Intercepted Letters Show The Ways Germans Really Pictured Americans In WWI

The brutality of World War I finally draws to a close, and the occupation of Western Germany begins. Already scarred from the drawn-out conflict, the people of the Rhineland settle into an uneasy coexistence with some 250,000 American troops. But at the same time, military intelligence officers are looking at letters — ones Germans have written about the visiting soldiers. And what the natives said about the Americans is rather a surprise. 

Mail on the frontline

Throughout WWI and the subsequent occupation, men risked their lives to deliver mail to and from the frontlines. But, sometimes, these letters would not reach their intended final destinations. That's because, in Germany, members of the United States military tried to get their hands on these confidential messages and see the important information they contained.

Temporary custodians

As the temporary custodians of the Rhineland region, the U.S. authorities wanted to know more about how they were perceived by the locals whose lives they had interrupted. And through these intercepted letters and in-person interrogations, they began to build up a pretty clear picture. So, what exactly did the German people make of the Americans? 

Good or bad?

Well, in 1919 the U.S. military released a report entitled Candid Comment on The American Soldier of 1917-18 and Kindred Topics by The Germans. And within its 84 pages, there are some astonishing revelations. It turns out that the locals had plenty to say about the occupying forces — but was the news good or bad?  

No support for war

After all, it looked at one point as though the U.S. wouldn’t even get involved in the conflict. When war first broke out in Europe in 1914, America was officially neutral, looking on in horror as once-peaceful nations turned against one another. And while there was some public support for the Allied countries of Great Britain, France, and Russia, not many wanted the United States government to intervene.  

Submarine attacks

For more than two and a half years, the bloodshed continued with no resolution in sight. Then, in early 1917, the Germans overturned the regulations preventing military attacks on civilian vessels. Now, any ships passing through the wrong part of the ocean would be vulnerable to assault by submarine — and regular Americans were not happy. 

War with the United States

To make matters worse, another scandal was unfolding. In January 1917 British intelligence agents intercepted a telegram from the German Foreign Office. Officials, it seems, had predicted that the upcoming changes to military policy could lead to war with the United States. And if that happened, they had a solution in mind. 

The Zimmerman Telegram

Known today as the Zimmerman Telegram, the document was addressed to the German ambassador to Mexico. It proposed a union between the two countries in the event of war. And when the contents of the message came to light, pressure began to build on the United States to join the conflict raging across the Atlantic.  

Entering the war

So, in April 1917, the United States finally declared war on Germany. And with that, millions of American soldiers were sent to join a brutal and bloody struggle in foreign lands. As time went on, they came to play a vital role in the defeat of the Central Powers and the victory of the Allied forces. 

Germany surrenders

Then, on November 11, 1918, Germany surrendered, bringing World War I to an end. And seven months later, the Treaty of Versailles laid out a blueprint for the future of Europe. That included the Allied occupation of the Rhineland region. Across Western Germany, American soldiers settled in for the long haul. 

The postal service

With all of the upheaval around the world, communication could have been something of a challenge. In reality, though, both the Central Powers and the Allies operated surprisingly effective postal services throughout World War I and beyond. Even soldiers serving on the frontlines could receive messages from their loved ones at home. 

12 million letters a week

The British General Post Office, for example, delivered as many as 12 million weekly letters to soldiers fighting in World War I. And according to the BBC, the impeccable service worked both ways. Apparently, any reply penned by a serviceman would arrive at its destination within just a matter of days. But what of the American soldiers?

The Army Post Office

They had, after all, traveled further away from home than their British counterparts. Well, impressively, the Army Post Office (APO) ensured regular communication between Europe and the United States. From July 1917, the APO oversaw mail deliveries throughout the war and well into the American occupation. 

Everyday hardships

Letter writing was certainly important to the soldiers stationed on the frontlines. It’s said that German soldiers sent seven million postcards a day — far more than the Brits or the French. But, sadly, these conversations did not always comfort the men — especially when they spoke of the adversities faced by everyday people throughout the war.  

A lonely soldier

And with so many letters flying back and forth, intercepting them — and reading their contents — became a vital part of intelligence gathering. A lonely soldier writing to his sweetheart could easily slip up and reveal something not meant for prying eyes. Even after the war was over, personal communications could yield much in the way of useful information.  

