On Friday, August 31, Post 6796 asked our members and guests to join us in recognizing the service of those who participated in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

More than 1.5 million soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines deployed to Iraq between March 20, 2003, and Dec. 18, 2011. More than 32,000 U.S. service members were wounded in action in Iraq and its surrounding area, and 4,486 made the ultimate sacrifice, a total almost double the number of lives lost worldwide in the Global War on Terrorism. On Dec. 18, 2011, the last convoy of American troops left Iraq and more than 21 years after Saddam Hussein’s forces invaded Kuwait, it seemed as though our nation could finally shift our focus away from Iraq. However, it only took three years before we were sending the U.S. military back to the country to combat the terror group ISIS through Operation Inherent Resolve.

Thank you for joining the more than 1.4 million members of the VFW and its Auxiliary in honoring the veterans of the Iraq War and remembering those still deployed overseas protecting our freedom.

Tags: VPR, Iraqi Freedom

John Franklin Sprague Post 6796 of the Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States pays honor tonight at 6:00 p.m. to America’s Greatest Generation of veterans as we mark the 79th anniversary of V-J Day, Victory over Japan Day, when Japan formally surrendered and officially ended World War II.

On Sept. 2, 1945, Gen. Douglas MacArthur, along with the Japanese foreign minister, Mamoru Shigemitsu, and the chief of staff of the Japanese Army, Yoshijiro Umezu, signed the official Japanese surrender aboard the USS Missouri.

VJ Day is in remembrance of the more than 400,000 Americans and 60 million people killed worldwide during the deadliest military conflict in human history. We thank the more than 16.1 million American service members who answered the call to protect freedom and democracy. Our nation will be forever grateful for their honor and sacrifice.

Tags: VPR, VJ Day, Remembrance