Saturday August 15 marked 75 years since the Japanese surrendered to the allies, marking the end of World War II.
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Across the region diggers, veterans and members of the public acknowledged Victory in the Pacific (VP) Day and those who had suffered and sacrificed so much to reach the point where they could demand Japan surrender completely on August 14, 1945.
For Australians at the time the Japanese surrender meant that World War II was finally over.
The following day, August 15, is usually referred to as VP Day or also known as Victory Over Japan (VJ) Day.
In 1945 the Australian Government at the time made VP day a public holiday.
On September 2, 1945 the Japanese signed the surrender document officially ending the second World War.
While the United State honour their version of VP Day on September 2, in Australia, New Zealand, Europe and the United Kingdom all pay their respects on August 15.
In the lead up to VP Day the United States dropped the first atomic bomb over Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, followed by a second atomic bomb over Nagasaki on August 9, 1945.
On August 9, 1945 the Soviet Union also declared war on Japan, between the declaration and following on the two atomic bombs the Japanese communicated with the Allies its intention to surrender.
Around lunchtime on August 15, 1945 Japan's Emperor Hirohito announced the country's acceptance of the terms of the Potsdam Declaration by broadcast to the people of his country.
Emperor Hirohito also sent a cable to United States President Harry S. Truman notifying him and the Allies that the country had surrendered.
With the European Axis powers (Germany, Italy etc) had surrendered to the Allies on May 8, 1945 the surrender of Japanese forces was the end of WWII.