Heartwarming war photos you’ve never seen before
When it comes to warfare, death and destruction are usually what comes to mind. Millions of people have lost their lives and cities have been damaged beyond repair for centuries as various wars have ravaged the world. But in the midst of all the casualties, plenty of people have found silver linings along the way – even if it was usually once the war was over. Someone was in the right place at the right time to capture these heartwarming moments.
WWII: Give Me A Kiss Goodbye
Actress Martha O’Driscoll was captured kissing a U.S. military officer in Los Angeles in 1941. O’Driscoll was a Hollywood actress during the late ’30s and starred in The Lady Eve and Reap the Wild Wind. During World War II, she toured with Errol Flynn and the USO to perform for troops in various countries.
She likely met her first husband on one of these tours, as she married Lieutenant Commander Richard D. Adams of the U.S. Navy in 1943. Unfortunately, the marriage didn’t last a year but clearly this actress had a thing for men in uniform.
WWII: Paris Has Been Liberated
The Nazis occupied Paris for four years during the second world war. Once the French capital was finally liberated of their control, everyone in the streets was celebrating. This American soldier, for one, was so excited that he kissed a French woman who was riding a bicycle nearby.
On August 25, 1944, the French 2nd Armored Division and the U.S. 4th Infantry Division successfully took down German forces. They faced little resistance at that point, especially after German General Dietrich von Choltitz defied Hitler’s orders to blow up famous Parisian landmarks and held back.
WWII: Forbidden In Plain Sight
Following Japan’s defeat at the end of World War II, the U.S. occupied Japan with support from other Allied Powers. Under General Douglas MacArthur, the U.S. military arrived in Tokyo in 1945 and began the country’s reformation and reconstruction.
American soldiers, of course, intermingled with locals but there were strict rules that were often broken. Giving away cigarettes was forbidden, as well as public displays of affection that went beyond hand-holding. Solider Robert Gray shares Hershey’s chocolate and cigarettes with Tokyo actress Hariko Wakaru in this photo taken for a December 1946 issue of LIFE magazine.
WWII: Whispering The Last Words
When one goes off to war, there’s little time to mull over whether you should tell loved ones everything you need to tell them. Many soldiers likely felt that way, as there was no guarantee they would return home.
This British soldier whispers in the ear of a loved one just moments before he and his unit leave for the front on September 24, 1939. At the start of the second world war, the British Army was a volunteer army who attempted to stop Germany on their own. They went to full conscription by the time Britain fully declared war.
WWII: Public Displays Of Affection
This American soldier and a young French woman got incredibly cozy on the hood of a half-track military vehicle in this photo from 1944. It was first featured in LIFE magazine much to the surprise of many readers.
At the end of WWII, many U.S. military members didn’t make it back home right away. Like in Japan, fraternization rules were inflicted upon soldiers in other countries. Obviously, soldiers didn’t care. They were probably just happy that the war was finally over and they could let their guard down for once.
WWII: Coming Home From Dunkirk
This British Expeditionary Force soldier hadn’t even disembarked his train when he received quite a warm welcome from his girlfriend. She was likely relieved to see that he had made it back after the Battle of Dunkirk.
The Battle of Dunkirk was nearly disastrous, as German troops were closing in on Dunkirk in northern France. French forces had to hold off German troops while British and other Allied forces were evacuated from the beach. More than 198,000 men were able to escape between May 26 and June 4, leaving behind equipment, vehicles, and weapons.
WWII: A Thank You Kiss
This photo was taken on February 14, 1945, as a little French girl gives a peck on the cheek of a U.S. soldier near Aboncourt, France. This soldier was a member of the 3rd Armored Division of the United States Army. The “Third Herd,” as they were known, were first activated in 1941 and sent to the European Theater during WWII.
The Third Herd arrived in England and swiftly departed for France to take part in the operations at Normandy. Following WWII, this infantry was stationed in West Germany during the Cold War.
WWII: The Kiss Seen Around The World
This photo of a Navy sailor kissing a nurse in the middle of Times Square became an iconic representation over the excitement felt upon the official end of the second world war. LIFE magazine photographer Alfred Eisenstaedt titled this infamous photo V-J Day in Times Square.
The sailor in the photo is George Mendonsa, who grabbed a woman in a nurse’s uniform and planted a kiss right on her lips. The woman is Greta Zimmer Friedman, who was working as a dental assistant when this happened. They had no relationship to each other otherwise.
