India-Burma Theater Roundup
Roundup's staff cartoonist, Sgt. Ralph J. Somerville, was so overjoyed on V-E Day that he sat right down and drew up this cartoon of the situation in which Mussolini, Hitler, and Hirohito find themselves. Of course, as nay fool can plainly see, there isn't but one title for this: Two off their War Horses and One on his Ass.
PRESIDENT PROCLAIMS END OF GERMAN WAR;
'VICTORY HALF WON'

  "Gen. Eisenhower informs me that the forces of Germany have surrendered to the United nations. The flags of freedom fly all over Europe."
  With these historic words, President Harry S. Truman, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the United States, proclaimed to the nation and Americans throughout the world on Tuesday, May 8, 1945, at 7:30 p.m. (local Indian time), that the war in Europe was over.
  "The Allied Armies through sacrifice and devotion, and with God's help, have won from Germany a final and unconditional surrender," the President said in a radio broadcast to the nation and to the Armed Forces throughout the world and to ships at sea.

BROADCAST TO WORLD
  The President's address and proclaimation was carried over nation-wide radio hookups and broadcast to the Armed Forces by Armed Forces Radio Service and the Army Signal Corps.
  The President proclaimed May 13 a day of prayer and called upon the people of the United States, "whatever their faith, to unite in offering joyful thanks to God for the victory we have won, and to pray that he will support us to the end of our present struggle and guide us into the way of peace."
  In opening his address, the President expressed the wish that the late President Roosevelt might have lived to see the day of victory over the Germans.
  The President called upon the American people to work hard to finish the war against the Japanese.
  "If I could give you a single watchword for the coming months, that word is work, work, and more work," the President declared. "We must work to finish the war. Our victory is but half won. The West is free, but the East is still in bondage of the treacherous tyranny of the Japanese. When the last Japanese division has surrendered unconditionally, then only will our fighting be done."

PRAYER FOR THE FALLEN
  In proclaiming the day of prayer on May 13 the President called upon the people to dedicate this day of prayer "to the memory of those who have given their lives to make possible our victory."
  The president called upon the people to work with America's allies in peace as they have in war, and stressed that the job ahead is "no less urgent, no less difficult than the task which now happily is done."
  The President stressed that America stay on the job until the Japs have been finished.




Military Necessity To Determine Discharges Until Japan Defeated

  V-E Day is past, the war against Germany has ended, and the U.S. Army Readjustment Plan now is beginning to function. This is the plan under which some individuals will be released from the Army prior to the total defeat of Japan. It is based on a system of points called "Adjusted Service Rating Credits."
  Before going into the details of the plan, we must warn you that no matter how many points you may have credited, military necessity will determine your discharge. In plain language, if the Army needs you for the war against Japan, you will stay in the Army as long as you are needed, regardless of the number of points you may have.
  The point system is based on a world wide survey of Army opinion. Credits are given for length of service, overseas service, combat stars and decorations, and children under 18 years of age (up to a total of three children). These are the factors the greatest percentage of soldiers stated they thought would make the fairest basis for a partial demobilization plan.
  Just how much credit will be allowed for each factor will be announced shortly. Thereafter,
Credits for your possible discharge from the Army will be determined from data on this form, called an Adjusted Service Rating Card. All soldiers will have a chance to verify the information put on their cards.
an "Adjusted Service Rating Score" will be computed for every soldier and the totals reported to Washington. This operation for all theaters in the world will take 30 days.
  Based upon these reports and upon the estimated number of men who can be spared from the war with Japan, the War Department will compute and announce several "critical scores." One of them will be for Ground and Service Forces, another for WAC's. It is not known how long it will take to compute these "critical scores." But considerable statistical work is involved.
  If your own Adjusted Service Rating Score is above the critical score for your branch of the service, you are eligible to be declared surplus. However, regardless of your score, you will not be declared surplus until a replacement arrives to relieve you.
  The same applies if you absolutely cannot be spared from your unit. This is what "military necessity" means. On the other hand, it is the announced policy of the War Department that every man with a score above the critical will be sent home and discharged if it is at all possible to spare him.
  Your replacement will be a man whose score is lower than the critical one. He will come either from Stateside or from the European or Mediterranean Theaters. It will take a number of months to get these replacements reshuffled all over the world.

