SPIRIT OF ’45 DAY: In 2010, Congress unanimously passed a resolution to designate the second Sunday of every August as “Spirit of ’45 Day.” The goal was to remember all that was sacrificed and accomplished by the WWII generation and to more importantly, be inspired by their values of courage, sacrifice, ‘can-do’ attitude, spirit, unity and service. In 2013, with the leadership of State Senator Brian Boquist and native Oregonian Barbara Jensen, Oregon became the first state in the country to recognize a permanent “Spirit of ’45 Day,” to be celebrated on the second Sunday of every August..
OREGON SPIRIT OF ’45: After Oregon passed legislation, Barbara and her WWII English War Bride mother continued to carry the torch for our WWII veterans and the entire generation. In 2015, Jensen formed the “Oregon Spirit of ‘45” non-profit organization to ensure this generation is honored and celebrated. In August of 2015, her organization featured Oregon’s 234th Army National Guard Band and sponsored a six-city, one week tour across the state to commemorate the 70th Anniversary of the end of WWII.
The objective of the Oregon Spirit of ’45, Inc. is to help us “Remember and be Inspired” by all the achievements and freedom provided by the WWII Generation. In an effort to meet this objective, we are collecting WWII era military photos. Below is a poster example of this collection featuring Oregon’s Governor and U.S. Senator, Mark Hatfield.