Confidential

Take, for example, the handwritten notes that form part of the U.S. military’s 1919 report. According to the preface, the document contains opinions expressed “confidentially to each other by letter and telephone.” Unfortunately, though, it does not tell us exactly how these messages were intercepted. 

Intelligence interviews

Letters and telephone calls were not the only source material used in the report, either. Apparently, opinions from ordinary German citizens were also factored into the final draft. So, what exactly did the locals have to say about the occupying forces?

Surprisingly complimentary

Even though the Americans had taken over their lives — and sometimes their homes — many of the Germans were surprisingly complimentary. According to the report, one prominent figure in the German military praised the U.S. soldiers. 

The bravest of our enemies

“I fought in campaigns against the Russian Army, the Serbian Army, the Romanian Army, the British Army, the French Army, and the American Army,” General von Einem’s chief of staff is reported to have said. “All told in this war, I have participated in more than 80 battles. I have found your American army the most honorable of all our enemies. You have also been the bravest of our enemies and in fact the only ones who have attacked us seriously in this year’s battles.”

“Good fighters with nerve and recklessness”

In fact, the Americans’ prowess in battle is something that comes up time and time again in the report. According to Antone Fuhrmann, a resident of Mayschoß in Western Germany, “There were only a handful of Americans there, but they fought like wildmen.” Elsewhere, a lieutenant of the reserve said, “Americans are good fighters with nerve and recklessness.” High praise indeed. 

“A reputation for irresistible courage”

In some places, the report records testimony given by Germans who had either deserted or been apprehended by the Allied forces. And, surprisingly, even they had plenty of positive things to say. Apparently, one man who had fled his post confessed, “The Americans have a reputation for irresistible courage.” It’s a comment that no doubt earned him some goodwill. 

“Impressed by the manner in which the Americans fight”

“One of the captured officers was profoundly impressed by the manner in which the Americans fight,” the report continues, referencing intelligence that had been gathered in the field. “He speaks of their valor, their energy, and their scorn of danger, [saying], ‘We shall be obliged to take into account troops which are so well-armed and infused with such spirit.’”   

“A money-hunting nation”

Clearly, many Germans did not expect the Americans to fight as well — or as bravely — as they did. And one unnamed intelligence operative noted how this viewpoint had evolved. According to information gleaned from a local called Karl Finkl, the “prevailing opinion in Germany before our entry into the war was that America was a money-hunting nation, too engrossed in the hunt of the dollar to produce a strong military force.” 

A different opinion

“But since our troops have been in action, the opinion has changed,” the report continues. “And [Finkl] says that though Germany is at present a defeated nation, he believes that they would be victors in a war with any nation in the world — with the exemption of the United States.”  

Most feared enemy

Elsewhere in the report, there was the same opinion: these soldiers were a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield. According to one Russian who had fled captivity, “The Germans fear the Americans more than any other enemy force on the front.” Men once stationed on the border of France and Germany were also said to have witnessed some staggering feats. 

“Completely dumbfounded”

“The troops recently arrived in Alsace were strongly impressed by the good showing of Americans under fire,” the report claims. “They mention occurrences in a battle in which they took part, where groups of American soldiers were killed to the last man rather than surrender. Most of the men are still completely dumbfounded. They declare that all is lost.”

“More like wild men than soldiers”

Further into France, German soldiers encountered the United States’ Rainbow Division — and were again terrified by what they saw. According to the report, the troops “said they don’t want any more such fighting as they encountered there. The Americans were always advancing and acted more like wild men than soldiers.” 

An unusual relationship

The Germans were also struck by the unusual relationship between the American men in power and their subordinates. Speaking to an intelligence operative, one said, “The attitude of the American officer towards enlisted men is very different than in our army — in which officers have always treated their men as cattle.” 

The Mayor of Kaschenbach

And it wasn’t just on the battlefield that the Americans were leaving a lasting impression. After the occupation had begun, the Mayor of Kaschenbach penned an official statement that has been recorded in the report. It read, “[The Americans] are wonderfully mild-mannered men and a great contrast to the domineering attitude of our own soldiers.” 

A frustrating regime

From these messages, then, it seems like all of Germany was delighted to welcome the occupiers from overseas. But, of course, this wasn’t always the case. In fact, for each glowing account mentioning the Americans’ bravery and kindness, there is another decrying them for presiding over a frustrating — even bloody — regime. 

