Japan officially surrendered on Sept. 2, 1945, ending WWII. I wondered what the Mancos Times-Tribune had to say about that event.

Nothing!

In the Aug. 31 issue, however, I found the following: The United States Navy's mighty 45,000-ton battleship, the USS Missouri, will end her WWII career in a blaze of glory this week in Tokyo Bay when she serves as the scene of the historic unconditional surrender of Japan to the United Nations.

I was 11 years old and remember yelling and racing around the yard with my brother when the news came by way of the radio that Japan had surrendered.

In the Sept. 7, 1945, issue of the Times-Tribune were mostly items of local interest.

Miss Florence Halls, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Bert Halls, has enrolled in the Cadet Nurse training program.

In the past weeks, two more teachers have been added to the staff of the school, and everything is in readiness for the first day of school on Monday.

Mrs. Ira Kelly and Mrs. Clay Bader entertained six tables of bridge at their ranch home Tuesday afternoon.

Mrs. Vivian Bone returned home Monday afternoon from Albuquerque, where she had been visiting her husband, Sgt. Robert Bone.

Jim Weaver and Carl Bauer had a narrow brush with death during the storm Sunday morning. The men say that what seemed to be a large ball of fire passed through their car, stunning them momentarily and leaving their arms and shoulders numb.

Dr. and Mrs. Trotter were Friday evening supper guests at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Morris Decker.

Mr. and Mrs. Erskine Mallett spent the Labor Day weekend in the San Luis Valley.

Fred Wagner is employed by the state highway department with the road crew working near South Fork.

Clyde Sheek returned this week from service with the Army Air Corps in England for a 30-day furlough.

Charles Potts announces that he will stage another dance at the Checkerboard hall Saturday night. Roy Freeman and his orchestra will furnish the music.

Mrs. H. Nelson and infant daughter, Louanna, have returned from the Durango hospital and are staying with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Roy Dean.

Mr. and Mrs. Emery Lovett retuned this week from Denver, where they had taken their son, Sgt. Emery Lovett Jr., to report for duty.

Mrs. Herman Wagner entertained the Wednesday night bridge club this week.

Mrs. Frances Howard and granddaughter, Jimmy Kay Bauer, returned Thursday from a two week visit in Aztec.

Darrel Ellis is a longtime historian of the Mancos Valley. Email him at dnrls@q.com.