For some, V-J Day was not just the end of World War II — it was also the beginning of a lifelong love story.
On Aug. 14, 1945, America and its allies celebrated as Japan surrendered and World War II finally came to a close. For some, V-J (Victory over Japan) Day took on even greater significance when they met the loves of their lives while celebrating the end of the war. The end of war and the beginning of a lifelong love story? That’s the kind of story you tell your kids and grandkids — and someday they might even include it in your obituary. Such is the case with quite a few obituaries in Legacy’s database. Here are a few of our favorite obituary tales of V-J Day love connections.
Edmond Vanover turned a moment of elation into a lifetime of love. As his obituary on AnnArbor.com tells it, “Upon hearing that the Japanese surrendered, Ed stepped off a train at its next stop and gave a stranger, a pretty young woman named Colleen (Connie) Whisman, a celebratory kiss. Two years later they were married, and on May 31, 2010 they celebrated their sixty-fourth wedding anniversary.” Connie survives him, along with their two children, five grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.
Dominic De Leo needed a little help from a future in-law to make his match. After calling out, “Who wants to kiss a sailor?” at a V-J block party, De Leo was approached by Violet Terranova who introduced him to her daughter Dorothy. Dom declared Dorothy was the one he would marry. “And they did in 1947.” A happy life followed: Dom “did two crossword puzzles in pen every morning; rooted for his beloved Brooklyn Dodgers and was overjoyed when they won the World Series; lived passionately and by example encouraged his children to do the same.” That’s seven children — six of whom survive, along with Dom’s beloved Dorothy.
Warren Olson met his wife-to-be while recovering from a serious wartime injury. After being shot through the chest by a German sniper in Belgium, Warren was sent to a VA hospital in Denver to recuperate. There he met Maurine, “the love of his life,” at a VJ Day dance. Maurine knew right away Warren was the man for her: “After their first date she went home and told her best friend she’d met the man she was going to marry.” He was a man who lived passionately and loved good martinis, red wine, backpacking, traveling in Europe, and spirited dialogue with friends and family. Maurine and their three children survive him.
V-J Day helped Harold Anderson get over his fear and take a chance by asking out the boss’s daughter. Normally, Harold “would never have had the nerve to ask her out … but with all the excitement over VJ Day, he overcame his uncertainty and they enjoyed a pleasant ride in a convertible on Turnbull Canyon Road enjoying the sites and getting to knew each other.” His obituary describes how he went on to build a business from the ground up, starting with “only a few tools and a mind that would not quit,” With Phyllis, he created multiple businesses in the City of Industry in California, making “a successful career for himself as well as several hundred people over the years that he employed and whose lives he enormously enriched.” Phyllis survives him, along with their two children, five grandchildren, and nine great-grandchildren.
Celebrating the surrender of Japan in Times Square, New York City
(Wikimedia Commons / US Navy)
Earl Shor “met the love of his life while on leave from the Navy at a VJ Day block party in Brooklyn, New York,” according to his obituary.
Grace Haag “met her husband Francis T. Haag in 1945 in front of the Salt Lake Tribune building during the celebration of VJ day.”
Margaret Domgard met her future husband, Robert E. Domgard, on VJ Day, and married him just eight weeks later.
Juanita Shackelford met her husband on VJ Day “while celebrating on the streets of Kansas City, Missouri.”
Residents of Oak Ridge, Tennessee—one of the three main sites of the Manhattan Project—celebrate the surrender of Japan.
(Wikimedia Commons | US Army | Ed Westcott)
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