Laurel Bauchman is the daughter of two Second World War veterans. She sent us this account of her family's experience in honour of the 65th anniversary of VE-Day.

VE-Day is a bittersweet day in our household. As the child of two Second World War veterans, I am vividly aware of what the word sacrifice means in the personal context. I am tremendously proud of my parents' service and of all veterans, but I also know what the real cost is to them, and to us.

At our house at suppertime on VE-Day, each member of the family shares what they are grateful to our veterans for. I always end up reflecting on the psychological cost of war, not just to the combatants, but also to their families. Our family will celebrate with a traditional British roast dinner, we'll look at the family photographs from the Second World War, and talk about my parents' experiences both during and after the war, and what that means for us today.

My mother told me that for nearly 20 months during the war, someone she knew well, and loved, died every day. She served in active squadrons in Britain for most of the war, and witnessed young men and women die in appalling numbers. My father was a Canadian Spitfire pilot who served in North Africa and France.

During the war, my mother lived for the song I'm Going to Get Lit Up When the Lights Go On in London by Hubert Gregg. To her dismay, she found herself and my father living in tiny Falmouth, N.S., on VE-Day, far from the London crowds celebrating with abandon.

The diary page for May 7th, 1945, when word reached my parents that the war had ended.

Mom's diary for May 7, 1945, says, "Then we heard the great news of Germany's surrender."

Her entry for the next day reads, "Helped Rennie [my uncle] decorate his bike for VE-Day. Went to VE celebrations in Windsor. Attended service at park and saw the VE-Day parades. Kept house for Mum in the evening. Heard Churchill's, Mrs. Roosevelt's, Pres. Truman's, King George's and Montgomery's speeches."

I remember her telling me, not without bitterness, that the day was such a comedown after looking forward to celebrating in London for so many years.

Both my parents suffered from terrible depression after the war. In the 1970s, my father was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. As children we struggled to deal with both parents' illnesses, my father's screaming nightmares, his feelings of helplessness and unpredictable outbursts of rage. We continue to struggle with the effects to this day. I should add that both my parents made a great effort to nobly carry on despite their suffering. 

We as a society have little insight into war's true and lasting impact on those who serve and their families. As we celebrate VE-Day, let us also remember that for some veterans, the suffering of war never ends, and in those veterans' families, the children inherit their pain.


Send us your memories of VE-Day, along with stories and photos of the celebrations.