The sonnet, titled “Victory in World War II: America’s Heroes United Under God on May Eighth”, commemorates V-E Day (May 8, 1945), marking the end of World War II in Europe. It celebrates America’s unwavering resolve and the sacrifices of its soldiers, who died to defeat tyranny and secure freedom. The poem portrays the nation as unified under divine guidance, with imagery of the stars and stripes, heroes’ graves, and a “never-fading blaze” of patriotism. It emphasizes the theme of “one nation under God,” culminating in a vow to honor the fallen by preserving liberty, with the final line declaring America as a land “where heroes reign.” The tone is fiercely patriotic, reverent, and triumphant, honoring the cost of victory and the enduring spirit of a God-guided nation.
On May the eighth, when victory’s cry arose,
America, with iron heart, stood tall.
Her sons, for freedom’s sake, faced tyrant foes,
And paid with blood to shatter evil’s thrall.
One nation, bound by God’s unyielding might,
Their stars and stripes a beacon through the fray.
Each hero’s grave a testament to right,
Their sacrifice the dawn of freedom’s day.
No chains could hold the spirit of the free,
United, bold, beneath the Almighty’s gaze.
From battle’s hell, they carved sweet liberty,
Their patriot fire a never-fading blaze.
For those who died, we swear to guard the flame,
One nation under God, where heroes reign.