Everett Dirksen was nearing the end of his trip as he left Italy mid-day on May 7. At 3:30 p.m., the pilot of Dirksen’s flight from Rome to Paris brought the message that in two or three hours the war in Europe would be over. Dirksen’s log entry at 4:00 read “flash—Germans have unconditionally surrendered, (Thank God).” On Tuesday, May 8, Dirksen wrote a letter to his wife and daughter.