My Father's War
Bill Sharp
A son's tribute to his father's part in World War II

 

End of the War

Victory in Europe occurred on May 7, 1945. Victory in Japan and the final end of the war occurred on August 14, 1945. Yet it would be months before Dad returned home. With the number of troops in the Pacific Theater and a limited number of troop ships, each waited their turn. The joy at the end of the war must have been mixed with the boredom and longing for home.

Four months later, on December 30 ,1945 (a day before his 27th birthday), he boarded a ship home which arrived in San Francisco, California on January 25, 1946, a 26-day journey. He boarded a train for the east coast and discharge (AKA, separation) at Fort Dix, New Jersey.

One of the few souvenirs he brought home was a Gurkha knife from India. The "knife" is actually a small curved sword. The Gurkha Riflemen were units from Tibet which participated in the Burma campaign.

Gurkha Knife (also known as Khukuri knives)

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