A day to remember

V-E day was celebrated earlier this week with observances that paid homage to the sacrifices made by the Allies in defeating Germany in World War II. Germans celebrated V-E Day, too, as the day they were freed from the tyranny of the Nazis.

Imagine how different the world would be now if the Allies had not succeeded. It's almost impossible. Today it seems we were destined to defeat the depraved Nazi regime. But those who lived through World War II know victory was far from a foregone conclusion.

The Nazis were brutal and sometimes brilliant combatants. The war in Europe was tipped by the American bravura illustrated by D-Day; by British resilience during the summer and fall of 1940, when the German Luftwaffe pounded London for 57 nights in anticipation of invading the country that would not be invaded; and by the Russian willingness to make enormous sacrifices under siege. America lost nearly 300,000 soldiers in the war. More than 21.3 million Russian soldiers and civilians died in World War II.

The sight of an American president celebrating in Red Square was one for the history books, but President George W. Bush belonged there honoring the sacrifices made by all the countries that helped defeat Hitler. If they had not succeeded, the world would still be trying to recover.