Navy veterans mark 80th wedding anniversary on V-J Day

A Navy veteran couple celebrated their romantic and patriotic 80th wedding anniversary on the same day World War II ended in 1945, marking a milestone both personal and historic.

Ray Williams, 101, and his wife Ellie Williams, 99, spoke with Fox News senior correspondent Jonathan Serrie to share their “lifelong love story” on “America Reports.”

For most Americans, Aug. 15, 1945 — Victory over Japan Day, or V-J Day — commemorates the moment Japan announced its intent to surrender, informally bringing an end to World War II. But for Ray and Ellie Williams, it represents something even more profound: the start of their marriage and eight decades of partnership.

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Ray and Ellie Williams were serving together in the Navy when their romance budded in the midst of World War II.

“I thought he looked good in his hat,” Ellie Williams recalled.

Ray Williams was enlisted, and Ellie Williams was a volunteer with Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service (WAVES), a branch of the Naval Reserve created during the war to integrate women into the wartime effort. 

Their courtship was short at just four months, but it was enough. 

“I just liked the way we kind of enjoyed being together,” Ellie Williams told Fox News.

After their whirlwind romance, Ray Williams proposed, and the pair set a wedding date for Aug. 15, 1945. By chance, their chosen date coincided with one of the most significant days in world history. 

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The very day they made their nuptials, Japan announced its surrender, effectively concluding years of global conflict and putting World War II to an end. Japan’s surrender sparked celebrations across the United States and among Allied nations ahead of the official signing of the surrender document on Sept. 2, 1945.

For the newlyweds, the day carried a double meaning. 

“V-J Day was a tremendous happening, and of course, we had the personal joy of being newlyweds,” Ray Williams reflected. “It was a double joy for us.”

Today, the couple live together at WellStar Atherton Place, a senior living community in Marietta, Ga., which held a ceremony to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the couple’s “double joy,” remembering the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II and honoring the beginning of Ray and Ellie Williams’ enduring marriage.

The “sheer coincidence” has tied their marriage to history. Each year, as the world commemorates the end of World War II, the duo have had another reason to celebrate — the success of their own union. 

The couple told Serrie their advice for a lasting, loving marriage: Don’t hold grudges, and be prepared to compromise. They also said they have relied heavily on their Christian faith.

While many remember V-J Day for its victory for world peace, Ray and Ellie Williams celebrate even more.