"The President's announcement that peace had come to world at last...brought jubilant celebration in every city, town and village in the land. Bells rang, sirens sounded, cheering and horn blowing lasted for hours in Columbia. While one of the local aviators zoomed joyfully overhead the ancient fire truck raced about the streets with siren going at full tilt.

"Governor Simeon Willis immediately issued a proclamation declaring Wednesday and Thursday (today and tomorrow) as holidays in Kentucky. He expressed the wish that people throughout the State spend their time in thanksgiving and prayer to God for the day all have looked forward to since December 7, 1941."

"A V-J Day service will be held at 8:00 this evening at the Columbia Baptist Church with ministers of Columbia cooperating.

"It will be a service in which all will want to share, an opportunity of gathering together to give thanks to God for bringing peace once more again and to ask His guidance during the days of re-conversion."

"VICTORY . . . and a Prayer for Lasting Peace

"In this hour of final Victory, we pause in our rejoicing to give thanks to the Almighty under whose Guiding Hand the forces of right and justice have triumphed."

"Our feeling of joyous relief that an end to bloodshed has come at last is tempered by thoughts of those who will not come back--the gallant men and women who gave their lives to help make Victory possible.

"Let us solemnly resolve that their sacrifice has not been in vain . . . and let each of us do his utmost to help build a better world in which men and women of all creeds and all nationalities may live together in happiness and lasting peace."