ONE MORE HURDLE
  Once you have been declared surplus, your replacement having arrived, you will be sent to the United States as soon as transportation is available.
  When you have been declred surplus and have reached the United States, you have one more hurdle. Representatives of the Army Ground Services and Air Forces will decide if you are "essential" or "non-essential." This again will be decided upon the basis of military necessity.
  If you are "essential," you will remain in the Army. If you have been declred both surplus and "non-essential," you will be sent immediately to a separation center, where you will be discharged or relieved from active duty.
  One question is certain to arise in many minds. Does your Adjusted Service Rating Score continue to rise as you accumulate more service after V-E Day? The answer is "no." Everybody's score remains fixed as of that day, with one exception. Decorations earned before V-E Day but awarded thereafter will be added to your credits.

THERE'S STILL A WAR
  The whole Readjustment Plan sums up to this: It is not in any sense a plan for total demobilization. It is a plan to release some men not needed in the war against Japan. But the total defeat of Japan takes precedence over every other consideration.
  We have tried to make this explanation as simple and straight-forward as possible. Put bluntly, you may have the maximum time in the Army, the maximum time overseas, every combat decoration in the book, and the maximum number of children. BUT IF THE ARMY NEEDS YOU, YOU WILL STAY IN THE ARMY AS LONG AS YOU ARE NEEDED. Your country is still at war and will remain at war until the Japs surrender unconditionally.



Readjustment To Replace Rotation In All Theaters

  Readjustment will replace rotation in the India-Burma Theater and all other theaters of operation on the day critical scores are announced for the Army Personnel Readjustment Plan, India-Burma Theater Headquarters announced on V-E Day.
  It is not known how long it will take the War Department to complete these critical scores, it was pointed out at Theater Headquarters. It probably will be at least two months after V-E Day because of the great amount of statistical work.
  Therefore, suspension of rotation may be at least 60 days ahead.
  The statement issued by Theater Headquarters is as follows:
  "On the day that critical scores are announced rotation in all theaters will be suspended, except for Army Air Forces combat crews and for other individuals who have been notified of their selection and who are awaiting shipment to the United States.
  "Temporary duty for recuperation will continue unaffected by the readjustment plan.
  "Actually, suspension of rotation will have little effect on most individuals. It is obvious that anyone eligible for rotation will have a high score under the readjustment plan and more than likely will be eligible to be called surplus."




STATUE OF LIBERTY IN RENEWED GLORY AT NAZI DOWNFALL

  NEW YORK - (UP) - The flame of Liberty blazes again. The famed light of the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor, dimmed for more than three fateful years, blazed in full brilliancy this week with the announcement of the victory in Europe.
  Westinghouse Electric Company officials, whose engineers are responsible for the electric torch that simulates an actual flame, announced that a new brilliancy of the torch has been attained by the addition of 64 100-watt high intensity mercury vapor lamps to the 131,000-watt incandescent lamps and one 250-watt lamp which provided the illumination before the United States' entry into the war. The modernized floodlighting system also throws a brilliant light on the full statue.




Only Few To Go Home On Demob, Says Sultan

  In a speech broadcast over the Army radio station in the India-Burma Theater, Lt. Gen. Dan I. Sultan, Commanding General of the U.S. Forces in the IBT, told his troops how the Allied victory in Europe will affect them, and discussed the War Department plan for partial demobilization and readjustment of personnel.
  "I join with the officers and men of the India-Burma Theater in rejoicing at the magnificient news from Europe," Gen. Sultan said. "The forces of the United States have succeeded, after a long and bitter struggle,

GEN. SULTAN
In North Burma
in eliminating a powerful and dangerous enemy. The Allied armies have set the Western world free by their courage, strength, and sacrifice.
  "The defeat of Germany means a great deal," he added. "It means first, that the road ahead of us is now a stright road, with our final objective clearly in sight. It means that Japan now stands alone. And it means that the people of the Armed Forces of the United States can begin to think about problems of the peace and the eventual return of you men to your homes."
  On the matter of returning home, the General said, "Now that we are free to turn the full weight of our power against Japan, some readjustment in our manpower becomes possibel. The victory in Europe will permit the War Department to initiate its carefully prepared plan for partial demobilization and for certain readjustemnts of personnel.

