On Friday, Sept. 2, 2022, a Marine Brass Quintet supported a ceremony commemorating the 77^th anniversary of V-J Day, the Allied Forces Victory in the Pacific and the end of World War II. Coordinated by the Friends of the National World War II Memorial, event supporters paid tribute to the Greatest Generation at the National World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C.

The Armed Forces Color Guard presented the colors while the quintet played the national anthem, then Chaplain Dan Kersey offered the invocation, during which he honored the countless thousands of brave warriors who gave their lives to win peace … “we are free today because of their sacrifice.”

World War II veterans Ira Rigger, Callan Francis Saffell, and George Arnstein were in attendance, and placed wreaths at the World War II Memorial's Freedom Wall in remembrance of the more than 400,000 Americans and 60 million people killed worldwide during the deadliest military conflict in human history. Following the wreath-laying portion of the ceremony, Marine Band trumpet/cornetist Staff Sgt. Robert Bonner sounded “Taps,” and the ceremony concluded with attendees thanking the veterans for their service.

Learn more about World War II veterans Ira Rigger, Callan Francis Saffell, and George Arnstein from their interviews with the Friends of the National World War II Memorial:

Rigger served with the Seabees, the Naval Construction Force, in the Pacific Theater including the Battle of Guam, the Battle of Peleliu, and the Battle of Iwo Jima. He had taken “surveying” in high school and went to work on a survey crew following his schooling. In summer of 1942, he learned of the “outfit called the Seabees” and their efforts to build on islands in the South Pacific, which “sounded very romantic,” so he joined the Naval Construction Force in the fall of 1942. “We never knew where we were going,” Rigger said. He recalls that while on the island of Iwo Jima, he realized “hey, we were being shot at” and thought “this war can’t last much longer with us doing all that bombing.” Rigger also experienced the island tunnels and had a near miss with a landmine. Off the coast of Iwo Jima, Rigger happened to notice a Destroyer escort coming parallel to the beach and thought to himself, “oh, my brother is on one of those somewhere in the Atlantic.” Lo and behold, he saw ship number 50, where he knew his brother should be. He ran down to the beach and flagged down a small boat for transport to the Destroyer escort where he requested permission to come aboard then met his brother for a short visit. “The chances of meeting him on the other side of the world on this huge planet called Earth, was just an amazing coincidence.” As part of his job, Rigger also laid out graves—crosses and Stars of David—a sobering sight of just under seven thousand Marines. Hear him talk about his “Road to Japan:” Listen 

Saffell enlisted in the Navy in December 1942 at the age of 17 and was stationed on a degaussing ship in the Pacific, where he and his shipmates were responsible for degaussing wooden-hulled mine sweepers in hopes of preventing magnetic mines from detonating. His mother was upset to see him go, and his father, a World War I veteran, encouraged him to join the Navy. While in the Navy, everybody had nicknames and Saffell was called “Saff-Baby.” He led the manual of arms and says he lived a “charmed life” – “I’ve had a great life. I’m very fortunate.” His ship was smaller than most and handled, according to Saffell, “like a cork in a bathtub.” But that led to close knit relationships and long-time friends. “Everybody knew each other, we knew their families,” he said. “A couple of fellows got Dear John letters and it was very upsetting to them,” so they all got through it together. He continued, “The biggest thing I learned was getting along with people. That helped me so much during life – to respect people’s rights and respect their feelings.” He joked that when he hears John Philip Sousa’s march “The Stars and Stripes Forever,” “Boy when I hear that thing, I’m halfway to the enlistment station to sign up for another four years.” Hear Callan talk about the turbulent times in the country and where he was on Dec. 8, 1941, when President Roosevelt waved at him on the way to declare war. Listen

George Arnstein served with the U.S. Army’s 76th Cavalry Reconnaissance Troop (mechanized) which was part of the 76th Infantry Division in the European Theater including the Rhineland and Ardennes campaigns. “I took my basic training in the mounted cavalry – on a horse – which sounds incredible as of 1943 and sounds even more incredible today.” He was part of the counterattack in the Battle of the Bulge. Because he spoke French and German, he had assignments that normally would not have come his way. When his unit took prisoners, he gathered information but without formal training, he had to rely on his wits. Hear what this PhD editor/genealogist and translator has to say about his unit, how he spends his time, and how he keeps in shape. Listen