London event to remember forgotten heroes of Far East conflict

Events are to take place in Central London on Aug. 15 to mark the 70th anniversary of VJ (Victory over Japan) Day, Britain's Ministry of Defence announced Monday.

The MOD in collaboration with Britain's Royal British Legion, will lead commemorations acknowledging the role played in World War II by a group described as the "forgotten veterans of the war."

Members of all three services, Army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force, will provide ceremonial support assisting veterans of the Far East campaign, former prisoners of war and civilian internees and their families as they mark the historic anniversary commemorating the end of the war in the Pacific.

An MOD spokesman said Monday: "The anniversary aims to pay tribute to all those who served in the armed forces, including veterans from Britain's then Empire and beyond, who helped secure victory. Prisoners of war and civilian internees from the conflict will also be recognized."

The events on Aug. 15 will begin with a special commemoration on Horse Guards Parade, attended by senior political and military representatives, veterans and their families, which will include at its heart a traditional Drumhead Service.

Following the event, current members of the Armed Forces will lead veterans and their families in a VJ Parade along Whitehall. The parade will pass the Cenotaph as well as the statue of Field Marshal Lord Slim. He famously led the 14th Army is and synonymous with the Second World War in the Far East.

After the parade veterans and their families will be hosted at a 70th anniversary reception.

Earlier in the day, a special VJ Day 70 service will be held at the church of St Martin-in-the-Fields in London's Trafalgar Square. The service has been organized by a federation of organizations representing Far East Prisoners of War, their widows and families.

British Government Secretary of State for Defence Michael Fallon said: "70 years on from the final victory of Allied Forces, the debt of gratitude that we owe those who delivered it is greater than ever.

"This important anniversary will be an occasion for us to repay that debt once again to the veterans of the campaign, to all those who lost their lives, and to the many military prisoners of war and civilian internees who suffered in captivity."

The Ministry of Defense is working closely with organizations such as the Burma Star Association, named after the decoration many VJ Day veterans hold, and the National FEPOW (Far East Prisoners of War) Fellowship Welfare Remembrance Association.

Vice Admiral Peter Wilkinson, president of the Royal British Legion, said: "Over the years, veterans who served in the Far East after Victory in Europe was announced three months earlier have expressed that they often felt overlooked or forgotten. While people were celebrating at home and returning to normal lives, those fighting in the Far East were still at war." Endit