When The Can-Can Just Can’t-Can’t

LIFE celebrates 1945
LIFE celebrates 1945

After the victory in WWII, there weren’t enough planes, trains, and ships to carry all the men home as quickly as they would have preferred. Families back home chanted, “Bring the boys home, bring the boys home!” Dozens of USO shows were dispatched to distract the servicemen with bare legs and pretty smiles. It didn’t work. The new chant became, “No boats, no votes!” And with that, Congress brought three million servicemen back home by November. One million were promised to soon be on their way. Sometimes you want eye candy: sometimes you just want to be back in your own warm bed again.

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