‘Greatest Generation’ Marks V-J Day at National World War II Memorial (photos)

Members of “The Greatest Generation,” 15 veterans of the Pacific War, aged 90 to 97, and their supporters gathered at the National World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C., on Friday, Sept. 2, to celebrate Victory Over Japan (V-J) Day. Exactly 71 years ago, on Sept. 2, 1945, Imperial Japan formally surrendered to the Allied Powers aboard the battleship USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay, Japan, marking the end of World War II. This was the deadliest military conflict in history, consuming over three percent of the world’s population. The veterans laid memorial wreaths in front of a granite wall of 4,048 gold stars, each star representing 100 American military personnel who did not survive the war.

View our photos of these veterans at the V-J Day Commemoration at the National World War II Memorial by clicking on the photo icons below. (All photos by Jeff Malet.)