'BELIEVE IT GOOD PLAN'
  "I have seen the plan, and I believe it is a good plan and fair one," he said, "because under it, those who have made the greatest sacrifices will reap the first benefits. That is as it should be. It contains the features which men of the service have indicated that they thought should be included. It was your majority opinion that a point system based on the length of service, time overseas, combat decorations, and the number of dependent children would provide the fairest method of determining who should be the first to return to civil life. That is exactly how the plan will work.
  "It must be emphasized," the General explained, "that the plan calls for only partial demobilization. We are still at war. India-Burma Theater is still an active theater. We still have before us a big job which remains to be finished. Victory over Japan must be as complete and as final as the recent victory in Europe. Most of us must stay here to finish the job. Only a few will go home in the near future. The plan, however, provides that such few will be selected on a just and equitable basis.

PLAN TO TAKE TIME
  "Let us not underestimate the time required to put into operation such a gigantic undertaking as partial demobilization," Sultan cautioned. "In the near future, the War Department will announce a day when the plan become effective. As of that date the adjusted rating score, based on total service, combat decorations and dependent children must be computed for every American soldier in every theater throughout the world. It will be at least three months thereafter before you will know whether your score is high enough to make you eligible for return to the United States. Then, if you are one of the fortunate ones, you cannot stop in your tracks and start for home. You must await a replacement with a lower score who can step into your shoes. This reshuffling of replacements all over the world will take further months."

'WE MUST FACE THE FACTS'
  Giving the reason for the speech, Gen. Sultan concluded: "I tell you this not to dishearten you, but to give you an honest picture of the situation before false hopes are raised. I sympathize with every man's proper desire to return to his home and family. But we must face the facts as they exist. I can assure you that tremendous effort will be expended to speed the process to the limit. In the meantime, let us concentrate our efforts on bringing about the day when we can all go home - the day which can only come with the defeat of our remaining enemy, Japan."




THEATER COMMANDER PAYS TRIBUTE TO MEN WHO WON WAR IN EUROPE

  Gen. Dan I. Sultan, commander of the India-Burma Theater, on V-E Day, paid tribute to the fighting men who won the European war in a short statement to the troops of the India-Burma Theater broadcast over the American Army radio stations in the Theater. The text of Gen. Sultan's statement:
  "Today in Europe, German military might has been broken. After almost six years, organized hostilities have ceased. The great work of reconstruction of the shattered continent can now begin.
  "We recognize the tremendous achievements of the Allied Armies in Europe who won this victory, for we too have been fighting. We know the cost of driving back a tenacious enemy - we know the necessity for close co-operation of all branches of our forces, the close union with our allies in the common cause. We know the heartbreaking conditions of combat under adverse weather and over difficult terrain - the back-breaking work of construction and supply in support of combat operations. So, as fighting men, we pay tribute to the fighting men in Europe.
  "Their victory is in part our victory. We have done with less man and supplies, so that they might have more. Their victory brings our victory nearer. The men who broke the German ground defenses in the west, who destroyed her essential industries from the air, can noe turn their attention to the war with Japan. The inductrial strength of the United States, until now producing for the war both in Europe and in Asia, can turn its full productive force to the Far East.
  "This is the day of Germany's defeat and Europe's liberation, but we must not forget that there is still a tough battle to be fought before the Japs are licked. Every one of us knows his part in that fight; and if every one of us will do his part to the utmost, Japan's defeat and the liberation of Asia will come surely and swiftly."




The Roundup is a weekly newspaper of the United States Forces, published by and for the men in Burma and India, from news and pictures supplied by staff members, soldier correspondents, Army News Service, and United Press. The Roundup is published Thursday of each week and is printed by The Statesman in New Delhi and Calcutta, India. Editorial matter should be sent directly to Capt. Floyd Walter, Hq., S.O.S., I.B.T., APO 885, New York, N.Y. and should arrive not later than Saturday in order to be included in that week's issue. Pictures must arrive by Friday and must be negatives or enlargements. Stories should contain full name and organization of sender. Complaints about circulation should be sent directly to Lt. Sidney R. Rose, Hq., S.O.S., I.B.T., APO 885, New York, N.Y. Units on the mailing list should make notification of any major change in personnel strength or any change of APO.















V-E DAY 1945    

Original issue of India-Burma Theater Roundup shared by CBI veteran Roger Cook

The specific date of publication of this issue is not identified.  Based on the volume number, it was published between the May 10 and May 17 issues.   V-E Day was first celebrated May 8, 1945.

Copyright © 2008 Carl Warren Weidenburner






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