# 2981h - 1995 32c Truman announces Japan's Surrenders

U.S. #2981h
Truman announces the end of the war, August 1945 – World War II

• Fifth and final souvenir sheet issued to commemorate the 50^th anniversary of World War II
• Includes 10 stamps plus a world map

Stamp Category:  Commemorative
Series:  World War II
Value:  32¢ (Denomination of each individual stamp)
First Day of Issue:  September 2, 1995
First Day City:  Honolulu, Hawaii
Quantity Issued (if known):  100,000,000
Printed by:  Bureau of Engraving and Printing
Printing Method:  Offset, Intaglio
Format:  Sheetlets of 10 (arranged in 2 strips of 5, one across the top and one across the bottom of the sheetlet, with world map in between)
Perforations:  11.1 (Eureka off-line perforator)
Tagging:  Overall, large block covering stamps and part of selvage

 Why the stamp was issued:  This souvenir sheet was issued to commemorate the 50^th anniversary of World War II.  It was the last in a series of five that were issued over the course of five years.

About the stamp design:  The original stamp for this part of the set was originally depicting the Atomic Bomb and was named “Atomic bomb hasten war’s end, August 1945.” However, there was public outcry on the unsympathetic reminder of such a tragic event. The Japanese Embassy asked for a change of design and there was an article published by the Associated Press on the anger coming from survivors in Tokyo. It was decided to redesign the stamp. William Bond illustrated President Truman reading the announcement of the Japanese surrender.

First Day City:  The stamps were dedicated in Honolulu, Hawaii.  Aboard the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson, the ceremony took place in view of the USS Arizona Memorial.

About the World War II Series:  As the 50^th anniversary of World War II was approaching, the US Postal Service wanted a series that would recognize the key events of the war and the important contributions America made to the Allied victory.  Rather than issue a large number of stamps, the USPS decided to create five sheetlets, each commemorating one year of America’s involvement in the war.  Each sheetlet had 10 different stamps arranged in two horizontal strips of 5.  In the center was a world map with Allied and neutral nations in yellow and Axis-controlled areas in red.  Notes on the map highlighted key developments that occurred that year.  The stamps each featured important events that took place during the year, as well.

History the stamp represents:  By the summer of 1945 the Allies were preparing to invade the Japanese mainland.  Military experts estimated one million US casualties would be incurred in this invasion, which was planned for November 1945.  Japanese losses would have been much higher.

In 1939 Albert Einstein told President Franklin Roosevelt about the possibility of building an atomic bomb, and in 1942 the Manhattan Project, a top-secret program to develop such a bomb, was launched.  Shortly after the defeat of Germany, in July of 1945, the first bomb was tested in New Mexico.  President Truman learned of the success while attending Potsdam conference with Churchill and Stalin.  The US, Great Britain, and China issued an ultimatum to Japan – surrender unconditionally or be destroyed.  Unfortunately, the Japanese chose to fight on.

On August 6, 1945, a B-29 bomber called the “Enola Gay” dropped an atomic bomb on the city of Hiroshima, killing an estimated 70,000 to 100,000 people.  The Japanese still did not respond, so a second bomb was dropped on Nagasaki on August 9^th; 40,000 perished.  On August 14th the Japanese surrendered.  Historians from both countries agree the atomic bombs actually saved American and Japanese lives.