From commemoration to celebration: The making of the Norwegian Liberation and Veterans Day

Abstract

This article examines how and to what extent recent wars affect war commemoration. We do this through an analysis of the establishment of a Veterans Day in Norway, instituted on May 8, the traditional Liberation Day in memory of World War 2. We document how this merger has transformed May 8 from a low-key war commemoration to a celebration of the Armed Forces. Through our study, we emphasize how authorities attempt to form new mnemonic practices to give meaning to recent wars. These practices were informed by transnational events, but also constrained by deeply embedded national genres of commemoration. In Norway, the Liberation and Veterans Day has become a secluded event, attended by political and military leaders, but largely ignored by the public. We argue that commemorative practices that fail to resonate with shared experiences in society and are at odds with national identities will have limited appeal and support.

How do you see me? The impact of perceived societal recognition on PTSD symptoms amongst Norwegian peacekeepers

“…In recent years, there have been active governmental efforts in Norway to change public perceptions of the status and value of military veterans (Rones et al, 2020 ). Concrete examples of new measures to increase societal recognition have been the rebranding of the WWII liberation day to a conjoint ‘Liberation and Veterans Day’ celebration, with several events, intended to specifically recognize veterans and raise awareness of their sacrifices, held at various locations throughout Norway (Haaland & Gustavsen, 2021 ). With the advent of the moral injury dialogue, there has also been an increase in interventions for PTSD which consider society’s responsibility to shoulder the burden of war.…”

A Scandinavian Veteran Policy? A Comparative Study of Norwegian, Swedish and Danish Veteran Policies Since 2000

“…Duel et al, 2019) and official recognition (e.g. Haaland & Gustavsen, 2021;Sørensen, 2017;Sørensen & Pedersen, 2012), with a comparative or analytical approach.…”

“…The increasing participation in international operations, as well as the professionalisation of the armed forces, called for public recognition of the veteran population in the Scandinavian countries. Scholarly research has asserted that recognition is a way to legitimise and give meaning to military operations for the public, and to recruit military personnel (Haaland & Gustavsen, 2021;Strand, 2021;Sørensen, 2017;Sørensen & Pedersen, 2012;Wendt, 2019;Åse, 2022). In several Western countries, new recognition rituals were therefore established in the 2000s, following recent military operations and particularly following the operation in Afghanistan (Haaland & Gustavsen, 2021, p. 437;Wendt, 2019).…”