2 seemed so very long, as though it would go on forever, since I remember nothing before age 3.

Growing up in a very industrious, factory-filled, small Connecticut mill town where everyone had at least one full time job, I remember the many nights of "lights out" air raid drills, everybody's mom having to work in the factories, rationed food stamps, savings bonds, recycling of paper, scrap iron, grease, rags, restrictions on so many items, and banners on countless windows with gold stars of people who lost their beloved young family members in combat.

It was common to see people wearing uniforms of the various armed forces everywhere, throughout every day. Just about every home displayed their American flags and patriotic songs and sorrowful, sentimental or yearning love melodies playing on the radio. True joy was hard to come by, although through the spirit of togetherness, most people had hope we would soon be victorious. On the day this happened, our town really let loose.

Starting shortly after church services, there was a huge impromptu parade that soon became a massive block party, people all gathered in the center of town and the grocery stores and social clubs were providing unlimited cooked free food and drinks and local bands were playing uplifting music. There was dancing and singing and hugging and kissing and crying and everyone's emotional release was palpable.

This went on late into the night. There were no grumps, no arguments, no political dissent, just mutual exuberance from everyone that surely better times were ahead, happy days were here again. As a dumb kid, I really didn't understand all of what it meant, but it was obvious that this was one of the best days in history. God bless America.