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The fight to change the name of "Victory Day" has always ended in defeat.
Rhode Island is the only state that officially recognizes Victory Day, a holiday that many still refer to as “V-J Day” (short for “Victory over Japan Day”) and that critics perceive
as having discriminatory undertones. While no of-ficial moves have been made to dissolve Victory Day, there have been more than a few tries to rename it:
1946: President Harry S. Truman dropped “V-J Day” for the officially adopted Victory Day to remove the name’s direct association with Japan.
1985,’86: State Representative (D) Elizabeth Morancy proposed renaming the holiday World Peace Day to shift the focus to veterans’ contributions toward peace.
1989: Representative (D) Linda Kushner suggested Remembrance Day to commemorate a day of reflection.
1980s: Governor Edward DiPrete supported Bay Day, an idea to turn the
state holiday into a celebration of Narragansett Bay.
1992,’94,’95: Senator Rhoda Perry (D) proposed Rhode Island Veterans Day to honor all veterans in the state.
1995: Peace and Remembrance Day, a combination of previous proposals, was the last formal attempt to change the name.
While some of these did gain support, none ultimately passed, particularly opposed by groups who felt the change would dishonor the sacrifices of World War II veterans. The state legislature did, however, pass a resolution in 1989 that the holiday is not to be a celebration of the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
By any name, we should remember that our annual holiday means more than an extra day at the beach. —KRISTINA REARDON
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