VE Day clashes with virus chaos, veterans left in limbo

BRUSSELS (AP) — The 75th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe should be all about parades, remembrances and one last great hurrah for veteran soldiers who are mostly in their nineties. Instead, it is a time of coronavirus lockdown and loneliness spent in search of memories both bitter and sweet. And comparing the world’s fight to contain the coronavirus crisis with the real war doesn’t sit well with some. It all adds to the sense of wistful melancholy that hangs as a heavy, dark cloak across many countries that were victorious in 1945.