Sleeping on the floor

“All male persons from 12 to 60 years old must give up their beds to the troops of the occupation,” read one intercepted letter. “Children under 12 years certainly never had any claim to a bed. We are supposed to sleep on the floor.” Even reports from the American military itself made it clear that things were far from perfect. 

“Immorality and drunkenness”

“Complaints — coming especially from the smaller towns — accuse Americans of immorality and drunkenness,” one dispatch read. Elsewhere in the report, there is an excerpt from a letter written by Mia Clausen, a woman housing U.S. soldiers. She wrote, “The officers and general are boasting scoundrels… They slam the doors so hard that the whole building shakes.” 

Lots of money

With the war over, the Americans stationed in Germany had little to do — and plenty of cash to spend. But in a country left devastated by the war, such indulgences must have seemed in poor taste. Speaking of the foreign troops, Fritz Ulman from the city of Cologne said, “They have lots of money and spend foolishly.”  

Food shortages

In fact, the frivolous spending habits of the Americans drove up the costs of necessities, leaving locals struggling to afford food. And that was far from the only negative effect the occupiers were having on the communities required to host them. That’s made clear from one letter penned by Neuwied resident Hans Rohrl.

“Outrageous prices”

“Since [the] day before yesterday, there has been crisis here too, among our workers. They all want to strike,” Rohrl wrote. “But that is only because of the terribly high food prices, for the Americans eat up our little bit and pay outrageous prices… The roads are all rundown from the army autos, and people are being killed every day by crazy chauffeurs. Electricity plants are over-burdened, and the inhabitants get a feeble current so that the Herr Americans may burn three lamps in every latrine.” Ouch. 

Illicit relationships

Perhaps the biggest problem of all, though, was how the American soldiers interacted with German women. In fact, the report is littered with scandalous accounts of illicit relationships — including a rather sniffy message penned by Gertrude Bisseldt. 

“Fresh beyond bounds”

“The girls are to blame, but one must not forget that the gentlemanly enemy are a decidedly forward people,” Bisseldt noted. “Fresh beyond bounds.” Another local put pen to paper to express their shock that a female acquaintance was engaged to marry an American soldier. “Isn’t she crazy?” they wrote. 

“How the censors will rave”

Equally unimpressed, it seems, was Hote Koetter from Neuwied. “[The Americans] are like children and find their joy in playing and eating which they do the whole livelong day,” they scathingly wrote. “Of course there are exceptions as in anything else, but some of these men are so far beneath that their origin from the ape can be plainly seen upon their faces. How the censors will rave when they read this letter, but I am only writing the truth. They are the wildest when they are after the girls. But thank God that they can at once recognize the difference between a ‘decent’ and a ‘common’ girl.” 

The appeal of America

All in all, though, these foreign soldiers left a lasting impression. So much so that one German woman began dreaming of taking a trip across the Atlantic herself. She wrote, “I would like to go to America for a half year or so because it is certain that these people possess a secret method which raises the most common fellows into an individual who stands up boldly and moves about freely and unconcerned.” 

Leaving Germany

While inspiring both hate and admiration, then, the American troops remained in Germany for four long years. It was up to the government of President Warren Harding to decide that it was time for them to come home. So they did. In January 1923, the last soldiers left their posts and returned to the U.S. But it wouldn't be long before these troops found themselves back German soil once again.

Back again

Nearly two decades later, American soldiers returned to Europe to face the horrors of World War II, fighting for four years in what would prove to be the deadliest conflict in human history. Naturally, by the time the war ended in 1945, Allied troops were itching to get home to their loved ones — and they took no shortage of photos once they finally did.

Safe home

The sheer joy of these reunions shone brightly. Once World War II had reached its end, a massive American operation swung into action: the aptly named Operation Magic Carpet. Getting the troops home as quickly and safely as possible was the name of the game. According to the National WWII Museum in New Orleans, the stunning 360-day feat of logistics “was the largest combined air and sealift ever organized.” 

Home, sweet home

Judging by the welcome banner, that’s Hector coming up the garden path. This British soldier’s wife and young son are obviously overjoyed to have him home in their “prefab.” Factories produced prefabricated houses in large numbers to solve the housing crisis caused by German bombing. And the authorities gave returning servicemen priority allocation. 

The wounded return

The combat injuries these soldiers have endured are all too obvious in this shot. But their spirits seem undampened as they wave at the welcome sight of the Manhattan skyline. The ship they’re aboard was the Gripsholm – a Swedish American Line vessel. The U.S. State Department chartered the liner and she ferried troops home under the auspices of the Red Cross. On this occasion, Getty Images notes that Gripsholm was carrying 1,209 Americans released from German prisoner-of-war camps. 

