On 15 August 1945 Imperial Japan surrendered to the Allies, ending World War II. During six years of fighting, at least 50 million people died. Shortly before VJ Day, on 6 and 9 August 1945, the United States, with the consent of the United Kingdom, dropped two atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki respectively, to bring an end to the Pacific War. The bombs killed between 129,000 and 226,000 people, the majority of whom were civilians. This catastrophic loss of life brought about the Japanese surrender.
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Big Ideas will assemble the paper cranes into a wreath for the Children’s Peace Monument in the Hiroshima Memorial Peace Park. School children and members of the public are also welcome to fold a crane. The wreath will be sent to Japan to be laid in Hiroshima.
The player’s haiku poems were also inspired by the experiences of WWII veterans. In the lead up to VJ Day, four new ‘Football Remembers Eleven’ films were released, where academy players interviewed former footballers who are also WWII veterans.
You can watch their films here:
