Glendale News-Press – Los Angeles, special Extra edition with the bold headlines: PEACE! and WAR’S OVER! – a full issue dedicated to Japan’s unconditional surrender under the terms set by the Potsdam Conference of the Big Three, marking the end of World War II. August 1945.
Striking front page featuring photographs of American soldiers raising the U.S. flag and the Statue of Liberty embedded within the word PEACE, along with an illustration of Uncle Sam clasping the arm of Lady Liberty. The issue announces the official closure of stores across the United States at 4:00 p.m. as a salute to the American victory and includes photo essays and articles summarizing the Pacific front from the beginning of the war to the moment of triumph. It also contains important information on the balance of forces between the United States and Japan, including comparative figures on troop numbers and military arsenals throughout the war years.
During World War II, following the surprise Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, the United States entered the war and launched a prolonged campaign in the Pacific theater. The U.S. Army, in cooperation with the Navy and Marines, engaged in a series of grueling battles against the Japanese military, known for its fierce resistance. The turning point came in June 1942 at the Battle of Midway, where the United States succeeded in destroying four Japanese aircraft carriers—breaking Japan’s strategic momentum. Subsequently, the American forces captured strategic islands such as Guadalcanal, Saipan, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa, at a heavy human cost. The American “island-hopping” strategy was designed to shorten the path toward Japan itself and isolate Japanese strongholds. After Japan refused to surrender, the United States dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945, leading to Japan’s surrender and the end of the war. The Pacific campaign demonstrated America’s capacity to wage total war—industrial, logistical, and military—on a global scale.
Throughout the 1940s, and especially during World War II, the Glendale News-Press provided extensive coverage of both local and international events. The newspaper reported on developments from the European and Pacific fronts, as well as on the war’s impact on the Glendale community.
10 pp. Complete issue. 59 cm. Fold marks. Minor tears along fold lines. Good condition.
