May 9

May 9, 1945 marks the original Victory in Europe Day celebrated by all the free world after the German surrender in Berlin (the moment was in midnight in the Soviet Union). Even through the celebrations are now in May 8, May 9 is celebrated in Serbia and in the countries of the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. It is truly a day of commemoration and celebration of the great victory of the peoples and armed services of the Allied nations that won the victory against fascism at the cost of so many lives lost in the course of almost 5 and a half years of conflict in the European continent.

May 9 is also Europe Day in honor of the 1950 Schuman Declaration that paved the way for the formation of today's European Union.

And May 9 marks the anniversary of the formation of United States Naval Aviation in 1911. It was on that day when in 1911 when Captain Washington Chambers approved the Curtis firm's offer of training planes to be used in the San Diego training center that Glenn Curtis opened that spring to train the first US naval aviators.

Remember all who fought for the freedom and independence of the European continent and of the whole world!!

May we never forget the veterans and fallen of the Allies of the Second World War in the European Theater of Operations, including the men of Easy Company, 505th PIR, 101st Airborne Div. (the "Band of Brothers"), whose acts will forever be a part of history!

May we always remember the heroes, martyrs and veterans of naval aviation in the United States of America, 102 years on, leading us into a future that is worth defending, up there with the best of the best!!!!

And may we also remember in our own way the active servicemen of the Allied countries that won the war, especially the US armed services (including the personnel of US Naval Aviation that mark its birthday today) that continue to pursue and perform their duty for the defense of the free world!!!!

HAPPY VICTORY DAY, EUROPE DAY AND US NAVAL AVIATION BIRTHDAY!!!
CURRAHEE!!! FLY NAVY!!! HOOOOOYAH!!!!!

(Cue Requiem for a Soldier, Mikhail Glinka's Slavsya from A Life for the Tsar, Victory Day by Lev Leshenko and Top Gun Anthem)