A sailor is home

It’s clearly been an emotional and affectionate reunion for this couple out for a stroll. Obviously, the man’s uniform shows that he’s a sailor, and the U.S. Navy had more than played its part in the victory that allowed him to come home in one piece. After years of war and danger, what a blessed relief it must have been to walk down a city street in the sunshine with his sweetheart in tow. 

Back from Dunkirk

It almost certainly wasn’t actually the end of the war for these cheering soldiers, but it was at least an extremely welcome temporary escape from mortal danger. These are some of the nearly 340,000 men who were rescued by the Royal Navy and a motley flotilla of civilian craft from the beach at the French port of Dunkirk. In 1940 German forces had encircled Allied troops in northern France and were closing in. Amazingly, they escaped by the skin of their teeth. 

Sailing home

Could you cram any more returning servicemen onto this ship? We think not. The vessel is the General Harry Taylor and she’s engaged in Operation Magic Carpet – the massive mission to repatriate American troops after the war’s end. Seen here arriving in New York City in August 1945, the liner has brought men back from Europe after victory there. And it’s fair to say that they look pleased to be home! 

Italian food at last

This ragged but happy Italian soldier has just returned to his homeland after time in a Russian prisoner-of-war camp. We can assume that it wasn’t a barrel of laughs, either. He’s hardly in a fine-dining setting, but his first taste of local food in who knows how long looks to be a dream fulfilled. In fact, the soldier has plenty to be grateful about. Of the 230,000 Italians captured on the Eastern Front by the Soviets, the Central European University notes that only about 100,000 ever made it home. 

The train home

These G.I.s from the 1st U.S. Infantry Division are rolling into Fort Sheridan in Illinois after what can only be described as an extremely eventful war. The men had fought in North Africa and participated in the invasion of Sicily. They were some of the first troops ashore in the 1944 D-Day amphibious invasion of France and then battled all the way to Germany and on to Czechoslovakia. It’s no wonder, then, that the troops were known as “The Fighting First.” 

Return to Paris

It’s 1945, and these French soldiers have just been demobilized. We don’t know where they’ve been fighting, but we can be sure they’re glad to be back in Paris. They’ve arrived at the Gare d’Austerlitz: the railroad terminus on the banks of the River Seine as it flows through the center of the French capital. For millions of men in Europe, getting out of uniform was their first priority at the close of WWII. 

Queen Mary brings them home

It’s a British ship – the Queen Mary – but it’s packed to the gunwales with 14,000 American soldiers sailing home across the Atlantic to New York in 1945. The vessel was launched as a luxury liner in 1936 but was pressed into service as a troop ship during WWII. Before ferrying G.I.s back to the U.S. from Europe, she’d taken some 16,000 of them in the opposite direction to fight in the D-Day invasion of France, according to The Charlotte Observer.

War’s end brings no joy

For some, homecoming at the end of the war was a far from joyful occasion. This German – returning home after his nation’s utter defeat on the battlefields of Europe – is clearly distraught. On arriving in the city of Frankfurt in 1946, he’s discovered that bombing has obliterated his home and the family he left behind is nowhere to be seen. 

Released at last

These British soldiers have just flown home after their release from German prisoner-of-war camps. According to Getty Images, over 170,000 Britons were captured by the Axis forces with many of their number taken as France fell in 1940. This meant that some had been in captivity for as long as five years, so homecoming must have been a sweet delight. 

Deafening welcome

These three are celebrating a momentous day – the surrender of Imperial Japan in the summer of 1945. Combined with Allied victory in Europe earlier that year, that meant the war was well and truly over at last. We can only hope that the sailor in the middle of this jolly threesome didn’t suffer a permanent hearing impairment!

Homeward bound from Calcutta

These American troops are homeward bound in 1945 aboard a ship that set off from the city of Calcutta in India. Why here, though? Well, during the war thousands of G.I.s served in what were called the Chinese-Burma-India (CBI) operations and these presumably are some of them. Apparently, shipboard conditions were unbearably hot and cramped. But the knowledge that the men would be heading home meant that complaints were few and far between. 

