Jurvis Lasalle, a Cold War veteran who joined The American Legion soon after the LEGION Act passed, appears in last year's VJ Day parade in Moosup, Conn. Lasalle, who served in the 82nd Airborne, is wearing the uniform and chute from when he jumped in Normandy last year on the 75th anniversary of D-Day.

Posts planning scaled-back VJ Day events

For decades, American Legion posts have honored the victory over Japan with parades. Due to the pandemic, those events have been canceled or scaled back in 2020. Here are some longtime VJ parades that have strong American Legion support:

• American Legion Post 182 in Arma, Kan., launched a parade in 1946 to commemorate the first anniversary of VJ Day, the victory over Japan. And every year since then, the Arma Victory over Japan (V-J) Homecoming Celebration has been held, drawing roughly 750 people to Arma, which has a population of about 1,100 citizens.

“The post initiated the celebrations and it got so big that it turned into a three-day event,” says Raymond Vail, Post 182 adjutant and a former department commander. “People who have moved away used to always come back for it. They were disappointed we couldn’t have it this year. But it’s understandable why we can’t.”

While the traditional event was canceled this August, Post 182 members are planning a small commemoration with a half-dozen members marching, then playing taps at a local memorial on Aug. 15.

• In Moosup, Conn., Godreau-McMahon Post 91 has conducted an annual VJ parade since 1961. Due to the pandemic, this year Post 91 adapted to a virtual event that begins at 12:15 p.m. on Aug. 9. It is being broadcast live on Facebook by a local radio station.

The itinerary includes guest speakers including Past American Legion National Chaplain Philip Salois, the national anthem performed by the 102nd Army band, a flyover and a procession to Post 91. At the post, the color guard will perform a wreath-laying, play taps and conduct a flag-folding ceremony.

Additionally, Emerson Marshall Sherwood American Legion Post 213 in Maryland Heights, Mo., is organizing “Reading of the Fallen WWII,” which begins at 5:43 a.m. Aug. 13. American Legion members and volunteers will read the names of the 407,000 servicemembers who died in World War II over a 75-hour period. The event will take place at Sylvan Springs Park in St. Louis, which was built in 1939 and was used as a U.S. Army boot camp grounds.

Each name takes about six seconds to read, followed by the ringing of a commemorative bell. Over the symbolic 75 hours, 1,400 volunteers will be needed to accomplish the task. Anyone wanting to volunteer as a name reader should email stlveteran@yahoo.com with their names, time preference and branch preference.

And in Tulsa, Okla., American Legion members are supporting the Victory over Japan Observance. It will be held live from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Central Time on Aug. 14 at the Performing Arts Center in Broken Arrow, Okla., and livestreamed on YouTube.

The Oklahoma observance was started by now 95-year-old Army Air Corps veteran Frank Reisinger. In 1945, Reisinger was an 18-year-old airman home on furlough when he witnessed the V-J Day celebration in Tulsa. Last year, the event was attended in person by hundreds, including local World War II veterans. This year, state and national military leaders are expected to be part of the program.