.jpg)
Cedar County residents celebrate end of the war in Europe
HARTINGTON — Eighty years ago this month, Cedar County residents breathed a sigh of relief along with the rest of the country as the guns of war finally fell silent across Europe.
On May 8, 1945, Nazi Germany surrendered unconditionally to the Allies, bringing to a close the European theater of the deadliest conflict in human history.
The people of Cedar County, marked the occasion not with fanfare, but with quiet reflection, prayer, and a solemn recognition of the price that victory had cost.
In communities like Hartington, Coleridge, Laurel, Randolph, and Wynot, V-E Day was observed in a subdued and respectful manner.
Church services replaced parades, and daily life continued under the weight of both gratitude and grief. The war in the Pacific loomed large, and for many families, the celebration felt incomplete.
A County United in Reflection
In Hartington, a fire siren signaled the official end of the European war as President Truman addressed the nation.
No horns blared, no parades marched—just a communal pause for sober thanksgiving. Businesses closed, and nearly every church in the area held services to honor the occasion.
Randolph, too, felt the dual weight of joy and mourning.
The community’s thoughts turned to the five local men who had most recently died in the European campaign—men like Pfc. Alvin J. Kessler, who succumbed to wounds in an African hospital, and S/Sgt. Clayton Gries, who was killed in action in France. Their sacrifice, along with the service of nearly 100 Randolph men scattered across the European front, grounded the town’s response in solemnity.
In Coleridge, the announcement came after a full day of anxious anticipation.
Residents had spent Monday reacting to unofficial reports of peace, but it wasn’t until Tuesday morning, following confirmation from Washington, that V-E Day was formally observed.
President Truman’s national address was heard across the town, and as his words concluded, church bells rang out in Coleridge, signaling the official end of one phase of the war.
Still, the mood remained quiet and purposeful. “Recognizing that there is yet much work to be done,” reported The Coleridge Blade, locals kept businesses open and went about their tasks. Taverns closed early— both out of respect and to prevent celebrations from drawing large, unruly crowds from surrounding towns. Special services were held at Lutheran, Congregational, and Catholic churches, offering residents a place to reflect and give thanks.
A Victory Measured in Sacrifice The broader context was not lost on these rural Nebraska communities. The war in Europe had lasted 2,319 days, leaving over 40 million dead and displacing millions more. Homes, cities, and entire nations had been reduced to rubble.
Humanity itself, degraded by the atrocities uncovered in concentration camps, stood shaken. The victory—though real— was bittersweet.
As President Truman reminded the country, the work was only half done. The Pacific War still raged with brutal intensity, and many Cedar County sons were still in uniform, far from home.
The End, and the Beginning
Today, as Cedar County looks back on that historic moment, it does so with the same perspective its residents held in May 1945— deep pride in the triumph of liberty, reverent mourning for those who gave their lives, and humble gratitude for peace.
County residents vowed they’d never forget the sacrifices made by Cedar County soldiers to secure global peace. Even today, those sacrifices are remembered with Veterans Memorials across the county. Coleridge and Wynot were the first communities to establish memorials in their communities. Hartington and Randolph soon followed. Today, Laurel is in the process of raising funds for their own memorial.
The quiet observances in Hartington, Randolph, and Coleridge remain a testament to the enduring values of sacrifice, resilience, and faith that carried America—and Cedar County— through its darkest hours
