RI only state to recognize Victory Day

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP/WPRI) -- It's a three-day weekend for many Rhode Islanders as the state marks the anniversary of the end of World War II.

Rhode Island is the last state to recognize Victory Day, which it observes Monday.

The holiday will be honored in Pawtucket with a ceremony and wreath-laying at 11 a.m. at Veterans Memorial Park.

All area veterans and the public are invited to the ceremony. Refreshments will be served afterwards at the Post home, 171 Fountain Street in Pawtucket.

Pawtucket City Hall, as well as state and many municipal offices will be closed. The state's public transit agency operates on a holiday schedule.

The day is commonly known as Victory over Japan Day, or V-J Day, because of its association with the Japanese surrender in 1945.

Attempts have failed over the years to drop the holiday or change its name. Critics say it's discriminatory because the state doesn't celebrate the Allies' victory over Germany a few months before Japan surrendered.

Critics also say it makes no sense because Japan is now a U.S. ally and the victory was preceded by a nuclear attack.