WWII Veterans Remember V-E Day, 80th Anniversary

The Greatest Generation Live Podcast

Glenn Flickinger and Scott Masters welcome a large group of World War II veterans to share memories of V-E Day, Victory in Europe, on May 8, 1945. The veterans include George Rubin, Joe Peterburs, Brenda Reid, and Mary Owen.

Brenda Reid served from 1943 to 1945 in the Women’s Royal Canadian Naval Service (officially known as the Wrens). She trained in LORAN (long range navigation) in Connecticut. With her new skills, she was sent to Lower Whitehead (Deming Island, Nova Scotia) where she took up her position maintaining the sensitive machinery at the only Wren-run station. Reid spent close to two years in the Navy and at Whitehead. She met her future husband while serving, who was in the RCAF and stationed at a nearby radar base. After the war ended, they returned to Toronto, Ontario where they married.

Mary Owen, a WREN (Royal Canadian Naval Reserve) in World War II, was a vital part of the Battle of the Atlantic. She served at the LORAN (long-range navigation) station in East Baccaro, Nova Scotia, where her work in signals and communications helped ensure the safe transport of soldiers and war materiel across the Atlantic, ultimately contributing to the Allied victory.

George Rubin served as a B-17 waist gunner in the U.S. 8th Air Force, 486th Bomb Group, 835th Squadron. After graduating high school in 1943, he was drafted and initially trained as a pilot before being reassigned to a bomber crew in England. Between late 1944 and early 1945, Rubin flew 18 bombing missions over Germany. On February 25, 1945, during a mission over Munich, his aircraft sustained severe flak damage, losing two engines and suffering 270 holes. Despite his leg injury, Rubin jettisoned the bombs safely to avoid civilian casualties, ensuring they wouldn’t detonate upon impact. The crew crash-landed near Sonthofen, Germany, where they were captured by Hitler Youth members and faced potential execution, which was averted by a German officer. Rubin was subsequently imprisoned at Dulag Luft and later transferred to Stalag 13D and then Stalag 7A, enduring forced marches and harsh conditions until liberation by General Patton’s forces on April 30, 1945 .​

Colonel Joe Peterburs was a distinguished World War II fighter pilot whose service exemplified courage and resilience. Born in 1924, he joined the U.S. Army Air Corps in 1942 and trained on aircraft like the P-40 Warhawk before transitioning to the P-51 Mustang. Deployed to England in late 1944, Peterburs flew 49 combat missions, primarily escorting B-17 bombers over Europe.

On May 8, 1945—Victory in Europe (V-E) Day—Americans across the United States and overseas greeted the news of Nazi Germany’s unconditional surrender with a mix of jubilation, relief, and solemn reflection. After nearly four years of war following Pearl Harbor, the end of combat in Europe signaled a long-awaited milestone. Spontaneous celebrations erupted in major cities such as New York, Washington, Chicago, and Los Angeles. Crowds gathered in the streets, waving flags, singing, and cheering. Churches held services of thanksgiving, while factories paused work for impromptu assemblies. In Times Square, thousands poured in shoulder to shoulder, and in Washington, D.C., crowds assembled near the White House, where President Harry S. Truman—who had taken office only weeks earlier after the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt—dedicated the victory to his predecessor, calling it “a solemn but glorious hour.”

Yet the national mood was not one of unrestrained elation. For many, the joy was tempered by the cost of victory—more than 400,000 American lives lost in the war—and the knowledge that the fighting in the Pacific continued. Families who had lost loved ones marked the day in private, with quiet remembrance rather than public celebration. Newspapers struck a somber tone alongside celebratory headlines, reminding readers of the ongoing war against Japan.

American service members in the Pacific, by contrast, received the news with little fanfare. Their war was far from over. Preparations were already underway for the invasion of Okinawa, and the prospect of a bloody ground assault on Japan loomed ahead. While they welcomed Germany’s defeat, Pacific troops knew it did not mean homecoming—at least not yet.

Overall, V-E Day marked a moment of deep national significance. It united Americans in pride and gratitude, even as the shadow of continued conflict muted the full joy of peace. For those in uniform, it meant an end to one campaign and, for many, the start of another.

We’re grateful to UPMC for Life for sponsoring this event!