On May 8, 1945 Nazi Germany surrendered to the United
States and other Allies marking the end of the war in Europe. This surrender, known
as VE Day marked the end of World War II for millions of soldiers and civilians.
For the American soldiers in Europe that had fought across the continent from
the beaches of Normandy this was the end of 335 days of combat and the start of
occupation. In order to fairly decide which units and soldiers were sent to the
Pacific theater and which would be sent home the Army developed a points
system. This system, officially designated the Advance Service Rating Score,
quickly became a hot topic with the troops.
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| Point System for Discharges at End of WWII |
The Army’s reasoning behind this system was two-fold. Instead
of shipping units whole from Europe the Army understood that it’s soldiers
wanted to go home and soon. Draftees and National Guardsmen that had been in
for the duration since 1941 often had the highest scores and were rotated home
quickly. For example: Sgt. Bob Slaughter of D Company, 116th
Infantry Regiment who stormed ashore on Omaha Beach had accumulated a score of
135 points by May of 1945, almost double the minimum of 85. His high score came
from 52 months of active service, 33 of it overseas, 2 Bronze Stars, 2 Purple
Hearts, the American Theater Ribbon and 5 Battle Stars on the European Theater
Ribbon.
When Bob returned home to Roanoke, Virginia he worked for
the Roanoke Times newspaper until his retirement in 1987. In the 1980s he began
to organize reunions of his World War II unit. At the same time, he began a
campaign for a memorial dedicated to the memories of the D-Day fallen. This
culminated in the dedication of the National D-Day Memorial in Bedford,
Virginia on June 6, 2001.
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| Bob Slaughter's Medals |
In order to keep units at full strength with combat
veterans returning home, recently inducted soldiers would be sent overseas to
join the Army of Occupation in Europe. One of these replacements was my
grandfather, Pvt. William B. Ford Jr., who spent a year in Bremerhaven, Germany
with the Army of Occupation. The surrender of Japan on August 14, 1945 allowed
the drawdown of forces to continue with the points limit revised to 80 and soon
to 50 by the end of 1945. As the points needed to be discharged dropped, so did
the number of men in uniform. By January 1, 1946 almost fifty percent of the
8.3 million men in the Army had returned to civilian life in the states. These
veterans contributed to the rapid growth of post-war America and the eventual
Baby Boom of the 1950s. After grueling months on the front lines these soldiers
finally returned home to their sweethearts, a warm bed and Mom’s apple pie.
As the Greatest Generation quickly passes away, it is
ever more important to celebrate and remember the legacies of World War II. In
2010, Congress unanimously voted in favor of a national “Spirit of ’45 Day,”
typically held on V-J Day (August 14), to preserve and honor the legacy of the
men and women of the World War II generation so that their example of national
unity, shared sacrifice, can do attitude, and service to their community and
country continues to inspire future generations of Americans.
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| Spirit of '45 Alive Concert 2015 |
On Saturday, August 13, 2016 at 7PM, the National D-Day
Memorial will host its annual Spirit of ’45 Alive concert—an outdoor concert
featuring The Let’s Dance Band with a tribute to the WWII generation. Tickets
are sold at the door. In honor of Rosie the Riveter, wear a red bandana or
scarf and receive $2 off admission. For ticket pricing and more information,
visit www.dday.org or call 800-351-DDAY. A
special thanks to Weldex and Bank of the James for sponsoring this event!
-Will
Sources:
Slaughter, John R. Omaha
Beach And Beyond: The Long March of Sergeant Bob Slaughter.
St.
Paul, MN: Zenith Press, 2007.
Kennet, Lee. G.I.:
The American Soldier in World War II. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons,
1987.
