Commemorating the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II.

89(R) HCR 158 - Introduced version - Bill Text

89R32831 EME-D

By: Lowe

H.C.R. No. 158

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, September 2, 2025, will mark the 80th anniversary of

the end of World War II; and

WHEREAS, Although the Allies celebrated Victory in Europe Day

on May 8, 1945, war continued to rage in the Pacific Theater; Japan,

which had never surrendered to a foreign power, inflicted horrific

carnage during ferocious battles for Iwo Jima and Okinawa; and

WHEREAS, In the summer of 1945, U.S. President

Harry S. Truman met with British Prime Minister Winston Churchill

and Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin at the Potsdam Conference; their

discussions extended from the occupation of postwar Germany and the

future of Eastern Europe to the still-grinding war with Japan; and

WHEREAS, Following the fall of Okinawa in June 1945,

U.S. forces began to prepare for an invasion of Japan; however,

President Truman feared even heavier casualties than the U.S. had

suffered at Iwo Jima and Okinawa and decided to use the fearsome

weapon developed during a top-secret operation code-named the

Manhattan Project; and

WHEREAS, The United States dropped the first atomic bomb on

Hiroshima on August 5, 1945; it followed with a second over Nagasaki

two days later; finally acknowledging that defeat was inevitable,

the Japanese government agreed to unconditional surrender; Japan

issued a statement declaring its full assent to the terms of the

Potsdam Declaration; and

WHEREAS, On September 2, U.S. General Douglas MacArthur

accepted Japan's formal surrender aboard the USS
Missouri
in Tokyo

Bay, and Victory over Japan Day, popularly known as V-J Day, was

officially celebrated across the United States; crowds rejoiced and

waved flags from New York City's Times Square to San Francisco and

Honolulu, as marching bands, parades, and confetti filled the

streets; and

WHEREAS, The conclusion of World War II brought peace and the

triumph of freedom over tyranny, and the anniversary of V-J Day

provides an opportunity to reflect on the patriotism and valor that

defined the Greatest Generation; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the 89th Legislature of the State of Texas

hereby commemorate the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II.