Allies mark V-E Day under lockdown

Royal Air Force jets soared over London, and British warships around the world blasted their sirens for a minute on Friday to mark the 75th anniversary of V-E Day. On May 8, 1945, Nazi Germany surrendered to the Allied forces, ending the European phase of World War II. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson assured veterans the nation would not forget their defeat of a “ruthless enemy” despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, which forced countries to significantly tone down their public celebrations.

How are the Allied countries celebrating? Instead of scheduled street parades in the United Kingdom, many people donned formal clothes for 1940s-themed tea parties in their gardens. Queen Elizabeth II will deliver a televised address on Friday night, followed by a singalong of the WWII-era classic “We’ll Meet Again.” In a 30-minute ceremony in Paris, French President Emmanuel Macron laid a wreath at the Arc de Triomphe and relit the flame at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Russian President Vladimir Putin sent a letter to Johnson expressing hope that the two nations’ history as a “brotherhood-in-arms” could ease ongoing tensions between them. In the United States, eight veterans joined President Donald Trump at the World War II Memorial in Washington to honor the anniversary.

Dig deeper: Read Marvin Olasky’s reflections on his father’s experiences liberating Nazi concentration camps.