The act of saying goodbye is always an emotional one, especially when it’s to loved ones who are going to war. The vintage photos of soldiers kissing their girlfriends, wives, or even kids before getting deployed or going to war capture the human side of war.
The shots depict the immense sacrifices that soldiers and their loved ones had to make during World War II.
Many of them knew they might not make it back home alive. These photos captured the raw emotions of those moments, soldiers hugging their loved ones tightly, looking into their eyes, and kissing them goodbye.
These moments of goodbye display the deep love and commitment that soldiers and their families had for one another, despite the challenges and uncertainty that lay ahead.
The old photographs serve as a poignant reminder of the sacrifices that soldiers and their families made during times of war. War is not solely about the soldiers who fight on the front lines; it is also about the families left behind.
Korean War Goodbye Kiss, Los Angeles, Sept. 6, 1950.
The duration of time that soldiers spent overseas during World War II varied based on the location and mission. Some soldiers were deployed for several months, while others were sent overseas for several years.
For example, soldiers who fought in the European theater typically spent longer periods away from home than those who served in the Pacific theater. In general, soldiers stationed overseas for a year or more were not allowed to take leave and return home.
Written correspondence provided soldiers with a much-needed connection to events back home. For families at home, receiving word from soldiers in the field provided additional assurance against fears of loss.
So many letters were exchanged between soldiers and their families during the Second World War that letters eventually had to be microfilmed to save space on cargo ships. This microfilmed mail was known as Victory mail, or V-mail.
Many letters sent home included detailed information about what daily military life was like, focusing on ordinary activities that took place between military operations.
Since letters were strictly censored, there was no specific information about the soldier’s location or the military operation they were affiliated with.
Correspondence sent from loved ones at home, on the other hand, was full of local details, such as weather, sports teams, gossip, or family matters.
American Soldiers Getting Last Kiss On Ship Before Deployment To Egypt, 1963.
A Sailor Kissing A Nurse In New York’s Times Square. This Iconic Photo Symbolizes The End Of World War II, 1945.
A Young Woman Lifts Her Feet While Embracing And Kissing A Uniformed Us Soldier At The Train Station, Connecticut, 1945.
Farewell To Departing Troops At New York’s Penn Station, April 1943.
A Woman Leans Over The Railing To Kiss A British Soldier Returning From World War II, London, 1940.
Jean Moore Kneels And Kisses Her Fiancé, Wheelchair-Bound World War II Veteran Ralph Neppel, 1945.
Saying Goodbye At The Train Station Before Departing To WWII.
A Soldier Comes Home From War, 1940s.
American Soldier Kissing His English Girlfriend On Lawn In Hyde Park, 1945.
Soldiers Departing For Egypt Lean Out Of Their Windows To Kiss Their Loved Ones Goodbye, 1935.
Farewell To Departing Troops At New York’s Penn Station, April 1943.
Coffee Served On Porch Of Ante-Bellum Mansion, At Party For Cadets From Local Army Flying School, Mississippi, US, 1943.
English Soldiers Saying Goodbye To Their Wives, Getting Ready To Go To Egypt, 1937.
An English ATS And Eighth Air Force Sergeant Enjoy A Blissful Kiss, 1945.
A Sailor Leans Over A Picket Fence And Lifts His Girlfriend Up For A Kiss, 1945.
A British Soldier Whispers Into The Ear Of A Loved One As He Leaves For The Front, 1939.
Saying Farewell To Departing Troops At New York’s Penn Station, April 1943.
US Soldier Tenderly Kissing His Girlfriend Goodbye Before Departing By Train, 1922.
A Young Woman On Roller Skates And Her Soldier Honey, 1940s.
US Soldier Giving Japanese Girl A Bicycle Ride, With Handlebar Riding Forbidden, 1946, Japan.
A GI And His Girl Walk Arm-In-Arm Among The Sheep In Kensington Gardens, London, 1945.
A Girl Climbs To Say Her Goodbye To A Soldier Going Off To Fight In World War II, 1940.
A British Soldier Kisses His Wife On His Return From Serving With The Armed Forces, 1945.
Couple In Penn Station Sharing Farewell Kiss Before He Ships Off To War, 1943.
Servicemen And Downtown Workers Embrace And Kiss In The Street As Word Of Surrender Flashed Through The Nation, 1945.
A Kiss In Times Square Displays The Mood Of The World On V-E Day, New York, May 8, 1945.
A Member Of The 1st Battalion Of The Manchester Regiment During A Quayside Reunion At Southampton Before The Unit Moves On Egypt.
Young Couple Chalking Hearts Onto A Tree, Valentine’s Day, 1944.
US Soldier And Local Girl Sharing A Chocolate Bar And Cigarettes, 1940s.
A Soldier Saying Goodbye To His Wife In Seattle, Leaving For World War I, 1917.
A Present For His Girlfriend, California, 1943.
An American GI And His French Girlfriend Holding One Another While On A Date, 1940s.
An American Soldier And A Frenchwoman Kissing In A Picture That Raised Eyebrows After Appearing In Life Magazine, 1944.
Soldier Is Welcomed Home At Long Beach Airport, 1945.
Saying Farewell To Departing Troops At New York’s Penn Station, April 1943.
Soldier Kissing A Red Cross Nurse, 1945.
D. Brown Kissing Her Fiance Terry Under The Mistletoe, On Board The HMS Wakeful At Portsmouth, 1955.
Evacuated French Troops Relax On An English Beach.
Actress Martha O’driscoll Kisses A Soldier Goodbye In Los Angeles, 1941.
Kissing Their Lovers Goodbye, Toronto, 1914.
Comrades Heckle Soldier Kissing His Girlfriend Goodbye Before Leaving Waterloo Station, London, 1939.
A British Tommie Bestows A Last Kiss Upon His Rhineland Sweetheart As His Detachment Leaves For England As They Evacuate Germany. Konigstein, Germany, September 1929.
Husbands Kiss Their Wives After Coming Back From War, 1940s.
Soldier Is Greeted With A Kiss From His Ecstatic Wife As He Comes Home From France On Christmas.
(Photo credit: Pinterest / Flickr / US Army Archives).