In 1946, Americans were adjusting to life in the immediate aftermath of World War II. Post-war concerns were varied. Would there be another economic depression? Would political unrest grow in Europe or Asia? Would there be another war?
Across the country, communities were also confronting more immediate questions related to their returning Veterans. How would the 16 million Americans who served in uniform transition back into civilian society? How would disabled Veterans be cared for and rehabilitated? Could men and women who experienced the traumas of war return to “normal” life?
On November 21, 1946, The Best Years of Our Lives opened in movie theaters. The film was praised for its frank portrayal of the transition from military service to Veteran status as seen through the eyes of its three main characters returning to their hometown after the war. The trio of combat Veterans–a sailor, infantry sergeant, and air corps bombardier–meet by chance while demobilizing. The story follows them through their readjustment, as they experience bouts of Post-Traumatic Stress, attempt to reestablish family and marital relationships, meet with reemployment challenges, and struggle with alcohol abuse. The film also examines the varied reactions to their service and sacrifice from members of their communities who perceive them in ways ranging from hero to threat.
The sailor, portrayed by Harold Russell, also contends with the severe service disability of the double amputation of his hands. Russell’s performance was poignantly authentic. An Army Veteran, Russell lost both hands during an explosives training accident during the war.
The Best Years of Our Lives was a huge box office success, making over $10 million during its initial release and ending the year as the highest grossing film of 1946. It also received eight Academy Awards, including two for Russell: one for best supporting actor and a second honorary Oscar for his courage and inspiration to fellow Veterans. Russell remains the only actor to receive two Academy Awards for the same performance.
General Omar Bradley, head of the VA during this key post-war period, was so impressed by the film that he arranged for it to be shown to VA headquarters staff. Bradley also wrote the film’s producer, Samuel Goldwyn to express his appreciation for the film: “I cannot thank you too much for bringing this story to the American public.”
Reviewing the film in retrospect, movie critic Roger Ebert commented, “Seen more than six decades later, it feels surprisingly modern: lean, direct, honest about issues that Hollywood then studiously avoided. After the war years of patriotism and heroism in the movies, this was a sobering look at the problems veterans faced when they returned home.”
By Michael Visconage
Chief Historian, Department of Veterans Affairs
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In the 19th century, the federal government left the manufacture and distribution of prosthetic limbs for disabled Veterans to private enterprise. The experience of fighting two world wars in the first half of the 20th century led to a reversal in this policy.
In the interwar era, first the Veterans Bureau and then the Veterans Administration assumed responsibility for providing replacement limbs and medical care to Veterans.
In recent decades, another federal agency, the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA), has joined VA as a supporter of cutting-edge research into artificial limb technology. DARPA’s efforts were spurred by the spike in traumatic injuries resulting from the emergence of improvised explosive devices as the insurgent’s weapon of choice in Iraq in 2003-04.
Out of that effort came the LUKE/DEKA prosthetic limb, named after the main character from "Star Wars."
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American prisoners of war from World War II, Korea, and Vietnam faced starvation, torture, forced labor, and other abuses at the hands of their captors. For those that returned home, their experiences in captivity often had long-lasting impacts on their physical and mental health. Over the decades, the U.S. government sought to address their specific needs through legislation conferring special benefits on former prisoners of war.
In 1978, five years after the United States withdrew the last of its combat troops from South Vietnam, Congress mandated VA carry out a thorough study of the disability and medical needs of former prisoners of war. In consultation with the Secretary of Defense, VA completed the study in 14 months and published its findings in early 1980. Like previous investigations in the 1950s, the study confirmed that former prisoners of war had higher rates of service-connected disabilities.
History of VA in 100 Objects
In the waning days of World War I, French sailors from three visiting allied warships marched through New York in a Liberty Loan Parade. The timing was unfortunate as the second wave of the influenza pandemic was spreading in the U.S. By January, 25 of French sailors died from the virus.
These men were later buried at the Cypress Hills National Cemetery and later a 12-foot granite cross monument, the French Cross, was dedicated in 1920 on Armistice Day. This event later influenced changes to burial laws that opened up availability of allied service members and U.S. citizens who served in foreign armies in the war against Germany and Austrian empires.
