19 Vintage Photos That Capture the Emotional Return of Soldiers
From couples clinging to each other on train platforms to children sprinting into waiting arms, these old photos of soldiers returning home can make even the staunchest man shed a tear. But these moving reunions weren’t just answered prayers — they were moments where time stood still and the crushing weight of war lifted just long enough for kisses, laughter, and whispered “welcome homes.” Take a look through these vintage photos that capture the emotional reunions of soldiers and their loved ones. We dare you to not shed a tear.
1. A Sea of American Soldiers Return Home From Word War II, 1945
2. A Returning G.I. Sweeps His Sweetheart Into a Joyful Embrace
3. A Soldier Leans Out of a Train Window to Plant a Smooch on His Girl During WWII, 1940s
4. Colorized Image of a Soldier Reuniting With His Sweetheart After WWII as Another Couple Gleefully Looks on in Connecticut
5. ‘British Soldiers Returning From the Frontlines in 1939’
6. An American Soldier Reunites With His Family After Returning From the ‘Great War,’ Circa 1918
7. German-American Actress Marlene Dietrich Plants a Kiss on a Sailor Returning Home From WWII in New York, 1945
8. ‘My Grandmother and Her Father After He Returned Home From WWII, Circa 1944-45’
9. ‘WWI Heroes Returning From France, 1919’
10. Colorized Image of a Soldier Returning Home to His Family After WWI, 1917
11. A Young Boy Clings to His Father’s Leg After He Was Allowed to Return Home for Christmas During WWII, 1944
12. A Japanese Soldier Meets His Son That Was Born During WWII
13. A Sailor Plants a Smooch on His Lady After Returning Home From WWII in Los Angeles, 1945
14. ‘US Troops Are Greeted and Kissed by French Women During the Liberation of Paris from Nazi Rule in August 1944’
15. A German Soldier Breaks Down in Tears After Returning Home to Frankfurt and Finding His Family No Longer There, 1946
16. A British Soldier Embraces His 8-Month-Old Daughter as He Returns Home From WWII, 1945
17. ‘American Soldiers Returning Home on the Agamemnon in Hoboken, New Jersey, 1919’
18. ‘A British Soldier Arriving Back From Dunkirk Shares a Welcome Home Kiss With His Girlfriend, 1940’
19. A Wounded Soldier on Crutches Greets His Sweetheart After Returning Home From WWI in Sydney, Australia, 1919
Interested in more wartime content?
We have plenty of stories that might interest you, including These 21 Powerful Photos Capture the Reality of World War I, From the Front Lines to the Aftermath: 23 Incredible Photos of the Vietnam War, and 22 Powerful Photos That Show the Courage and Cost of World War II.