Sunday Morning Brief: Victory Day 1945

From New York to Manila, Paris to Moscow, cities burst into song and dance. In Times Square, a sailor kissed a nurse as cameras captured the moment. Strangers embraced, flags flew, jazz echoed into the streets. The world had paused, and then exhaled...

 

Act I: "A Date Which Will Live In Infamy"

On December 7, 1941, the quiet of an American sunday morning was shattered at Pearl Harbor. In a matter of hours, the United States was thrust into a global conflict that would reshape the century, and its citizens along with it.

By early 1942, American men and women were being drafted and deployed in staggering numbers. Nearly all new servicemen were conscripted. The country transformed overnight: farmhands became medics, clerks became bombardiers, and college students donned khaki. Millions were sent across oceans, some for months, others for years, into a war that demanded everything of them.

For the young cubs, “deployment” in military terms is the process of moving troops into position. But for America’s civilians, it was more than movement; it was metamorphosis. Overnight, millions turned into soldiers, ready to fight for freedom 10,000 miles from home.

Act II: It’s Over!

By the summer of 1945, the tide had turned. After years of brutal conflict, President Truman’s announcement of Japan’s surrender sparked spontaneous celebrations across the United States. On September 2nd, aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo, Japan formally signed its surrender; this marked the official end of World War II.

From New York to Manila, Paris to Moscow, cities burst into song and dance. In Times Square, a sailor kissed a nurse as cameras captured the moment. Strangers embraced, flags flew, jazz echoed into the streets. The world had paused, and then exhaled.

Yet today, V-Day remains largely forgotten. Only Rhode Island still observes it as a state holiday, in honor of its naval heritage. As one veteran remarked :

“Maybe one or two in a hundred Americans even know the date.
V-Day’s not really recognized anymore.”

But it should be. Over seventy million lives were lost. More than 400,000 Americans never returned. And for those who did, they came home to cities, and selves, forever changed.

Act III: We Got To Get The Boys Home!

Operation Magic Carpet brought the troops back. Over 8 million Americans returned home between late 1945 and 1946. Some crossed oceans in Liberty Ships; others aboard converted Ocean Lines such as the Queen Elizabeth. But no matter the route, the mission was the same: to bring the boys home.

The plan started as early as 1943, when the US Army realized that once the war was over, they would face big pressure to bring the troops home ASAP. This led to the creation of the WSA (War Shipping Administration) in charge of planning out the eventual operation. 

 

As peace arrived in Europe, the US Navy initially did not help repatriate troops - most ships were still considered necessary for the success of the Pacific Campaign. However, the Army and Merchant Marine started repatriation operations by June 1945 - a month after V-E Day. Operations lasted until April 1946 with a total of 3,323,395 troops repatriated. The Pacific Side of Magic Carpet concluded in September 1946 - upon which all troops had been repatriated back to Continental USA.

Demobilization quickly followed suit with repatriation - with all draftees having been returned to civilian life by 1947. In less than two years, the US Armed Forces went from 12 million to 1.5 Million active personnel.

In New York, ticker-tape parades filled Fifth Ave. Mothers rushed police lines to embrace their sons. Banners read “Welcome Home, Heroes.” In towns and cities across America, brass bands played, confetti flew, and the sound of boots on pavement was replaced by laughter, jazz, and the clinking of glass.

The journey home was euphoric, but not simple. These were men who had seen the worst of humanity, returning to a country eager to live again. And slowly, they did.

They found work. They raised families. They sought elegance, again.

 

Act IV: From Soldier To Civilian

With peace came transformation, not just of the nation, but of the objects people carried. The rugged field watches worn through rain, fire, and jungle heat were set aside. Soldiers traded in military-issue timepieces for something slimmer, quieter, more civilian.

Watches got dressed. Cases grew slender. Dials turned clean. Leather replaced canvas straps. Art Deco numerals reappeared. What was once a tool of survival became a marker of taste, status, and renewal.

By the late 1950s, dress watches, once less than five percent of the market, accounted for nearly a third of all sales. In fashion magazines, wristwatches appeared next to cufflinks, champagne glasses, and record players. The wrist had become a stage for quiet elegance.

Act V: Dawn Of A Golden Age

Post-war America saw a surge in optimism, and in consumption. Jazz clubs lit up every block. Cocktail bars brimmed with returning soldiers and hopeful strangers. Tailors worked overtime. Radios played swing and bebop. Department stores became temples of modern life.

And on countless wrists across the country, dress watches ticked quietly; symbols of order, peace, and progress.

At Praesidus Watch Co., we believe that watches do more than tell time; they tell stories. And this fall, we honor one of the greatest - that of the end of WW2 & the soldiers that came home after putting it all on the line.

Our upcoming dress watch is a tribute to that moment when the world took off its helmet and put on a tie. When time changed from counting down until operation start to keeping track of when the office day ends.