Happy war dog

Interestingly, American canines also traveled overseas to do their bit for the war effort. And, we can surmise, they were probably just as happy to get home as their masters. This particular hound certainly looks to be full of the joys of homecoming. More than 90 dogs – including this pooch – served with the U.S. 5th Army in Italy, according to Getty Images. In fact, the army had 15 canine platoons in total and seven of them served in Europe. 

A Chinese celebration

For most Westerners, it’s fair to say that the Second Sino-Japanese War which lasted from 1937 until the end of WWII is a forgotten episode. But there was bitter fighting as Japan invaded and occupied parts of China during the years of that conflict. It And it was only the former’s defeat that ended the incursion. Hence, we have a celebrating Chinese national held aloft in London’s Piccadilly Circus after the war’s end. 

Back in New Jersey

There’s jubilation in this crowd as a well as a refreshing show of racial harmony. The celebrations have erupted in Newark, New Jersey, with the announcement of Japan’s surrender. That, of course, was precipitated by the dropping of atomic weapons on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. So, it’s no wonder that these Americans are in buoyant mood. They know that no more blood will be spilled in fighting WWII. 

The boys are home

On this occasion, the Queen Mary liner is carrying home men from the 82nd Airborne Division to an enthusiastic welcome. The unit had seen action in North Africa, Italy and took part in the D-Day assault – parachuting into German-occupied France. The soldiers had left Southampton on England’s south coast five days earlier and are seen here arriving in New York in January 1946. Just over a week later, the 82nd would take part in a huge victory parade down Manhattan’s 5th Avenue. 

Back in France

These men returning home to France are not actually soldiers. But their lives were turned upside down by the German invasion of their country. They’d been dragooned into forced labor in Germany – a fate that befell up to 650,000 French citizens, according to the book Tuberculosis and War. Badly fed and ill-housed, the end of the conflict could not have come too soon for these forced workers. 

Welcome home, Leonard Pittman!

Able Seaman Leonard Pittman was a British sailor who served aboard HMS Ajax during WWII. As is obvious, his neighbors are totally delighted to see him and have prepared the warmest of welcomes. He’s arrived home to Durban Road – a street in the city of Portsmouth on England’s south coast. Interestingly, it was and still is home to a large naval base. 

Times Square party

Where better to celebrate victory in World War II than Manhattan’s famous Times Square? That certainly seems to be the view of these jubilant servicemen. Specifically, they’re marking the surrender of Japan. Combined with the overwhelming defeat of Germany, that meant the war was over once and for all. And if that wasn’t a good reason to throw a rowdy street party, then what is? 

Arriving in New York

These smartly uniformed women were welcoming the return of soldiers from the 86th Infantry Division in June 1945. It’s a little more than a month after Germany’s final surrender, so the G.I.s have wasted no time in getting back to the U.S. Since they’d seen hard fighting in Germany during the last months of the war, who could grudge them a rapid homecoming? 

Love is in the air

Is there a better way to welcome victory than to seal it with a kiss? This couple in London, England, obviously didn’t think so. After an extremely tough six years of war for civilians as well as soldiers, the British were more than ready to let their hair down once it was all over in 1945. As the original Getty Images caption had it, “... An American soldier kisses a London girl in Piccadilly Circus.” 

Back from France

These women are greeting returning U.K. soldiers with gifts of cigarettes and fruit. The men are members of the British Expeditionary Force which was sent to France early in WWII to help French and Belgian soldiers fight invading German stormtroopers. Unfortunately, by 1940 the mission had failed and ended in a perilous mass evacuation from the beaches of Dunkirk. 

Home to Japan

Of course, the journey home was not one of joy in victory for everyone. These defeated Japanese soldiers are about to board a train that will take them back to their homeland. Imperial Japan had finally conceded defeat in August 1945 and this shot is from soon after. There were to be no celebratory victory parades for these troops. 

Wartime stories

Captain Richard I. Bong – a war veteran at the tender age of 23 – regales his neighbors in Poplar, Wisconsin, with tales of his wartime exploits. He actually saw more service after this shot was taken in 1944 – Bong was on leave at the time. In the end, he shot down a total of 40 Japanese planes, HistoryNet notes. The all-American war hero sadly died just days before the conflict ended while test-flying a Lockheed P-80 jet fighter in Ohio. 

Mind the gap!

Love conquers all, it’s said – apparently even this dangerous looking gap between platform and train. And the young woman has every reason to be pleased to see her man. He’d just returned from France, where the entire British Expeditionary Force almost fell into the hands of the Germans in 1940. Military disaster was narrowly averted by the legendary Dunkirk evacuation. 

