Eighty Years Since Victory: Hoisting a Mug to the End of World War II
Posted onEighty years ago, the world finally exhaled. After six long years of global conflict, after millions of lives lost and oceans crossed in steel-gray convoys, the guns went silent and Sailors dreamed of nothing more than a hot cup of real coffee and the chance to go home.
When people talk about the end of World War II, you’ll often hear two sets of dates.
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May 8, 1945 — V-E Day (Victory in Europe Day). On this day, the Allies celebrated the unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany. From London to New York, crowds filled the streets, kissed strangers, and cheered with relief. For Sailors of the Atlantic convoys, who had spent years dodging U-boats while standing watches with bad coffee, it was a moment to breathe. The war in Europe was over.
But in the Pacific, the war raged on.
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August 15, 1945 — V-J Day (Victory over Japan). On this day, Japan announced its surrender, and the world erupted in celebration. Sailors kissed strangers in Times Square, church bells rang, and it felt like the nightmare was finally ending.
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September 2, 1945 — The Formal Surrender. Aboard the battleship USS Missouri (BB-63) anchored in Tokyo Bay, Japanese officials signed the surrender documents that officially closed the Second World War. The photographs of that ceremony — Admiral Chester Nimitz representing the United States, General Douglas MacArthur speaking for the Allies, officers in crisp uniforms, and the Japanese delegation standing stiff and solemn — captured the moment the world finally turned a page.
Aboard the Mighty Mo
The USS Missouri, affectionately known as the Mighty Mo, was the perfect stage for history. She was new, powerful, and bristling with the kind of firepower that had carried the U.S. Navy from the ashes of Pearl Harbor to the shores of Japan.
On that quiet September morning in 1945, the weather was calm, the sky was clear, and you can bet more than one Sailor aboard that battleship wished someone had brewed up a strong pot of coffee to steady their hands. After all, it’s not every day you watch the most destructive conflict in human history come to a close right in front of your eyes.
The surrender itself was a short ceremony — just a few minutes of pen to paper. But the legacy of that moment has lasted for eight decades. For the Sailors who had fought from Midway to Leyte Gulf, from the Solomons to Okinawa, the signing aboard Missouri was the full stop at the end of a sentence written in blood, saltwater, and sacrifice.
The Navy and Marine Corps: Side by Side in Victory
While V-E Day brought joy in Europe, the war in the Pacific was a different beast — and it was fought largely by the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps team. This was a war measured in island chains, sea lanes, and steel decks. Victory meant mastering the vast Pacific, one hard-fought battle at a time.
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Pearl Harbor (1941): The war began for the U.S. with burning ships and a stunned nation. Sailors fought to save their ships, Marines defended the airfields, and the Navy swore it would never be caught off guard again.
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Coral Sea (May 1942): The first carrier-vs-carrier fight in history — a tactical draw but a strategic win that halted Japan’s southward expansion.
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Midway (June 1942): Outnumbered U.S. carriers dealt a crushing blow to the Japanese fleet, sinking four carriers in a matter of days. The tide turned.
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Guadalcanal (1942–43): Marines clawed out a foothold on land while the Navy fought a series of brutal night battles in the “Ironbottom Sound.” Victory here stopped Japan’s advance and started their retreat.
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Tarawa (1943): The Marines stormed fortified reefs under withering fire — a bloody three days that proved amphibious assaults could succeed against dug-in defenses.
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Marianas Campaign (1944): Saipan, Tinian, Guam — secured by the Marines and Army, delivered by the Navy. Carrier aviators crushed the Japanese fleet in the “Great Marianas Turkey Shoot.”
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Leyte Gulf (October 1944): The largest naval battle in history. Carriers, battleships, destroyers, and Marines all played a role as the U.S. fleet shattered Japanese naval power once and for all.
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Iwo Jima (February 1945): Marines raised the flag atop Mount Suribachi in one of the war’s most iconic moments, secured only by brutal sacrifice.
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Okinawa (April–June 1945): The last and bloodiest battle of the Pacific. Navy radar picket ships bore the brunt of kamikaze attacks while Marines and Soldiers fought tooth and nail ashore.
By the time the war ended in September 1945, the Navy and Marine Corps had fought together across two oceans, 51 months, and countless battles. Their combined strength carried the United States from the devastation of Pearl Harbor to the surrender ceremony in Tokyo Bay.
⚓ Did You Know?
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The USS Missouri had actually been hit by a kamikaze pilot in April 1945 during the Battle of Okinawa. The wreckage dented her side, but the ship and crew carried on the fight. Those dents were still visible when the Japanese signed the surrender aboard her deck just a few months later.
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Missouri wasn’t chosen at random for the surrender ceremony — she was sponsored by Margaret Truman, daughter of then-Senator (and soon-to-be President) Harry Truman. Having the final surrender signed on “Harry’s battleship” was a subtle but symbolic choice.
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Today, you can still walk the teak deck of the Mighty Mo at Pearl Harbor, stand on the exact bronze plaque marking the surrender site, and even see the kamikaze impact scars — a living reminder of both sacrifice and victory.
The Long Road Home
The end of the war didn’t mean instant relief. Millions of service members were scattered across the globe. Ships had to be decommissioned, bases closed, and men and women returned home. Some kissed the pier and swore they’d never leave dry land again. Others immediately signed up to stay in uniform, knowing the seas were in their veins.
One thing nearly everyone agreed on? No more powdered eggs, no more Spam, and for heaven’s sake — no more Navy coffee that looked like it had been strained through an oil filter. After years of drinking whatever swill the mess deck had brewing, Sailors were ready for a proper roast. (We like to think Old Salt Coffee would have done the trick.)
Why This Anniversary Matters
Eighty years later, we live in a world built by their sacrifice. The freedom to laugh over a cup of coffee, to share sea stories, or to start a business like Old Salt Coffee is a direct result of the victory sealed on the deck of the Missouri.
This anniversary isn’t just about looking back — it’s about remembering that the Sailors, Marines, Soldiers, and Airmen of that generation were ordinary men and women who did extraordinary things. They crossed oceans, stormed beaches, flew through flak, and endured years away from home. And when it was finally over, they came home and built the world we inherited.
Our Maritime Heritage Lives On
At Old Salt Coffee, honoring the past isn’t just words — it’s a mission. That’s why part of every bag sold goes to support the very ships and museums that preserve our naval history:
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Battleship Blend → Supports the Battleship Missouri Memorial (“Mighty Mo”) in Pearl Harbor and the Battleship New Jersey Museum.
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Haze Gray → Supports Battleship Cove in Fall River, MA, home of the battleship USS Massachusetts.
When you brew Old Salt Coffee, you’re not just drinking premium, fresh-roasted coffee — you’re fueling the preservation of the very ships where history was written.
So this September, hoist a mug. Tell a sea story. Laugh a little. Remember a lot. And know that your coffee keeps our maritime heritage alive for generations to come.
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