On August 14, the nation received the news of Japan's surrender.  This letter describes the victory celebration that took place in downtown Milwaukee that evening.  (Alumni Papers, Priscilla M. Holloway Papers, 1919-1946).

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797.

August 15, 1945

Cheri,

It has been a quiet "day after Surrender Day".  We went to 10:15 a.m. Mass, had a light lunch, and I spent the afternoon reading Cronin's "The Green Years".  But to go back to last night and to begin from the beginning [of] the "peace".

Yesterday I told you in my post script written after the momentous news came through that a group of us planned to go downtown to see how Milwaukee was taking the news.  It was quite late when the girls came for us--I think it was after 9:00 p.m.   Mildred and Marie had gone to St. Agnes church to the Mother of Perpetual Help services and the pastor added a Holy Hour of thanksgiving.  Mabel had gone to St. Catherine's and got out early--they will have a Holy Hour later as will St. Leo's.

Mabel brought with her a Beatrice Witt whose husband is in a camp in Louisiana.  He was in the European war and brought home a purple heart with an oak leaf cluster.  However he doesn't have quite 85 points so he won't be discharged until the point system is revised (the radio informed us today).  The Witts live a few doors from Mabel's and they chum about together a good deal.  Mildred and Marie came soon after and we started on our way.

Mabel had her car and Mildred hers.  So Mabel parked hers up at 27th and Center and we all went downtown in the same car.  I was surprised that we were able to get as far as the parking lot across from the Safety Building; and luck was with us there too for two cars pulled out as we pulled in, giving us a space.  From there we walked down to 6th Street and over 6th to Wisconsin.  All the streets leading to Wisconsin were crowded and traffic was very limited.  You were not permitted to drive across Wisconsin from Jackson Street to 8th Street.  But the main mecca of Milwaukee was our main stem.

I have often heard the expression "a human wall of flesh" but had never seen one.  I saw one last night.  Wisconsin Avenue from 8th Street to Plankinton Avenue was exactly that.  I didn't know there were that many people in the city.  Some were blowing horns and working the type of noise makers usual to New Year's Eve; many were wearing paper leis; the street was ankle deep in paper and toilet paper waved from all the trolley wires.  Human traffic was flowing in the same directions as vehicular traffic goes usually--half the street, the right hand side, was walking toward the lake, the other half was working toward 8th Street.  You could walk only the slowest because of the crowds.  A few people were drinking but not many.  The amazing thing was that there was a lot of noise from the younger element, but little from those of us more mature,--just deep, warm smiles that came from the heart.  People were happy, so happy it didn't need noise to show it.  We walked down Wisconsin Avenue from 6th to Plankinton, over Plankinton to Wells, up Wells to 6th, over 6th to Kilbourn and up to our parking lot.  The whole trip took about an hour of time.  I suppose it doesn't sound like much to see, but to have seen it gives us something to remember all of our lives.  It was that quiet, warm, beautiful happiness that I shall remember as long as I live.

Since last Friday I had been tense as a finely drawn spring.  That walk down Wisconsin Avenue uncoiled some of the spring--I was one of those who was just quietly happy and I could feel the tension lessen as we walked and saw the joy in other faces.

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In addition to the policemen and firemen on duty downtown there were also emergency police officers--men who had volunteered for such duty in war emergency.  At the beginning of the war they were issued white arm bands with the civilian defense symbol on them; they wore them last night as their badge of authority--for the last time.

But it was on the whole a well behaved crowd.  People were joyous and happy but there was no destruction of property, very little drunkenness, no hoodlumism.  It was a happiness too deep for cheapness of any kind.

From downtown we went to Moco's bar for a drink to the peace--no one wanted to get drunk.  We just wanted to be where there were other people, to watch and smile at in camaderie [sic] such an occasion brings.  We had our drink there and worked off the rest of our tension.  They have an electric organ and the man who plays it played the old familiar songs everyone knows--and everyone sang.  We sang "Smiles", "Tipperary", KKKKatie, Over There, My Gal Sal, Oh Johnny, When the Lights Go On Again All Over the World--songs everyone knows.  And no one was drunk.

Mabel had been worried about her father who had not been feeling well--the excitement was too much for him I think and she was afraid he might have one of his heart attacks.   So she and Mrs. Witt left us there.  We didn't care to stay much longer so we left and stopped at the little neighborhood bar next to Turner's garage.  We had two more drinks there but it got so noisy we decided to call it an evening.  It is a small place and there were just too many people in it.  And we had done what we had set out to do.  We saw how Milwaukee took the news and we had our drink to victory.

I came home to my first decent night's sleep since last Thursday.  We have been in a state of nervous expectancy since last Friday morning--by last night it was almost too much to bear.

As I said we went to 10:15 a.m. Mass.  There is to be a short service at church tonight, but we are having the parish Holy Hour of thanksgiving on Sunday evening.  It was very fitting that today should be the Feast of the Assumption, don't you think?  Many priests mentioned the fact that the war started on the vigil of the Immaculate Conception and ended on the vigil of the Assumption--hoping it means a blessed peace for us.  I for one shall continue to pray to Our Lady for a long and lasting peace and for the grace for the world to be worthy of it.

And now I can really look forward to your homecoming--I know they can't delay it now.   God speed the day.  I love you so very much.

Priscilla