Docking in New York

The Queen Mary sails into dock at New York Harbor with some 8,800 soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division aboard, according to Getty Images. Read the list of place names on their banner and you’ll get an idea of just how much combat these troops had lived through. After all that battle action, every single one of them must have been overjoyed – and more than a little relieved – to see their homeland again. 

A taste of freedom

Sitting on the car hood is Captain Philip John Gardner back in England after a spell in a German prisoner-of-war camp. The men hauling the automobile are workers from the engineering factory owned by the Captain’s father. Gardner was a bona fide war hero who was awarded Britain’s highest military honor: the Victoria Cross. He won it for his action in rescuing a fellow solder while himself badly wounded and under fire. 

The war ends

It’s easy to see the mood of jubilation here – and the couple at the center of the image add a note of unbridled romance. The occasion is VJ Day in 1945 when victory over Japan signaled the end of the bitter fighting of World War II. Naturally, celebrations in the Allied nations were spontaneous and ecstatic. 

Arriving in Naples, Italy

We’ve all seen pictures of troops returning to cities like London and New York City to ecstatic crowds. But the atmosphere seen here in Naples in 1946 is rather different. These are Italian prisoners of war returning home to be greeted by a somewhat forlorn looking band of musicians. Still, we have no doubt they’re more than glad to be back in their own country. 

Mass celebration

Hostilities with Japan effectively ended in August 1945, but formal surrender did not come until September 2. President Truman’s announcement of that huge event was the moment Americans had been waiting for. Yep, the time had come for mass celebration. The scene here is Broadway in Manhattan – thronged by a huge crowd of happy Americans and complete with a model of the Statue of Liberty. 

A lucky escape

The mass evacuation of British, French and Belgian troops from the French port of Dunkirk came at the end of May 1940. It was a low point in the war for those fighting against a ruthlessly expansionist Germany. Though most of the British Expeditionary Force escaped back to England to fight another day – including these weary looking soldiers. 

Their ship comes in

It looks as if just one woman is there to greet these men of the U.S. Army’s 86th as their troopship arrives in New York from Europe. But you can be sure that there were many more people along the dockside to welcome these soldiers home in June 1945. They were the first combat troops to make it back to the U.S. as a full unit after the end of fighting in Europe, Getty Images notes.

Piccadilly Circus, London

Just as in America, in Britain there were wild scenes of celebration when the surrender of Imperial Japan was announced in September 1945 – bringing an end to World War II. Piccadilly Circus in the heart of London was one of the places where euphoric crowds gathered to celebrate the end of the six-year ordeal of WWII. Judging by the uniforms, the British were joined by elated G.I.s stationed in the country. 

Back from the Pacific

These soldiers have made it back to the U.S after serving in the Pacific. For those who had survived the fierce fighting of World War II, homecoming was a time of relief as well as celebration. Yet for many of them, thoughts about their comrades-in-arms who had not made it home must have weighed heavily. 

Welcome home, Private James Velocci

Private First Class James Velocci of 49 Gold Street, Buffalo, New York, had made it home. His broad smile tells all we need to know about his thoughts about being back on American soil. He’d served with the 82nd Airborne Division – an outfit which had seen action right across North Africa, Italy, France and Germany. So, homecoming must have been sweet indeed. 

Safe and sound

These three British soldiers – identified as Privates R. Chase of London, Geoffrey Smith of Yorkshire and Trooper George Hart of Kent – are just back from Europe. They’ve been involved in the 1944 D-Day invasion of France and have paid the price with their wounds. They were now safe in England – receiving treatment at an emergency hospital. 

Back from Europe

The American sailors and soldiers seen here have just made it home from Europe in June 1945. According to Getty Images, they’re some of the 4,381 men and women to have arrived back on that particular day, aboard the first convoy to cross the Atlantic and dock on home soil after victory in Europe. Their feelings about being back in the U.S. are plain to see. 

Lipstick celebration

This photograph taken on VJ Day gives us an idea of just how unrestrained the victory festivities in America were. The telltale lipstick marks on the G.I.’s face offer their own story. Someone has certainly been extremely glad to see him. Or perhaps there was more than one handing out the kisses! In any case, the newspaper headline – “Peace” – gives the reason enough for the unbridled celebrations.