Oregon Spirit of '45

onal nonprofit grassroots campaign to promote the observance of National Spirit of '45 Day. The purpose of National Spirit of '45 Day is to honor the legacy of the World War generation by restoring the spirit of community, can-do attitude, willingness to sacrifice for others, and a sense of national unity. National Spirit of '45 Day is observed each year on the second Sunday of August, coinciding with August 14, 1945, the day President Harry S. Truman announced that World War II had ended. It was the day when the men and women who had endured the difficult times of the Great Depression and fought for freedom and democracy against the forces of tyranny in the most destructive war in history, took up the task of rebuilding the world in an unprecedented effort to assure a better future for their children and their children's children, for former friend and ally and foe alike. As we continue the campaign, it's up to every individual, of every generation, to make sure that the legacy is not forgotten even after those of WWII leave us by helping to establish a tradition every August for reminding us all of the better qualities of what it means to be an America, including our deep commitment to volunteer service to our communities and our responsibilities to assure a warm welcome when those who serve our country in uniform return home. Keep returning to this page for updates and to post your Spirit of '45 Events, and go to www.orspiritof45.org for additional information. You can do your part to keep the Spirit of '45 alive by:

- Calling on your elected officials at the federal, state and local levels to issue proclamations each year supporting the observance of National Spirit of '45 Day in your community.

- Organizing or supporting Spirit of '45 commemorative events and activities in your community. You can register your event/activity and see what others are planning in your area, by visiting the EVENTS section of the Spirit of '45 web site. A free Toolkit with lots of ideas and templates for planning a Spirit of '45 Day event can be downloaded for free from the web site.

- Participate in ongoing interactive Spirit of '45 community history projects by helping WWII era seniors document their first hand memories of August 14, 1945 and archive their wartime portrait photos so they will always be remembered as the youthful and vibrant men and women they were on the day when war ended and they could begin their lives anew, starting families, creating business, going to school on the G.I. Bill, and establishing an ethic of service to community that remains the gold standard today. For more information, visit Oregon's website @ www.orspiritof45.org or the national website at www.spiritof45.org

JOIN THE CAMPAIGN AND START SPREADING THE SPIRIT IN YOUR COMMUNITY TODAY! General Information

"Keep the Spirit of '45 Alive!" is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, grassroots initiative that evolved from the award winning Stories of Service program of the Digital Clubhouse Network, a 501(c)3 public benefit organization created by NASA in 1996 to develop innovative ways to mobilize youth to use the power of digital technology to build a better 21st century community. www.digiclub.org