John Kerry pays tribute

 US Secretary of State John Kerry has paid special tribute to the lives lost and sacrificed during World War II. 

He paid this special tribute during the 70th anniversary to mark the end of World War II on Sept 2. 

“I join President Obama and the American people in reflecting on today’s 70th anniversary of the end of World War II in the Pacific theatre,” Kerry said. 

“As we recall the war’s devastating toll and mourn those lost on all sides, we also remember the gallantry of our American men and women in uniform who, alongside their allied partners, courageously served in combat across the Pacific Ocean and Asian continent.  

“We are humbled by their heroism, and we owe them our unending gratitude. We also honour and respect the sacrifices made by the citizens of so many nations during the war. Last year I visited two sites of great significance to today’s anniversary. 

“The first was the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbour, where I had an opportunity to scatter rose petals into the water and recall the moment that brought the United States into the Pacific theatre.  

“The second was the American Guadalcanal Memorial in the Solomon Islands where we remembered the storied deeds of the US Marines’ First Division.  Both locations stand to this day as silent witnesses to the bravery that imbued the conflict.”    

Kerry said “Over the past seven decades, the United States has been a proud partner in the Asia-Pacific region’s astonishing rise from the devastation of war.  The “Asian miracle” has lifted hundreds of millions out of poverty and created an engine for global economic growth.”